In my post box today was a glossy, double-sided, 5-fold flyer from my local Federal Liberal Member reminding of the virtues of Anzacness – Determination, Courage, Mateship, Lest We Forget, and send a message of encouragement to our troups. In memory of my father, who served in New Guinea with the AIF in WWII, my first reaction was “Fuck Off!”
No offense to Stewart MacArthur, but he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed, so I don’t for one minute think this excess of Government advertising was from him, although it is presented that way. Why on earth does the Howard Government have to squander $millions to remind us of what Anzac Day means to Australians? The wall-to-wall media coverage has already started, just as surely as Easter Eggs appear in Safeway before Australia Day and the Christmas decorations are still up. You can’t watch TV, listen to radio, or read a newspaper without reading about Anzac Day. It’s become just another merchandising season, with the product being sentimental, maukish, nationalistic and patriotic propaganda peddled by Howard and his homo-erotic war fetish.
Think about it. I was a child of the 50s, and WWII was writ large in my consciousness from stories and conversations of adults. John Howard was born the year WWII began. His childhood consciousness in his formative years was indelibly marked by WWII, which must have seemed the most powerful force in his young, impressionable mind. The war was exciting and the soldiers heroes. Throughout his Prime Ministership, Howard has visited every major Australian pilgrimage site from Ypres to Gallipoli and Long Tan and been moved to tears, inadvertently or otherwise hijacking the whole imagery to his rather narrow view of Australianess and even more limited and qualified view of Mateship and A Fair Go.
So now it’s an election year, and Howard is sending out these Anzac flyers to remind us who is the ‘real’ Australian in the coming Federal Election. Salute the Flag, Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi, Vote 1 Howard! Expect a surprise visit to the troops any day now.
I’m as proud of Australia as anyone, and I am more than sensitive to the importance of Anzac Day. That’s why I’m offended by the way Howard has attempted to hijack the Australian Flag and our Anzac heritage as his own. My father would turn in his grave.
Filed under: Australian values, Media, Politics
The Dog's Bollocks 
So would my dad, who also served in PNG. Like many returned soldiers, he’d never talk about the war. He would loathe the opportunistic rodential feeding frenzy which year after year desecrates the ANZAC event, glorifying war and not the winning of peace.
I agree… I’m sick of being told what it is to be Australian (or unAustralian for that matter). It’s adding insult to injury when they waste my money to do it.