This high probability of blatant negligence to either explain or act has been of considerable concern to my humble helpless self.

Next in line for my noting of such ignorance by people who turn away, government/media or otherwise, is the matter of the ignored pakistan earthquake victims.

The idea of a “fair go”, mateship, tolerance and justice in Australia is pretty threadbare these days. I’ve always felt that it was little more than collective national self-delusion.

The Hicks case is glaring evidence of how this government will sacrifice its obligations, its responsibility and its citizens on the altar of expediency.

Xavier Herbert once wrote (I’m paraphrasing here): “When it comes to the crunch you can always rely on an Australian…to let you down”.

John Howard and his government have reinforced this notion in spades. On every issue in which they have been required to act on what is right, they have wrapped themselves in the flag and taken the moral low road.

The frightening thing is that Howard is a master of mediocrity.  He generates it, feeds off it, justifies himself by it. 

As apparantly our Errol Flynn did, we must guard against the grip of mediocrity.  It’s not far from Orwellian.  It can be easily massaged into a faithfull submissive beast.