verging_on_random

Hyperbole rules

December 16, 2006 on 12:27 pm | In Uncategorized |

Extract from a news release by the opposition’s new environment spokesperson, Peter Garrett:

Ten years of inaction on climate change by the Howard Government is jeopardising our critical tourism and agriculture sectors.

Peter we know the Howard mob like to distort the truth and even make things up but that’s no reason for you to do the same thing.

It’s implicit in this statement that somehow the Howard Government could have done something over the last 10 years to make a real difference to climate change, thereby protecting our tourism and agricultural sectors. Informed people understand, as Peter Garrett surely understands, that this is pure bullshit.

This kind of over-simplification is ultimately self-defeating. It frames the argument in terms of “The government can stop climate change” (Labor)/”There’s no point us doing anything unless the Chinese/Indians/Americans are also involved” (Coalition). Framed in these terms, the Coalition is more nearly correct; but the argument shouldn’t be framed in those terms in the first place. Instead of playing into Howard’s hands Garrett should be explaining the real deficiencies in the government’s position and the measures that Labor would take in government. These should be given some meaning for ordinary people beyond the mantra of ‘ratify Kyoto’, which gives no clue at all about the action that will follow.

We expect simplistic arguments and dishonest tactics from Howard’s mob; we deserve better from the alternative government.