Folks, apparently, I live in one of the redneckest regions in one of the most redneckest states of Oz, but I don’t have a single inkling to sign up with Pauline Hansons’ One Nation Party.
Unlike our right leaning, Federal National Party member, Colin Boyce MP, who is currently considering jumping even further to the right from the listing National Party ship to the little tugboat, of Pauline Hansons’ One Nation (PHON).
Anyway, I follow a few pundits online, and one of them, a Mr. S. Gherkin posted this rather interesting graph last week after the Farrer by-election:
According to this particular graph, I hit nearly all the 30+% columns and, technically, should be a semi-rabid PHON (silent ‘Y’?) supporter.
On paper, I should be furious at, I dunno, somebody! Or, possibly, everybody?!
Around here (and I guess Farrer), but particularly in the rural backblocks, people feel like they’re being royally screwed (by both sides of politics). They live in terror of losing their jobs, feel financially cornered, left behind by rampant technology and that the country has been stolen by ‘them’.
Mostly, what they’re saying is, ‘No bastard listens to us, or cares, so screw them all!’
I get it. I really do.
But, I’ve resisted the full transformation into an angry Facebook-comment-section patriot yelling about chemtrails and ‘political correctness gone mad!’ like some of my friends have.
Why?
I think it’s because I think? Or, perhaps, because I read? I could sound a lot smarter than I actually am and list history and philosophy as my go to’s for literature, but I own some Jeremy Clarkson books too, so, you know, not exactly high art.
(Note: Let’s not mention the box of Asterix comics)
Anyway, at the moment, I’m currently reading Jimmy Carr’s ‘Before and Laughter’ over breakfast and before bed, plodding through a tome entitled, ‘Life in Ancient Egypt Under Roman Rule’, which has been a bit of an eye-opener, but also helps put me to sleep.
This week I read how one of the emperors was in desperate need of some sort of distraction from his own scandals and corruptions which could lead to him getting ventilated by angry, sword wielding, Roman citizens.
So, he whipped the people up into a frenzy against the many Egyptians living in Rome and the mob cried it was time to:
Make Rome Roman Again!
Is it just me, or does that sound a bit familiar?
By the way, things got so fired up during this time, Cleopatra packed her bags and shot back home to Egypt until the furor blew over (I haven’t got to the end yet, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t blow over until there’s been a significant body count on both sides).
Anyway, whatever the reason, it’s a bit tricky becoming, and staying, gloriously outraged when you keep discovering the world is quite complicated and everybody’s just as big a red-hot mess as I am.
Also, I’ve met, worked with, hung out and become mates with, too many different people around these here parts pilgrim.
Tradies, musos, academics, greenies, old unionists, disabled folk and disability workers, drunks, business owners, politicians, church ladies, fishermen, hippies, you name it.
People from all walks of life, countries, backgrounds, education, religions and ethnicities (including some Kiwis!)
Turns out most of them are just trying to survive ‘til the weekend like Doll and I are. Without getting ruined financially at the checkout and petrol bowser.
And to be honest, I do have redneck tendencies. I own work shirts, singlets, beach shorts and a straw hat. I often walk into my local supermarket with bare feet, and the checkout ladies never bat an eyelid.
Hey, it’s Gladstone!
I can reverse a trailer perfectly and make fun of people who can’t. Ditto for tying down a load on the back of a ute.
I can identify over twenty species of fish and maybe three different types of gum tree.
Pronounce Bunnings, ‘Bunnin’s’ and believe it’s a hardware store, unofficial social club, therapy centre and sausage in a sanger shop.
There’s more (oh, there’s so much more) but I think you get the picture.
Even with these credentials, I’m still not redneck enough to be lured in by Poorleans’ populous politics.
Frankly, I actually believe if you’re going to raise a problem of national importance, you should at least have some viable, working, realistic solutions for it too; which doesn’t involve punching down hard on the less fortunate, the poor, the disabled, the slightly different or immigrants. And particularly without handing fistfuls of taxpayer dollars over to billionaires.
Basically, when I see (more and more) One Nation memes online offering simple solutions to extremely difficult problems I find the quiet voice inside my scone asking, “Yeah, but is that actually true?’
Or, ‘If I followed ‘the money’ who would it lead me too?’
Maybe, it’s that tiny, mental pause which is enough to stop me from signing up as a member of the Orange Militia (aka: the Boomers of Doom)?
But, if you’d like to read more about the people who do flock to PHON, please avail yourself of Mr. Gherkins’ post below, it’s really quite enlightening:
Or this red hot take from Brisbane author John Birmingham:
https://open.substack.com/pub/aliensideboob/p/more-of-an-airhorn?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=ln0v9
In the meantime, I’m going to get back to my book, and those bloody Romans!
Cheers,
Gb
