Panic

by David Marr

Panic (noun). A sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behaviour.

Australians see themselves as a relaxed and tolerant bunch. But scratch the surface and you'll uncover an extraordinary level of fear.

Cronulla. Henson. Hanson. Wik. Haneef. The boats. …

Panic shows all of David Marr's characteristic insight, quick wit and brilliant prose as he cuts through the froth and fury that have kept Australia simmering over the last fifteen years.

"Turning fear into panic is a great political art: knowing how to stack the bonfire, where to find the kindling, when to slosh on a bucket of kero to set the whole thing off with a satisfying roar … These are dispatches from the republic of panic, stories of fear and fear-mongering under three prime ministers. Some chart panic on the rise and others pick through the wreckage left behind, but all grew out of my wish to honour the victims of these ugly episodes: the people damaged and a damaged country." —David Marr

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Australia, Essays

262 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Eminent Australian journalist, author, and progressive political and social commentator. David Marr is the multi-award-winning author of Patrick White: A Life, Panic and The High Price of Heaven, and co- author with Marian Wilkinson of Dark Victory. He has written for the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age, The Saturday Paper, The Guardian Australia and the Monthly. He has been editor of the National Times, a reporter for Four Corners and presenter of ABC TV’s Media Watch. He is also the author of two previous bestselling biographical Quarterly Essays: Power Trip: The Political Journey of Kevin Rudd and Political Animal: The Making of Tony Abbott. His areas of expertise include Australian politics, law, censorship, the media and the arts. David Marr began his career in 1973 and is the recipient of four Walkley awards for journalism. He also appears as a semi-regular panellist on the ABC television programs Q&A and Insiders.

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Marr is the finest writer of essays in Australia today. He is a very good writer. He writes about subjects that matter and he does not pull any punches while being reasonably fair. He is not a polemicist like Orwell often was but he does write knowingly and morally about politics.
This books over all subject is political and social panics that Australia seems to be peculiarly prone to over the last 30 years.
Highly recommended for those interested in Australian politics and good Australian political writing.

[Frances Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book examines a number of incidents in the period 1997 - 2011, such as the Cronulla race riot and the detaining of Mohamed Haneef. It looks at these incidents with a humane eye, 'to honour the victims of these ugly episodes'.

In his opening essay, David Marr sums it up best: 'This golden country, so prosperous, so intelligent, so safe and orderly is afraid of refugees arriving in fishing boats. ... Every time refugee boats appear on the horizon in any numbers, we panic. Facts then count for little. Hearts are hardened. Terrible things are done in the name of protecting the nation.'

Well written, with a wry sense of humour.

[Alex Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like reading book-length treatments by journalists of their specialist subjects - the ultimate in long-form journalism - and Marr has long been one of the political journalists that I most respect. A little dated now (written in 2011, and many of the extracts and stories are from the first decade of this century) the book nonetheless provides a valuable insight into the politics of fear in Australia, and how Howard (the master of fear-mongering politics) and his successors have used fear to win and consolidate power, and to shape the narrative of the nation in their direction. Knowledge is the best inoculation against this tactic, and this book is a very useful perspective still in 2020.

[Wayne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Before Marr pushes any more fiction on Pell he needs to apologize to the Australian public for his witchunt on Pell. This clown in many public forums peddled his hate at every opportunity. Hang your head in shame. A performance on Q and A would have rivaled Broadway with quivering bottom lip, tears and an IQ to match his hat size. Give yourself an uppercut...twat.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of David Marr's commentary from the past two decades, mostly surrounding the efforts of the Coalition government/opposition, with the faithful assistance of NewCorp and 2GB radio, to generate moral panic for votes.

[Salar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collection of newspaper articles from the last 15 years. Left v Right. ABC v NewsCorp. Fear v Panic.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Marr pulls back the facade of a "comfortable and relaxed" (a phrase used by former prime minister John Howard) to reveal a country gripped by many irrational fears. David Marr is brilliant at describing and detailing the forces that manipulate the social psychology of Australia. It is a very insightful read, sharp and pulls no punches.
The book is made up of short journalistic pieces and is appealing in its accessibility. It cuts to the chase.
The limitations of the book is in the authors analysis of what drives racism, sexism, homophobia and all the social ills of our modern society. David Marr is no radical, but is a passionate supporter of human rights. Whilst acknowledging economic inequality, Panic never draws the reader in to consider that the social ills of our society are symptoms of a very sick system; that capitalism itself is to blame for the disaffection and alienation that is preyed upon by the corporate media and politicians.
What I did like about this book is it wasn't written in any sort of preachy shrill tones or from on any position of moral high ground. Rather it was written by someone obviously of good conscience and mostly rational.
There are moments in the book where I have to take exception to David Marr. His irreverence for many politicians I find contemptible. Nevertheless, the value of the book lies not in the strength of analysis, but in its provocativeness and the authors ability to break through much of the doublespeak and spin that we are constantly lambasted with.

[Avril · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a book to be read all in one go; this collection of Marr's writing over almost twenty years of panics in Australia is profoundly unnerving and extremely depressing. So much for Australia being a laid back and relaxed country! According to Marr, we're terrified of almost everything, particularly people with dark skin and any suggestion that money might not be the most important element of life and that there are things of greater value.

Read little by little, this collection has encouraging moments. Does anyone now worry that Aboriginal people are going to claim backyards under Mabo and Wik? Panic can be overcome. But the last chapter, on the Australian fear of 'boat people', is terrifying. The fears of Australians are being supported and flamed by politicians for their own benefit. Desperate asylum seekers are treated as pawns in a domestic political game. If only everyone in Australia could read Marr's masterly summary of the situation.

(Incidentally, Marr does not like the churches; generally, he thinks we're the enemies of freedom. But he does at least admit that we're not so bad on refugees. So, there's that.)

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

A disturbing look at the creation and strategic use of the fear generated by the media and politicians (both for and against each other). Despite living with the reality, it's still shocking to fully comprehend how often Australia gets the fear, and lashes out at any target. More disturbing is how many of the fears created in the late nineties and across last decade are still just as prominent today, as is the cruel treatment we give to it's scapegoats.
Marr's writing is always excellent, and his style and personality gives you a bastion of sanity as he takes you through some of the madder and sadder aspects of our society.

[Andrew McMillen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book. Vividly weaves in several of the big Australian narratives to which I’d been fairly wishy-washy on the details until reading the book. A fantastic examination of Australian culture, politics and society. I feel I understand the country and its people much better after reading this. The drugs chapter is quite good, too. Marr is an excellent writer who has shot toward the top of my favourites list.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://2012-reading-challenge.postero...

[Phil Devereux · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating, in depth, discerning look at the various "panics" stirred up by politicians and the media in Australia over the last few decades. This should be mandatory reading for all Aussies.

[Stan Fleetwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Pretty interesting

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these essays were amazing (and terrifying), others were dull.

[Andrew Magee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty interesting. Learned a lot from it. He doesn't have the greatest writing style though.