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Quarterly Essay #3
The Opportunist: John Howard and the Triumph of Reaction
In the third Quarterly Essay, Guy Rundle comes to grips with John Howard, the prime minister who, on the eve of an election, seems to have turned round his political fortunes by spurning refugees and writing blank cheques for America's War on Terror.
This is a brilliant account of John Howard's dominant ideas, his concerted 'dreaming' with its emphasis on unity and national identity that reveals him to be the most reactionary PM we have ever had, the only political leader who would allow ideas like those of One Nation to dominate the mainstream of Australian politics in order to improve his political chances. Rundle puts Howard in the context of the economic liberalism he shares with his colleagues and opponents and the conservative social ideology that sets him apart. It is a complex portrait in a radical mirror which relates John Howard to everything from Menzies's 'forgotten people' to the inadvertent glamour of the government's antidrug advertising. It is also a plea for right-thinking people of every political persuasion to resist the call to prejudice and reaction.
'A portrait of a political opportunist who is also ... a sincere reactionary: putting back the clock because he believes in it, but also fanning the whirlwind of unreason in order to save his political skin.' —Peter Craven, Introduction
'The coincident occurrence of the asylum seeker confrontation and the attack on the U.S. has made visible the most dangerous and damaging thing he has done to the Australian polity...and that is to deepen contempt for such protection as we did have from unbridled executive power, mass hysteria, the rush to surrender our freedoms and offer them up on the alter of crisis.' —Guy Rundle, The Opportunist
This is a brilliant account of John Howard's dominant ideas, his concerted 'dreaming' with its emphasis on unity and national identity that reveals him to be the most reactionary PM we have ever had, the only political leader who would allow ideas like those of One Nation to dominate the mainstream of Australian politics in order to improve his political chances. Rundle puts Howard in the context of the economic liberalism he shares with his colleagues and opponents and the conservative social ideology that sets him apart. It is a complex portrait in a radical mirror which relates John Howard to everything from Menzies's 'forgotten people' to the inadvertent glamour of the government's antidrug advertising. It is also a plea for right-thinking people of every political persuasion to resist the call to prejudice and reaction.
'A portrait of a political opportunist who is also ... a sincere reactionary: putting back the clock because he believes in it, but also fanning the whirlwind of unreason in order to save his political skin.' —Peter Craven, Introduction
'The coincident occurrence of the asylum seeker confrontation and the attack on the U.S. has made visible the most dangerous and damaging thing he has done to the Australian polity...and that is to deepen contempt for such protection as we did have from unbridled executive power, mass hysteria, the rush to surrender our freedoms and offer them up on the alter of crisis.' —Guy Rundle, The Opportunist
114 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 22, 2017
still being fairly young and stupid at the time of the Tampa, this was an eye-opening insight into the political landscape at the time and how Howard's response to the events of the time shaped the country's perception of him.
I enjoyed that the essay didn't just focus on what Howard did or didn't do, it zoomed out to the Liberal party as an entity and further to Australian politics.
A great piece by Rundle!
I enjoyed that the essay didn't just focus on what Howard did or didn't do, it zoomed out to the Liberal party as an entity and further to Australian politics.
A great piece by Rundle!
February 2, 2024
This is a great exploration of the Howard Government from the perspective of just prior to the 2001 election. It seems this analysis has stood the test of time.
I would say, however, that Rundle’s use of Marxist phraseology distracts from his main arguments, and his points could be conveyed much more convincingly by avoiding such loaded terms.
Correspondence section illustrates the dangers of speaking about something as complex as international relations in black and white terms.
I would say, however, that Rundle’s use of Marxist phraseology distracts from his main arguments, and his points could be conveyed much more convincingly by avoiding such loaded terms.
Correspondence section illustrates the dangers of speaking about something as complex as international relations in black and white terms.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews