Dimensions
136 x 210 x 11mm
The main justification for democracy as a system of government is the protection it affords its citizens from fear and danger and of the arbitrary use of state power. There is, however, plenty of scope, even in established democracies, to exploit both explicit and inchoate fears as a source of political vitality and to expand the power of governments.
In 'Fear And Politics' Dr Carmen Lawrence argues that fear has been a crucial factor in shaping Australian public policy in recent years and charts its consequences on the Australian body politic. She discusses how xenophobia has shaped policies toward refugees, indigenous Australians and Islamic fundamentalists, and examines the effects of being constantly warned about the risk of terrorism. She also looks at the sustained campaigns on law and order issues, and the exaggerated anxieties people now have of the risks of assault, murder, child abuse, and robbery.
Dr Lawrence argues that fear can never provide a foundation of moral and political argument and that the necessary antidote to the toxin of fear is the wholehearted embrace of the principles of freedom, equality and co-operation. Human betterment must again be the prime focus of politics.
