Sydney Morning Herald’s Gerard Henderson loves tough terrorism laws. He feels protected from terrorists. Governments would never exaggerate that threat. God, no. Their primary aim is to protect citizens from harm. They believe in the rule of law (except, of course, if America breaks that law and then Australia clearly has no choice but to follow.)
This almost comical lack of scepticism is again on display today. Am I only known as “a high-profile critic of Israel”?
Here’s the thinking: governments tell us that terrorism is a threat and therefore it is. I’m under no illusions about the hatred displayed by some Muslims towards the West (unlike Henderson, I’ve actually spoken to many people in the Middle East who believe this, sometimes for obvious reasons, such as occupation), but simply accepting Western government spin, to keep the populace scared, is both foolhardy and counter-productive.