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February 07, 2007
The image is a cartoon, and not a work of art, and so it is not caught up in aesthetic illusion that eliminates every reference to reality. As a cartoon it does not need to pose as an autonomous, integral and unified entity that surpasses the world of things but remains locked in the social prison of its own autonomy.Though the cartoon is a product of the culture industry it is not a superficial commodity.
The image's surface refers to the political contest between the major political parties as Parliament opens for 2007. The image's truth content reveals the way that global warming has become a centre stage issue in our national politics and the negative effect on nature.
Leahy
One way to interpret this truth is the Howard Government's rhetoric: it says that the government has history on its side because it has delivered economic prosperity, and there is no loss of public confidence in its management of the economy and national security. But this smoothness is illusory as the government is at sixes and sevens on climate change.
Ministers saying that they love being climate change sceptics; that Australia cannot do anything but protect its natural advantages in cheap energy; that carbon pricing (by way of a carbon tax or an emissions trading scheme) will damage the long-term interests of the economy; therefore, there is little need for anything to be done in the short term apart from clean coal and going nuclear. There is no other choice et etc. Those who question this are climate change purists, fanatics and zealots.
What is sidelined is that the clean energy technologies are ready for implementation, given appropriate carbon pricing, regulations and standards: efficient energy use, solar hot water, solar space heating, wind power and bioenergy from crop residues, organic wastes and landfills.
So you can see why Howard & Co are feeling the heat and looking the worse for wear.
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