The Doctor is IN
A couple of quotes from the Sydney Morning Herald:
So the question arises, how would Doctor Johnson view our current Government: patriots or scoundrels? That seems to come down to whether the Abbott Government:
"On Wednesday, Mr Abbott .... said: ''A lot of people feel at the moment that the ABC instinctively takes everyone's side but Australia's.''"
"Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has .... {called} the claims ''unfounded, unsubstantiated, outrageous allegations against our navy and our Customs and border protection service''. "On April 17 1775 Samuel Johnson, often referred to as Doctor Johnson, said
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."Discussion of the meaning of the Good Doctor's words seems to conclude that while supporting true love of a country, he was having a go at folk who use patriotism as a cover for other less acceptable behaviours. In one case the example of a false patriot given is Edmund Burke while in another it is James Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute. On reading the linked texts either could appear in a list of the "usual suspects" for the charge leveled by Dr J (no, not that Dr J).
So the question arises, how would Doctor Johnson view our current Government: patriots or scoundrels? That seems to come down to whether the Abbott Government:
- appreciates Australia's natural environment, supports our range of public services and diverse culture (ie really loves the country); or
- cycnically uses false patriotism to conceal a desire for the votes of folk like the Hansonite, riotous mobs of Cronulla.
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