This perverted political trollop slimed onto the human stage in Europe, Italy in fact, during the early 1930’s.
It’s symbol, for the various political “ isms “, must have an identifying symbol, was a bunch of sticks, lashed together signifying strength in numbers or, if you like, many together are better than one alone.
Not much wrong with that; it makes pretty good sense. It is the practical application of the principle which creates the difficulty.
Fascism is an authoritarian system of Government. It allows no opposition, no criticism and it completely envelopes the society it seeks to rule, and all of this is done in the name of delivering benefits to society: making all our lives better.
This political philosophy, of course, needs enemies and threats to continue with its draconian rule- and contemporary history tells us the shocking stories of Fascism and Nazism combining into an evil that engulfed the World in WW2 – destroying tens upon tens of millions of lives.
Men and women from our country fought this evil, and they won. And, “ All of us, the living and the yet to be born, must be eternally grateful. “ [ Cornelius Ryan ].
So you may ask…well what is Cranky Lizard on about now?
What Cranky Lizard is on about is a disturbing echo on the radar which indicates the presence of an embryonic fascist ghost appearing amongst us.
How could that be? We defeated fascism; it has gone into the dustbin of history.
Has it?
Fascism targets specific groups or communities in our society and commences to isolate and destroy that target…in the name of protecting the culture and the Government.
It began in Germany in the 1930 ’s; if you were Jewish, Adolph Hitler decreed that you were an enemy of the state and should be destroyed : thus began a shameful period in human history. Subsequently, there have been many scholars, social scientists and political leaders who have wrung their hands and stated that they wished they had spoken out against this evil as it began – maybe they could have prevented the catastrophe?
Cranky Lizard does not predict a catastrophe is likely to grow from the ghostly radar echoes of the Fascist ghost, but, note this.
In recent times a group of people, in Queensland have been singled out for particular legislation curtailing some of their activities. Such action has been taken to protect Local Government and State Government from the alleged corrupt behaviour of these particular people.
These people are developers. Legitimate businessmen and businesswomen who play a vital part in the life of our nation. They build communities, parklands, shopping centres, city buildings, high rise buildings without which our cities would be devoid of human habitation after business hours.
Again, in recent times, some developers, not all, have featured in investigations of corrupt and illegal behaviour by elected officials in Queensland Local Government.
Consequent to these investigations, recommendations were made to the State Government ,that developers be prevented from making donations of money, goods or other such chattels, which may be construed as beneficial to the Local Government candidate; thus creating political favour which could be called upon by developers when Local Government land zoning and re-zoning matters were before a Local Government Council.
The idea found favour with the State Government; and subsequently, all developers are prevented, by law, from making any donations of any kind to any political party in Queensland.
The purpose of this legislation is to protect the members of Local and State Government from the ‘ pernicious ‘ influence of developers, hoping to gain favours, from various levels of government, from their donations to political parties.
The Queensland State Government is a legally and duly elected government and has every right to make laws and enact legislation as it sees fit – of that there is no question.
Cranky Lizard wonders why it is developers, and only developers, who have been singled out for this treatment.
Industrial, commercial and service unions of employees make large donations to political parties: it would be stupid to think that these unions don’t expect some benefit from these donations.
These unions are not, however, subject to the legislation preventing developers from doing the same thing.
Why?
Are developers different?
Who knows – the legislation exists and is currently subject to legal challenge.
Cranky Lizard, does not, for obvious reasons, buy into the legal matters around this legislation.
Cranky Lizard questions the specificity of the targets – developers, by donating to Local Government candidates, could generate a bank of political favours and thus must be stopped.
Are Local Government people that inept, that they can’t work out for themselves that they place themselves in political jeopardy by accepting donations from men and women, who may have ulterior motives for making political contributions?
If they cannot – and it seems as if the current legislation confirms this – then we have a problem with the quality of the candidates!
Not the developers.
Cranky Lizard asks the next question. Where does it stop?
Whose is next in this rush to protect the legislators from citizens who make donations to political parties?
The list is impossible because the motivation for this legislation seems to be to protect the existing government and prevent any meaningful opposition: that leads Cranky Lizard to repeat that Fascism, like Banquo, has a ghost.
Some readers may remember from the days of their childhood or reading to their own children the excellent story from Dr Seuss – The Star Bellied Sneetches?
This legislation reminds Cranky Lizard of that story.