‘Beware: armed response‘, Pearls and Irritations, 19 July 2017 updated
Honest History vice president comments on the government’s anti-terrorism measures.
If Turnbull’s plan [National Security Statement, last month] becomes law – and the prospects of the Opposition stopping anything about ‘fighting terrorism’ are remote – we can expect a terrorist attack to trigger an emergency response from the Special Operations Command, whose officers will have to be trained to shoot to kill other Australians. They will remember this training after they retire when, let us hope, they don’t have gun licenses. As Australia becomes increasingly militarised, it is possible that the Tactical Assault Group could be called out for an anti-war demonstration, anti-mining protest, or industrial strike, and may be told that the people it confronts are enemies of the state and therefore terrorists. It makes me think of those signs you see on American suburban lawns: “Beware, Armed Response”.
Related: one of many comments on the proposed Home Affairs portfolio, this one from John Blaxland of ANU, in The Conversation. Ian McAuley in New Matilda on the same. Ross Gittins in Fairfax about how the terror threat is a scam manipulated by governments.