By Brendan O'Reilly
Security issues are important. They must be, because they're secret. Not just secret, taboo. So secret that even when they are "discussed" in our "free press", names and precise terms must not be used.
Talk must involve foggy notions like "bilateral relationship" and "strategic concerns" and "threat to security". If words like rape, murder, torture and genocide enter the discussion, it must end immediately. Nobody who really cares about national security ever uses these words, unless, of course, they have obtained prior approval from "our most important allies".
The word "loyalty" has no meaning either except as it relates to our great and powerful allies. Loyalty is what the weak owe the strong and is not a bilateral relationship at all.
Not everybody appreciates the importance of our strategic concerns. In fact, a majority of our citizens are susceptible to emotional arguments that ignore Realpolitik.
Realpolitik means "forget the truth; what do we want now?" Imagine there's oil to be carved up between Australia and Indonesia. Imagine the oil is close to an island where murder, rape torture and genocide have taken place. Imagine some people using these most undiplomatic of terms (please, darling, if you must refer to these most unfortunate incidents, I implore you to use the blanket term "alleged human rights violations"). So, there's this oil there are these AHRVs, forget 'em mate, Realpolitik. Those ratbag chanting "genocide" don't understand the word, so they lose the argument by default. Simple.
It is most vital to have an attitude of severe paternalism to dissidents who question National Security Priorities. At best they are entertaining village idiots, at worst dangerous lunatics. Their ranting, if wild and emotional, is a proper subject for jest. But the cool-headed articulate ones must be run over at high speed. No torrent of personal abuse is too extreme for those seeking to inflame public antagonism to our legitimate strategic concerns.
Next week we'll talk about why landmines are good and why we need to keep nuclear weapons to ensure that we never use them. Remember to leave all that emotional and ideological baggage at home!
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