Images from Mashable and The Conversation
By Situation Theatre 7/3/2020
The dismissal of expert recommendations in favour of naked self-interest really has come out of the blue.
As supermarket shelves across the country are cleared of toilet paper, pasta, rice, and hand sanitiser, analysts have begun wondering how on earth so many Australians could have had this kind of thoughtless, selfish, and ignorant behaviour modelled, encouraged, and reinforced.
Some have pointed to the economic and political orthodoxy of the last few centuries which has rewarded competition, individualism, and self-interest at every turn.
Others have pointed more specifically to the dominant ideology of the last 40 years which has not only abolished any and all restraints on the worst impulses of humanity unleashed by capitalism, but also waged an all-out war on any sense of community, collaboration, and the common good.
Still others have laid blame at the doorstep of the Australian media, whose active promotion of lies, propaganda, and disinformation has made them world-beating stenographers of the ruling class.
Many more wonder if the Coalition’s two-decade dismissal of consensus expert opinion on climate breakdown and consequent sacrifice of entire Australian ecosystems and communities, in favour of personal enrichment, might have something to do with it.
Yet ultimately, it’s probably one of those great mysteries that will never be solved.