Be afraid

Tony Saddington
So it comes as no surprise that the phrase should come from the lips of David Llewellyn, (Forest portfolio), when he called the activists at Triabunna, ‘industrial terrorists’ and described the protest as ‘not peaceful’, which was contrary to police reports. The object is to darken the images of protesters in the public psyche and as in the UK, bring protesters to heel using ‘anti terrorism’ legislation. Who are the ‘industrial/environmental terrorists’? Is it the ‘Sea Shepherd’ preventing the illegal slaughter of whales by Japanese in Australian Antarctic waters? Is it the Wildos, TAP, or the Greens in opposing the Gunns Pulp Mill and the destruction of the states forests, farms and the Tamar Valley environment?

THE LATEST BUZZWORD for those that oppose big and reckless industry is to label those as ‘environmental’, ‘industrial’, ‘eco’, or ‘green terrorists’. This is a term that has surfaced recently amongst the pro forestry lobby and state Labor politicians, particularly after the peaceful protest at Gunns Triabunna chip mill.

Oddly, the violent attacks by timber workers on a peaceful protest in the Florentine were not branded so. Instead Premier Bartlett labelled the attacks as ‘justified’ and continued his support of such reprehensible actions.

In the UK , terms such as ‘domestic extremists’ and ‘eco terrorists’ are being used by political and corporate bodies more frequently in an attempt to play on terrorism fears. The object is to implant images of death, destruction and violence into collective subconscious of the public

These words could as easily have been uttered by former US president, George W. Bush. Similar utterances were made in the search for WMDs, sparking Gulf War II. Saddam’s regime was wrongly accused of involvement in the tragedy that was the ‘Twin Towers’ on 9/11.

Evil as Saddam was, the erroneous but purposeful link to terrorism was made and his fate was sealed. The subconsciousness of the US and the world linked Iraq as a hive of terrorists, hell bent on destroying the western world.

So it comes as no surprise that the phrase should come from the lips of David Llewellyn, (Forest portfolio), when he called the activists at Triabunna, ‘industrial terrorists’ and described the protest as ‘not peaceful’, which was contrary to police reports.

The object is to darken the images of protesters in the public psyche and as in the UK, bring protesters to heel using ‘anti terrorism’ legislation.

Who are the ‘industrial/environmental terrorists’? Is it the ‘Sea Shepherd’ preventing the illegal slaughter of whales by Japanese in Australian Antarctic waters? Is it the Wildos, TAP, or the Greens in opposing the Gunns Pulp Mill and the destruction of the states forests, farms and the Tamar Valley environment?

We live in the shadow of the ‘eco terrorist’, enacted in one facet, by current forestry practices across the country and secured by State and Federal governments.

Environmental vandals posing as protectors of our heritage.

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The very laws, enabled to protect our freedom and save us from true terror are set in place to enslave us if we should use our democratic right and protest against perceived wrongs.

This is the intent of Llewellyn. Like some bizarre chess play, the pieces are being put in place, the public is ‘softened up’.

Those that have read Orwell know what I am writing about.

The true terror may come from those that we have elected to represent and protect us.