demagogue \DEM-uh-gog\, noun:
1. A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace.
2. A leader of the common people in ancient times.
A consummate demagogue, McCarthy played upon cold war emotions and made charges so fantastic that frightened people believed the worst.
--Arthur Herman, Joseph McCarthy
Even when he showed his true colors as a demagogue and trickster, Stalin did so in such a crisp and weighty, confidence-inspiring manner that he bewitched not only his conversational partner but himself as well.
--Milovan Djilas, Fall of the New Class
John Howard may not have gained the Prime Ministership by being a demagogue in the 1996 election, but he has certainly acquired and eloquently used such a status to win successive elections. He continues to use emotions and prejudices to erode the civil liberties of Australian citizens; reinforce his position of leadership by lying to the populace; and otherwise manipulate world events to support his cause.
Has Australia ever witnessed a greater demagogue than John Winston Howard?
No comments:
Post a Comment