Are we peddling fear just for the sake of it? – The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).
As disturbing as the events in Ottawa were, we are entitled to ask whether the political response here in Australia, on the other side of the world, was helpful or merely exploitative, writes Barrie Cassidy.
The threat of terrorism is real, but is it exaggerated?
The need to be vigilant is obvious, but do we have to live in fear?
Every time someone goes berserk overseas, do we have to behave as if it happened around the corner?
Why in 2014 is every act by a crazed gunman immediately interpreted as an act of terrorism?
And when does the rhetoric of politicians cross the boundaries from sensible public safety and security warnings to fear for the sake of it?
As disturbing as the events in Ottawa were, they could have been the actions of a “lone wolf” with a criminal history. Even if it turns out he was part of some sort of organised global terror attack – what the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, described in the Parliament as part of Islamic State’s “war on the world” – we are still entitled to ask whether the response here in Australia, on the other side of the world, was helpful or merely exploitative.
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