Hello everyone
We start this weeks pod in the Land of the Free.
You’d have to have some sort of psych disorder to want to livestream the firing squad execution of a radicalised US soldier - but that’s what US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has been gloating about in recent days, triggering global disgust. Public executions are the domain of North Korea, Afghanistan and the Taliban. Now the Trump administration could devise a way to take the brutality and the depravity next level.
We contrast Hegseths relish for unleashing “murder porn” on the public with the historic practice of asking journalists to witness and report on closed executions - the last time this happened in Australia was the hanging of Ronald Ryan. Many of those present could never recover fully from the brutality and the trauma of what they saw.
Also week you might have noticed the racist language (“Take Back Australia!”) woven through the Liberal National plan to slash the immigration intake - backed in by the blatant racism in One Nation’s campaign ad depicting African men as machete carriers and Middle Eastern men as suicide bombers.
The media, with the exception of The Guardian, remarkably did not call out these white supremacist tropes.
And we are reminded that there are fine and wonderful people who have warmed our souls and enriched our lives as we farewell gentleman ABC newsreader Richard Morecroft who has died too young.
“Truth Lies & Media” is on its way to you!
Talk soon,
Nicole
PS I’m doing a live show and moderating a panel at the Queenscliff Literary Festival on Saturday called “When Extremes Go Mainstream” .. might see you there!