Boganistas

For more than 40 years Australian's have been "conditioned" by an ugly right wing media that promotes racist, sexist and other bogan behaviour as being "normal".  Uncle Rupert's little empire is responsible for much of it but all of our media participate - because it was once a profitable game for them.

But some people are starting to rebel - in the past week we have seen the head of Army vent at the most recent military sex outrage and others express their disgust at the treatment dished out to PM Gillard by shockjock Howard Sattler.

Of course, none of this is new.  It might be that the volume has been turned up a bit because it is an election year - but frankly and embarrassingly - it's been part of Australian culture for decades.  It was certainly there when I was in the Army 40 years ago.

The really sad thing is that few Australians want to discuss it - we pretend that it doesn't exist.  And that's the real problem.

But now we have a new and even more disturbing element that helps fan the flames of bogan behaviour.  Our so-called leaders.

Once upon a time our political leaders recognised their responsibility to not incite fear and hatred.  Every political leader up to and including Kevin Rudd knew about this unwritten rule.

But since the Liberal party installed Abbott and adopted the US Republican party play book back in 2009 - things have gotten worse.  A lot worse.

For four years Abbott has been lying to the Australian people and stirring up enormous fear and hatred.  His non-stop chanting of the word "illegal" around asylum seekers has cruelled any sympathy that we have for their plight.  He has used the Nazi Goebbels fear and hatred techniques to demonise asylum seekers, berate the carbon price, beat up the unemployed, talk down the economy, pick on the prime minister and her ministers and generally shit stir.  And he has been aided and abetted by other nasty bastards on his front bench.

And that was always the plan.  Rupert and friends have spent a lifetime "conditioning" us - Abbott is now supposed to be reaping the benefits.  The puppeteer did all the work - and now the puppet is supposed to get him a result.

And it seems to be working a treat - because the Liberals have a commanding lead in the polls and most pundits expect them to form the next Australian government after we vote in mid September.

A large part of their polling success is driven by bogans who have supposedly risen up in a booze fuelled outrage.  Much of the time they sit in their undies in front of the TV or the PC and vent at it using the remote - or a beer can ;-)

But since 2009 their spiritual leader Abbott has shown that he is prepared to say what he thinks in public - and that is the signal for them to follow suit.

So now we have every half-arsed bogan saying what they think in public - and it aint a good look.

At least Murdoch and Abbott have a plan - few of their followers have a clue.