Antinuclear

Malcolm Turnbull – the Stately Fake

Malcolm Turnbull: Faking it in Paris, Independent Australia,  Lyn Bender 5 December 2015,  While the world enters a climate emergency, Malcolm Turnbull brings rhetoric to new heights at COP21, with sonorous sounding and beautifully presented inaction on climate. Lyn Benderreports.

OUR NEW, verbally effusive leader Malcolm Turnbull is achieving great success – in his own fantasy world – regarding climate savoir-faire in Paris.

Like a reincarnation of the central protagonist in the Leo Tolstoy trilogy, Childhood Boyhood and Youth, the still new Prime Minister, is grasping at comme il faux.

This may be loosely defined as the fine art of seeming to do something; while in fact doing nothing much. Or trying to look sophisticated and accomplished, while concealing ineptitude.

Malcolm’s speech was one that would have been as handsomely befitting in its delivery, as any given by a Lord Mayor opening a new council chamber. The tone was sonorous, yet soporific and calculated not to arouse the fear of supporters, fossil fuel vested interests, or the far right in his party.

At the same time, it gave the impression of being designed to lull and reassure the soft left of centre, who so want to believe in Malcolm’s stealth, agility and concealed good intentions.

But what if Malcolm Turnbull’s hidden depths are instead exactly what they seem to be: obvious shallows? What if his main intention is staying alive politically, rather than working to keep the planet alive?

The rhetoric began:…….

Malcolm Turnbull’s address to COP21 had the air of a bygone era. So calm, relaxed and comfortable. Who would have thought that the entire globe is on the brink of a massive climate emergency? Or, that we are staring down the possibility of capping rising temperatures at a disastrous two degrees of warming — if we are lucky. Or, that before our very eyes, Pacific Islands are being submerged.

Instead, like a latter-day Wilkins Micawber – the unflinchingly optimistic windbag of Charles Dickens’ novel David Copperfield – Malcolm seems certain that “something will turn up”…..https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/malcolm-turnbull-faking-it-in-paris,8456

December 7, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News