I read the news today oh boy (updated)

This article in the Times of London highlights what seems to be a trend around our bit of the western world: management by press release or, as explained here, by 'headline grabbing initiative'.

It's not surprising that the Times would excoriate (to use just one word from the article, would you ever expect to read that in the Sun-Herald or the SMH?) a Labor government. But as I recall the Times initially supported Blair and, all those years ago (1997), the New Labor brand and 'Cool Britannia' (eeugh) were meant to foreshadow a genuine step forward in governance, whether called 'triangulation' or the 'Third Way'.

The Blair government seems to have become an embarrassment as the years have passed. It's certainly not a liberal government and it never really sought to be of social democrat persuasion. All governments get tired and, as Blair and co got tired, they seem to have turned to increasingly inane proposals that get floated in all-singing, all-dancing press releases. And then get mugged by reality.

This approach is certainly consistent with how the State and Territory governments around Australia have been operating. Initiatives get announced several times over; private consultancy firms charge mega-amounts to provide tailored advice (ie to provide the answer originally sought, under the figleaf cover of 'independent advice'); and plans, and plans to plan, are the order of the day. When does anything actually get done?

The Federal government actually provides a counter-example: particularly with control of the Senate, they are able to ram legislation through rather than having to indulge in genuine consultation and negotiation. When they announce something they pretty well just power ahead and do it. Although on reflection , this hasn't applied so far to T3 and to media policy. Perhaps the potential impacts of any changes in media policy to those who really wield power around here gives a hint as to why this is the case.

Which is all just a longish-hand way of saying we get the governments we deserve but we are badly let down by the fourth estate in Australia - no-one really applies the blowtorch in an open and balanced manner. The opinion-makers all have their favourites and so no analysis actually underpins their daily pronouncements. And it all just gets lapped up.

Update: This opinion piece in the Guardian runs along fairly similar lines to my earlier words, just with more detail and clarity. We are not the only country with a problematic relationship with the US, influenced almost totally from the top. By which I mean that most of us have no problems with Ameicans, just with their current government. The comments are also revealing and you'll like it when close to the end, you get to Richard52 who is a Pom here downunder. He's mightily unimpressed by our media oligopoly as well by Bush's treatment of Howard.