'Sir John Howard' sounds good - he should go for it

If any readers of this website have read my two non-fiction titles The Media of the Republic and The Telecard Affair, they will know that I have pulled no punches in attacking Rupert Murdoch and his moral free-for-all attitude in building his media empire.

I have claimed that the only limits for Murdoch to what he would do to advance his empire are market limits. In other words, he has in focus only what would reduce or increase the readership of his media properties. Thus, although he shows all the signs of subscribing to a materialist liberalism - or more generally what I call political correctness - he is totally unmoved by the perceived inconsistency of having one property seriously leftist (The Times) and another conservative-leaning (Herald-Sun), and yet another unashamedly tabloid (The New York Post).

In his conservative properties the only issue he is inflexible on is 'free speech' legislation. Any time anyone raises proposals to limit free speech, his editors will spring into vigorous action. In Australia, we only ever hear from News Ltd Boss John Hartigan whenever free speech legislation is threatened or when 'Harto' sees the opportunity of watering down the limitations. Of course, that's the obvious policy for someone so morally empty as Rupert Murdoch. The other issue in Australia that Murdoch promotes is the republican issue, but here he is content to skirmish with the weapon of ridicule rather than go fully armoured into battle.

I have to admit that Murdoch's present perception of the market is favourable to philosophical conservatives. He obviously recognises the growing conservative sentiment in the world, despite the PC bias of the media attempting to suppress it. The Australian, for example, which I attacked so ferociously in The Media of the Republic, has undergone real change since its indictable role in the public campaign against Dr Peter Hollingworth, forcing a thoroughly decent man and former Australian of the Year to resign the Governor-Generalship in disgrace. The Australian is now giving more space to conservative opinion. It could give more space to conservative ideas, but we must be happy with the present change.

I have often thought, though, that despite the outward change in a property like The Australian and the move in the Herald-Sun to cater to a conservative readership the editorial mentality at the top remains unchanged. It is reasonable to suppose that Murdoch would ensure that the same sort of morally empty men would fill his crucial editorial positions, ensuring that market considerations determine editorial decision-making. I got a glimpse of the unchanged mentality in a recent editorial in the Herald-Sun.

The leader writer wrote a ridiculing editorial on the prospect of former Prime Minister John Howard accepting a knighthood (The Order of the Garter) from the Queen. 'The Order of the Garter is the most senior and oldest British Order of Chivalry', the editorial admits. Instead of adopting a mature culturally confident attitude and congratulating John Howard for the honour, the editorial had to exhibit the usual childish attitude of the petulant youth who wants to kick his parents in order to show how independent he is.

So the most senior and oldest British order is characterised as 'archaic...old hat (with feathers)' and that John Howard would be snubbing Australia's own system of honours, confirming himself 'as yesterday's man'. Then there is the low contemptible insinuation that the honour is a retrospective bribe by the Palace for John Howard's 'stubborn opposition to a Republican Australia.'

This is a perpetuation of one of the childish lies of Australian Republicanism: that the Queen and Buckingham Palace want to keep hold of their dominion of Australia and its subjects and that John Howard is a venal supporter of an illegitimate monarchy etc etc etc. It's never possible for this blind Howard-hating mentality to admit that John Howard may be motivated by political principle, in this case with regard to Australia's Constitution.

Finally, there is the abject cowardice of the Herald-Sun's sneering attack on Janette Howard. Such a brave fellow, the Editor.

My message to Herald-Sun's Editor is to grow up and shift his mentality a little upward out of the Year Eight playground, and to pick his leader writer more judiciously.

John Howard should accept the knighthood, if only to get under the skin of such contemptible people.