The Talkfest of Tedious Blowhards.

The organisers don’t call it that, of course. They came up with something rather more grand – and shamelessly deceptive.

A quick scan of the program finds some names I don’t recognise and some I do. On the basis of the latter, I don’t hold much hope for the former.

Geoffrey Robertson? Fred Chaney? Australian TV was still broadcasting in black and white the last time either of them had a dangerous idea.

Clive Hamilton is a different case, admittedly. He has ideas which are definitely dangerous. Quoting this article from September 2007:

…the implications of 3C, let alone 4C or 5C, are so horrible that we look to any possible scenario to head it off, including the canvassing of “emergency” responses such as the suspension of democratic processes.

But maybe Clive was blessed with a premonition there. When he ran for election in Higgins two years later, he didn’t do so well.

Hugh Mackay’s piece is titled The Pursuit Of Happiness Will Make You Miserable. Question: has anyone ever seen an article called The Pursuit of Sadness Will Leave You Overflowing With Joy? I just figure, if it works one way… oh, forget it. But imagine the one-upmanship at the bar later. Fingers jabbing chests. Eyes red with angry tears. No mate, you’ve NEVER been as miserable as me. I could put everything you know about misery on the back of a postage stamp with a blunt crayon…

If there’s a truly dangerous idea it’s only there by accident among this tired old crew.  David Marr may be right that Art Doesn’t Make Us Better People, but I doubt he’ll put it as eloquently as Harry Lime.