From the Editor Chris Berg n the security scare that followed September 11, it be- statements. (‘It was wrong to break the law to get people out of came something of a sport for American news organisa- slavery—that’s what you just said’) Itions to sneak prohibited items through airport screen- And The Chaser is never funnier than when they are ha- ing security. rassing humourless politicians at their press conferences. So when The Chaser— But Left politics relies on the Australian political satire It was wrong to break the law the heroic politician, blessed group—loosely disguised them- with intellect and political selves as the Canadian delega- cunning, to enact policies in tion convoy, and easily passed to get people out of slavery— the ‘national internet’ for the the security at APEC, it wasn’t betterment of ‘society’. Cyni- surprising. The media pounced that’s what you just said cism about the type of people on the incident—after all, not who choose to go in to politics much else was happening of interest at APEC. The Chaser’s and the capabilities of government action does clash with the War on Everything, when it aired the next week, achieved its ongoing hunt in the left for the political saviour. highest ratings ever. For this reason, The Chaser’s jokes may seem fairly left- The Chaser is part of a genre of satirical news programs, wing, but by undermining the sacred authority of the political which include the US’s The Daily Show and its spin-off, The class, satirical news tends to be more libertarian than socialist. Colbert Report that are gathering loyalty from the apparently A generation raised on cynicism and sarcasm are far less likely ‘disengaged’ youth demographic. to jump on the bandwagon of a charismatic leader-type. (It is conspicuous that the commentators who bemoan The IPA Review has been sceptical of governments, poli- the Australia’s ‘disengaged’ youth always assume that once ticians, regulators and other self-appointed ‘leaders’ for sixty they become engaged they will immediately become Left ac- years, and this edition is no different. tivists. But what if all those yoof got off their bed, put down Sinclair Davidson and Ken Phillips criticise the ideo- their headphones, and en masse joined the Young Liberals?) logical baggage of the union movement, in teaching and The popularity of satirical news programs with youth construction respectively. Tim Wilson treats yet another call audiences has led some on the Left to view these programs as for a government petrol price inquiry with the contempt it the saviour of democratic engagement. But satire is a double deserves. Jennifer Marohasy and Alan Ashbarry decry the cul- edged sword. It doesn’t always do what you think does. tural divide of forest politics. And in our cover story, Nicholas Some on the Left have cottoned on to the uncertain po- Eberstadt stares directly into the eyes of the anti-natalists, and tential of satirical news. One piece last year in the Boston Globe asks what they have against children. was titled ‘Why Jon Stewart Isn’t Funny’, and it argued that Wolfgang Kasper reminds us that federalism is more than the host of The Daily Show, through his relentless satire of just anachronistic ‘State’s rights’, as the Prime Minister seems Washington buffoonery, encouraged political complacency. to consider it. Instead, the principles of federalism are at the The article claimed that The Daily Show leads audiences heart of liberal government. And Richard Allsop completes to adopt a ‘holier than art thou attitude toward… national the thankless task of reading recent Prime Ministerial biog- leaders’ and undermined ‘any remaining earnestness that lib- raphies, to try to discover more important things than the erals in America might still possess’. hometown of John Howard’s grandfather. Given the dreary sanctimony of so many of those in the There is, of course, the standard array of book reviews, American Left, if this is true then Jon Stewart does a fantasti- complaints about regulation, personal digs at high-profile cally important public service. But the Boston Globe writer is environmentalists, and references to Adam Smith that have spot on. Satirical news programs display an extremely cynical made the IPA Review Australia’s leading free market review of attitude towards the political class. politics and public policy. After all, making fun of politicians is really easy, and fan- tastically rewarding. The Colbert Report and The Chaser’s War I P A on Everything are able to take advantage of the self-seriousness and cautious approach to the media that politicians harbour. Stephen Colbert, in his ‘Better Know a District’ interviews, successfully tricks junior politicians into making outlandish OCTOBER 2007 R E V I E W Volume 59 Number 3 Inside this issue Oct 2007 Editorial 28 Are there too many people? COVER STORY ‘Stabilising’ human population 2 Inside this issue and the anti-natalists 3 From the Executive Director A demographic spectre is haunting authoritative and influential circles. Nicholas Eberstadt 5 Regretting privatisation: broadband and the 2007 election 34 Australia’s hollow federalism: can we revive Telstra was barely sold a year ago, but both major parties competitive governance? appear to regret it. Chris Berg Federalism is more than states’ rights. Wolfgang Kasper 9 The NT intervention: what next? 39 From botox to Bell Bay The race is on to save Aboriginal children. Gary Johns Forest politics is rife with cultural divides. Jennifer Marohasy & Alan Ashbarry 0 People, pundits and prime ministers: what biographies reveal about Australia’s political culture 4 Burning off the petrol price myths There is more to the Prime Ministerial biography than It’s hard to imagine a retail product more closely party politics. Richard Allsop scrutinised than petrol. Tim Wilson 5 It’s all in Orwell: Eric Blair’s uncertain legacy The joining of the literary world with the actual world is BOOK REVIEWS an old trick. Andrew Kemp 45 Chris Berg reviews Hubbub: Filth, Noise and Stench in England 7 Economic freedom delivers results Economic freedom is heavily associated with prosperity, 47 Matt Brown reviews High and Dry longer life expectancy, and low poverty. Alan Moran 49 Andrew McIntyre reviews Ideas: A History from Fire to 8 A new protectionism: dashed hopes and perhaps Freud worse for US trade policy 5 John Roskam reviews The Age of Turbulence: Some would argue that US protectionism is beyond the Adventures in a New World budding stage. Daniel Ikenson 52 Richard Allsop reviews 150 Years of Spring Street: 22 Who decided that private property was subservient Victorian Government, 1850s to the 21st Century to political protest? 53 Fred Hanson reviews Adam Smith: A Primer The rule of law requires uploading the law. Alan Moran 55 Jayde Lovell reviews Greens in the Balance: 23 Australian Education Union distorting the debate Environmentalism is Hazardous to Your Health! Every student that exits the public system further highlights the failures of the AEU. Sinclair Davidson 56 Strange Times 25 The workplace and the churches Ken Phillips, with contributions from Jodie Patron and Paul Duckett Editor: Chris Berg. Associate Editor: Mary Calomiris. Executive Director: John Roskam. Printed by: Pinnacle Printing, 288 Dundas Street, Thornbury VIC 3071. Published by: The Institute of Public Affairs Ltd (Incorporated in the ACT) ACN 008 627 727. Level 2, 410 Collins Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000. Phone: (03) 9600 4744. Fax: (03) 9602 4989. E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ipa.org.au Unsolicited manuscripts welcomed. However, potential contributors are advised to discuss proposals for articles with the Editor. Views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IPA.Reproduction : The IPA welcomes reproduction of written material from the IPA Review, but for copyright reasons the Editor’s permission must first be sought. From the Executive Director John Roskam he spate of massive advertising campaigns by ily. If you didn’t care about the status of the family this wouldn’t the federal government has legitimately drawn be a problem. Indeed entire political systems have been built on Tcriticism. Kevin Rudd recently commented the basis that the state should replace the family. Plato’s Republic that that is almost impossible to turn on the television attempted to create a model of social organisation in which biologi- without being bombarded by government advertis- cal parents had no role. Conservative governments are supposed ing. What he didn’t say is that advertising by state to protect the family—and the Howard government is avowedly Labor governments is on a similar scale to that under- ‘conservative’. taken by the federal Coalition. No administration has Two recent federal government advertising campaigns— been able to resist the temptation of taxpayer-funded replete with glossy brochures—deal with issues of legitimate advertising. To stop such advertising will take an act community concern. One campaign is costing $189 million. It of will that is beyond the power of any politician. is the NetAlert—Protecting Australian Families Online program. There is another problem with government ad- The other campaign is part of the government’s $1.4 billion Tough vertising. When government takes it upon itself to do on Drugs initiative. It attempts to tell parents how to talk to their the job of parents, or it tells parents how to bring up children about illicit drugs. their children, the government undermines the fam- The ostensible reason for both campaigns is that they provide ‘information’ to parents. The difficulty is that in providing ‘infor- mation’ the government invariably makes value judgements about matters that are best left to the discretion of parents.