Spot on:
"It has been a hallmark of Abbott's entire political career to view the world in Manichean terms. His own life has been defined and circumscribed by unquestioned beliefs that would admit no subtleties nor entertain doubts. From his Catholic seminarian days, through his anti-left crusades as a student politician, to the culture wars of the 1990s and the NSW Liberal Party's own potent brand of anti-Labor tribalism, Abbott has been captive of inflexible dogma... Intellectually, Abbott has never wavered from the conviction that his real political enemies are secular and progressive Australians... In 1997 I recorded a series of interviews with professed Abbott's political hero, the late Bob Santamaria*, the veteran political activist. I asked him how he saw Abbott, then beginning his political rise, and Santamaria smiled and shook his head. 'Tony, I'm afraid, has never left student politics behind. The world is not black and white; indeed, the older I get the more shades of grey I see. I'm not sure he will change'." (from Political consensus is dead, with Abbott the sectarian, Norman Abjorensen, Sydney Morning Herald, 22/8/18)
And the same goes for his little mate, Greggie Sheridan.
[*For Santamaria on Palestine/Israel see my 27/9/13 post What Would Santa Say? You'll be in for a surprise...]
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Great post from 2013, MERC. It should be required reading about Santamaria and his political descendants - sold out on I/P - all of them. Interesting re Australian voting at UN since the Libs came to power. We've gone from mildly pro-Israel to being the greatest supporter of Israel - even the US, UK, and Canada are less extreme. And every decision on I/P goes across Julie's desk! At least she lost today. I don't expect Morrison to change the Libs on this though.
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