Michael Balson, Upper Wilsons Creek
As if North Korea will launch a pre-emptive nuclear missile strike against the USA. As if we should all be living in fear.
The biggest beat-up since Weapons of Mass Destruction – but a million deaths, 4 trillion dollars, a mountain of rubble, nations of trauma later – we all know where WMD took us. These dudes are Masters of War and they’re playing the long game.
Missile defence shields, $50 billion submarines, strike fighters, Reaper drones, lots of bollards, re-arming Japan and South Korea, tightening the encirclement of China.
Two narcissists hurling insults across the north Pacific, both vested with the ultimate power of destruction.
They say jump and we all (still) jump. Our mad media jumps highest. A lot more people die driving to the shops but we don’t ban cars.
Ever since the patriarchy’s first BIG lie about eternal damnation scared us kids, it’s disturbing how easy it is to press the fear button and play the racist card.
Hitler’s brown shirts, saving us from the terror they themselves create. Portraying Jews as vermin – now it’s Muslims. Next it will be Chinese.
Old and tried propaganda, over and over. I’m over it.
Naomi Kline warned us about normalising a sociopath president but our hollow-man prime minister will cow tow to anyone.
Nothing like a nice little war to lift the popularity polls. It might only be a few hundred sociopaths who hold the whole world to ransom.
We should just call their bluff, refuse to turn up to their stupid wars and let them fight among themselves. In the meantime, suck it up folks and keep watching the soap opera.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
