Joanne McNeill: Old bogey-men now obsolete

Joanne McNeill.

So the war on terror's going well then, eh?

In the wake of another deadly random public attack, this time in Brussels, by disaffected, brainwashed, ideological, radicalised crusaders desperate to hold on to the dubious glory of martyrdom in the absence of any other meaningful belonging, I wonder how many countries have been pointlessly pummelled to smithereens (Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya for a start), how many leaders have been murdered (Saddam Hussein, Osama Bin Laden, Muammar Gaddafi), who in hindsight might have been the better devils to know, how many alleged terrorist organisations have been replaced by worse (Al Qaeda by Isis).

And how many innocent children have been slaughtered, traumatised or displaced since George W Bush declared this latest crusade against an expedient enemy, in 2001 as a kneejerk reaction to the Twin Towers disaster, to justify cranking up the profitable US military machine in the threat-vacuum left after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 signalled the death knell of the Cold War?

Countless ...

Having lived through the Cold War and its associated nuclear arms race (neither reds under the bed nor Russian subs eventuated) it was both a joy and sorrow to see diplomatic relations between the United States and renegade communist Cuba resumed after more than 50 wasted hostile years.

But hey, now the contemporary crusade against Islam has provided a fresh uber-villain to fight, the old communist bogey-men have become quaintly obsolete. It's hard to believe though, that old-fashioned, so-called 'intelligence' agencies are still bumbling around the planet playing the same old boys' own, cloak and dagger secret spying games, spreading fear and suspicion in all of the wrong places, like something out of the kind of Graham Greene novel so thoroughly outmoded today that I found a damp copy down at the dump (sorry, transfer station) next to a sea of rotten onions and a discarded plaster cast.

Clearly these methods - spying, fear-mongering, war, slaughter and displacement of reviled populations - just breed more resentment, more trouble. Treat people badly and they will behave badly; nothing is surer. I agree with Otago University terrorism expert Richard Jackson who said last week that the only thing increasing surveillance, targeting Muslim communities and introducing draconian legislation has achieved is more terrorism.

Last week it turned out the alleged existence of the NZ women described by PM John Key sensationally as 'jihadi brides' (perhaps to justify strengthening our spying legislation and military commitments) may have about as much substance as the spurious weapons of mass destruction which were George W Bush's excuse to invade Iraq.

Still, there is some cause for hope in our little green motu. After the flag referendum's rejection of the proposed new design, a disgruntled commentator complained pompously that what he felt should have been a discussion about nationhood had deteriorated into an aesthetic debate. Perhaps this has revealed an element of aesthetic appreciation in our national character formerly buried under the prevailing image of brutish sporting grunt? Perhaps the PM will start photo-bombing art exhibitions and postcard scenic icons now instead of sweaty rugby dressing rooms?

Personally I am delighted; give me peaceful aesthetic contemplation of beauty any day over arrogant, bellicose, flag-waving, death-or-glory nationalism.