Howard's War on Terror: A Conceivable, Communicable and Coercive Foreign Policy Discourse

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between language and political possibility. It is argued that John Howard's language from 11 September 2001 to mid 2003 helped to enable the ‘War on Terror’ in an Australian context in three principal ways. Firstly, through contingent and contestable constructions of Australia, the world and their relationship, Howard's language made interventionism conceivable. Secondly, emphasising shared values, mateship and mutual sacrifice in war, Howard embedded his foreign policy discourse in the cultural terrain of ‘mainstream Australia’, specifically framing a foreign policy discourse that was communicable to ‘battlers’ and disillusioned ‘Hansonites’. Thirdly, positioning alternatives as ‘un-Australian’, Howard's language was particularly coercive, silencing potential oppositional voices.

Notes

¹The United States, Britain and Australia.

²Making the distinction, Howard listed: George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Helen Clark and Her Majesty the Queen (Howard 2002d).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jack Holland

Jack Holland is Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom. His research interests include United States, British and Australian foreign policy, especially during the ‘War on Terror’. He thanks Matt McDonald, Stuart Croft and two anonymous referees for their helpful feedback on earlier versions of the paper