“Be afraid of those who go for war too easily” By Hugh Mackay

‘Fear is a complex emotion’ says Hugh Mackay in the article “Be afraid of those who go for war too easily” from The Age. This article focuses on the issue of terrorism and the so called “war against terrorism”. The article is jam packed with persuasive techniques. Perhaps the most frequently used technique is the use of alliteration and repetition.

He begins the article discussing the federal election, and ties it to the concept of fear by saying the following.
It is an extraordinary thought that a federal election campaign in a country like Australia - remote, peaceful, tolerant (though decreasingly so), hospitable (though decreasingly so), safe, secure and prosperous - could be hijacked by hatred and fear.
The clever use of metaphors such as ‘hijacked by hatred and fear’ is linked to the main subject of terrorism and conjures up images in the readers mind. Hugh Mackay uses analogy and strong emotive words when referring to Australia and it’s government. He de...