It is the 23rd century.
Schools teach that the Ministry for Science Fiction, appointed by the venerable Abbott Government in 2013, has achieved the promise of the office. Australia leads the world in technology innovation. Scientific and technological advances have opened gateways to an extraordinary future, as predicted by Abbott’s inspiration, author-oracle Kim Stanley Robinson.
A Minister for Science Fiction could be far better than a Minister for Science in the new Government. Far-fetched?
Winston Churchill’s prescience in the years leading up to World War II had less to do with science and was more a result of his love of science fiction. He was “too expensively educated to be taught anything scientific”, but popular novels helped him to grasp concepts that were otherwise beyond his understanding, and expand his imagination regarding the possibilities of science.
HG Wells was a big early influence on Churchill. Wells used contemporary scientific discoveries extensively in his narratives. The World Set Free (1914) for example, was Wells’ story about a source of energy turned into a destructive force – a scenario which eventually came into existence as nuclear energy.
Churchill’s leadership and determination was informed by contemporary culture. He used phrases from HG Wells’ novels in his speeches as aspirational triggers, the equivalent of a politician today referencing Star Trek or Doctor Who in order to inspire the public’s imagination. His famous reference to the rise of the Hitler regime as “the Gathering Storm” was cribbed directly from Wells’ War of the Worlds.
Fellow conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott appears to share Churchill’s incomprehension in regards to science, but could we imagine Abbott emulating the great leader by using subtle pop culture references in political parlance? Crafting aspirational narratives with elements from science fiction could be used to mobilise the population for the good of both the economy and future generations - promoting innovation, communication and technology.
The current scheme for modifying the NBN deserves more imagination than it has been afforded. The government plans to deliver on its promise to engender business competition and drive profit and growth in the corporate sector, but there is a fundamental failure to envision something greater than immediate economic benefit for private interests.
Wells’ scientific ideas represented an energised future for Churchill – our PM needs to go back to the future to find a long term aspiration for Australia. That aspiration should include communication technology, and the NBN is currently our best option. How will we invent a warp drive without rapid access to enriching pop culture to inspire us?
The Coalition can only see as far as the next election cycle, and the promise of the NBN should breach the event horizon of the short term. The NBN alone won’t foment innovation but it provides a basis to build a technological future for Australia, and could stand as a symbol of the commitment Abbott’s United Federation has to innovation and imagination for many years hence.
Prime Minister Abbott, envision an extraordinary future for Australia. Download some pop culture into your brain – an audiobook for your daily run. Travel 299 years and galaxies into the future. Let science fiction expand your conception of what is possible to Tardis proportions. Ask Where is Jessica Hyde? Try securing some borders. Follow Elon Musk. Draw inspiration from popular culture, and craft aspirational political narratives not just for the next three years but the next three hundred.
My pop culture recommendations for the PM are above, but there are many that I’ve neglected – what are your suggestions?
