It ' s precisely virtue signalling Some hack from the Spectator which runs the traitorous Melanie Philips claims to have invented this term , or at least to have popularized in terms of the current meaning . Is it worthwhile to assume that anyone who usese or abuses the term is beholden to a specific political bent ? when you support policies that are on the surface compassionate but in fact do harm , Oh , you ' re complaining about boat people who land not being immediately deported . Or something . while rejecting policies that are on the surface harsh but in the long run do good . Uh , what good do they do ? It seems like a harsh policy and the asylum seekers , if not detained for years on end , are deported back to what wartorn or troubled part of the world that they fled in the first place . What good does it do ? The fact that the Aussie supporters of the camps do things like hate all nonJewish Middle Easterners in Australia doesn ' t help your case here .