Displaying items by tag: Culture Wars

The coming of age of identity politics in Australia and other Western nations, seen in particular during and after debates over abortion, euthanasia and same sex marriage, has ushered in a new era of selective bigotry, demonisation, the "othering" of opponents and censorship.  Not to mention a new prejudice based upon class.  All this has occurred in societies that pride themselves on their liberalism.

Whether the distinguished former Nationals' leader John Anderson would do more good for his country back in parliament or continuing his polished podcast interviews with global thought leaders is a moot point, now that his eternally disappointing party has rejected his Senate bid.  What looks like a bad outcome might not be.

The nightmare of Covid hysteria and the crushing of freedom it has caused only grow afresh during an expected, relatively mild winter outbreak of an equally expected, overblown "variant".  Two questions are endlessly repeated by those who worry about these things.  One, how the hell did we get here?  And two, why did we give up our freedom without a fight?  The ground was long prepared for this.

Jacqui Lambie might or might not have called Alan Joyce a "p**f" outside the Qantas Chairman's Lounge.  Whatever she said, the incident has shone a light on the outworkings of the sexual revolution and on woke culture.

At last an Australian politician has come out and actually said what the whole anti-Covid push is about.  Pity that the policy objective is impossible to achieve, is built on lies and will destroy what little remains of our freedoms.

The late Frank Devine once said, during the debate over saying "sorry", that the Aborigines should just forgive us.  In the age of the politicisation of everything, of group rights, of cancel culture and of the rejection of Christian forgiveness in public life, Frank's implied hope is forlorn.  We are unforgiven, even when we have done nothing wrong, and they are a-coming for us.

Toxic masculinity?  Try toxic culture.  The revolution of the 1960s has taken us all to some depraved and degrading places.  As we are currently reminded by very, very unedifying events.  Yet people are talking about the wrong problem.

The universities of Australia are now lonely places.  Crushed by Lockdowns, and suffering from myriad assaults that go back much further.  Part One of this two part article examines the collapse of standards and the transformation of Australian universities into corporations where students are now seen as "customers".  Part Two will examine the ideological campus.

The vile South Australian abortion bill has passed the House of Assembly.  Its smooth passage was inadvertently aided by some slipshod, though well-meaning, opposition to the legislation.  In ceding ground to the radicals, right-to-life proponents just make the passage of this kind of legislation all too easy.

Around a year ago, Rush Limbaugh was diagnosed with late stage lung cancer.  He has now passed away.  Like the also recently departed Sir Roger Scruton, Rush was a conservative titan.  He also revolutionised American media.  I penned this article - unpublished until now - i early 2020.