There is no doubt that much of the Western World is suffering from a crisis of confidence. This crisis has manifested itself through radicalism and despair. The politics of division has resulted in extremism, in family feuds, marriage break-up's, lost friends and anger at anyone that has a different view. It seems that having an alternate view from the popular, the mainstream, makes you a bad person.
It's a rather odd phenomenon that, at the most peaceful time in our species existence, with the highest rates of education ever, where hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty, we seem intent on undoing it all.
Those that believe in the Great Reset, that think our democratic institutions need to be destroyed to allow social justice to flourish, need to take a breath, read some history books and decide at what time, and in what place they would rather live.
Perhaps Florence in the late 14th century, where life expectancy was under 20 years of age.
Perhaps the Renaissance would suit better, with the many scientific advances, art and literature. So long as you bow out before the inquisition.
Perhaps the Soviet Union circa 1950, if you don't mind the Gulags, millions of people murdered and the starvation.
The simple fact is, that for most of the world's population, and especially those in the west, life on planet earth has never been better.
That doesn’t mean that it can't be improved, that the work is done. Rather it means that we have shown an astonishing capacity to build institutions and societal norms that improve the lives of others.
Men and women from all walks of life have worked, fought and died, to ensure that their children had a better life than they. It has not been a linear progression, there have been missteps and fails. Geopolitics and wars have intervened, religious beliefs have both provided the foundation of civilisation and at times delayed progress.
We do not live in a perfect world, humans are not perfect, even those that stand on the soapbox, or more likely post on Facebook, and proclaim their moral superiority are not perfect. In fact, they are probably least perfect of all. Despite this, we have moved steadily, and with increasing rapidity towards improving the lot of mankind.
Perhaps we are not moving fast enough. Perhaps the inequality gap means that there is a need to radically alter our approach. It could be that natural hierarchies that develop are moving towards the tyrannical and need to be addressed.
Previously, these challenges would have been addressed through the system. Communities and politicians would step up to a contest of ideas, there would be debate and discussion and, in the end, in western democracies, the people would decide through the ballot box. That system appears to be breaking down. The impact of identity politics, the battle for moral superiority through oppression, the dilution of self-reliance and resilience reduce both the opportunity and effectiveness of conversations and investigation of ideas that don’t align with the prevailing mood. This has been reinforced by tech giants and the mainstream media that have their own agenda, either social change, financial gain or both.
A brief word on identity politics. Identity politics is the art of assigning group labels to people, based on characteristics that they cannot control, and then allocating them a value determined by how oppressed or oppressive they are because of that characteristic. It is the ultimate in divide and conquer. It takes no account of individualism, of moral character or truth. It is the epitome of stereotyping, of racism, of sexism and all the other ism's that you can think off. All white heterosexual men are inherently racist and oppressive. White gay men are less racist and oppressive by virtue of their gayness. Black transexual men cannot be racist or oppressive, they are always the oppressed victim. Identity politics is nothing more than a game of division, of providing an excuse to hate others based on those characteristics that they cannot control. It's a game that has been played forever, usually in tribal ways that are easy to understand and comprehend. That tribe of redhead warriors want to steal our land - they are bad. Adolf Hitler was a proponent of this game. Identity politics is evil, it is wrong, and we need to challenge it wherever it is found.
You may be wondering, how does this impact me, how does New Zealand fit into this? After all, we have just had a peaceful election, an election in which it seems the majority of New Zealanders supported the broad direction of the government. But what happens in other places does matter to us. Ideas of division and hatred, of oppression and identity politics have a way of spreading, virus like, through western democracies. Here in New Zealand we may seem to be more tolerant, fair-minded, accepting of other ideas. But if you truly think that you have not seen the vitriol that exists on many Facebook pages and twitter / tweety things. And we have seen, that allowed to flourish online, hatred will eventually come out of the virtual world and into the real world.
So, is there any hope? Can we continue to advance the human experience without destroying the foundations on which we have progressed to date?
The answer is unequivocally yes. Yes we can.
It will not be easy. There is no promise of success. The hole of despair and hate we have dug may prove too difficult to climb out of. We may have gone too far.
However, if we are all prepared to take a step backwards, to entertain the idea, at least for a moment, that others may have valid views, if at first we try to understand, and then be understood, we have an opportunity to reach across the political and ideological divide and continue the great journey of humanity.
As well as taking a step back, some need to take a step forward. For too long good people have stood by, gone about their day and not challenged the changing of the rules, the reduction in standards, the loss of common sense. Each member of civilised society has a responsibility to speak up and oppose ideas that are not aligned with the character and norms of that society.
In the words of Edmond Burke.
Whilst men are linked together, they easily and speedily communicate the alarm of any evil design. They are enabled to fathom it with common counsel, and to oppose it with united strength. Whereas, when they lie dispersed, without concert, order, or discipline, communication is uncertain, counsel difficult, and resistance impracticable. Where men are not acquainted with each other’s principles, nor experienced in each other’s talents, nor at all practised in their mutual habitudes and dispositions by joint efforts in business; no personal confidence, no friendship, no common interest, subsisting among them; it is evidently impossible that they can act a public part with uniformity, perseverance, or efficacy. In a connection, the most inconsiderable man, by adding to the weight of the whole, has his value, and his use; out of it, the greatest talents are wholly unserviceable to the public. No man, who is not inflamed by vain-glory into enthusiasm, can flatter himself that his single, unsupported, desultory, unsystematic endeavours, are of power to defeat the subtle designs and united cabals of ambitious citizens. When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.
By taking a step back. By seeking to understand. By stepping up and challenging those that seek to undermine our society. By refusing to partake in the evil of identity politics. By recognising the sovereignty and worth of the individual, and the collective wisdom and strength of the community. By understanding and accepting our responsibilities, and by recognising that we don’t now and never will live in a perfect world, that we must keep working and striving towards that goal, we can continue this great journey together.
The alternative is hatred and division, retribution and revenge, a tearing down of our society and the creation of new and long-lasting injustices that will take many generations to overcome. The alternative is that our children and their children wonder at the inhumanity of the generations that preceded them.
We can, and we must agree that the goal is eternal progress, not a destination and that we will actively participate in the contest of ideas as together we contemplate the next steps on this journey.