John Roskam from the Institute of Public Affairs highlights the failures of the fourth estate to hold our politicians (and other institutions) to account.
I don’t know how many times I have written the following statement in recent years but it is succinct, accurate and more relevant than ever.
“The world has gone mad.”
Wherever you look, the signs of societal decline are evident. Acts of Islamic terror are now a seemingly everyday event. Mental health issues are increasingly prevalent. Substance abuse is growing. Respect for the rule of law and those that enforce it seem lower than ever. The children of dysfunctional families are incarcerated with little hope of a positive future…and I could go on.
These are the results of a sickness that has captured society; a culture where personal responsibility has all but disappeared, personal failings are excused by the politically correct and dangerous ideologies are dismissed with accusations of racism.
The issues we face are a direct product of the failed ‘progressive experiment’ that has deliberately sought to undermine the family, our societal structures, our education system and social mores.
One only has to look at the cesspit of Twitter to see how debased our culture of respect has become. So-called journalists like Van Badham and Clementine Ford use the most abusive and vile language toward others whilst claiming to be victims themselves.
And yet they are better than the anonymous trolls who attack seemingly for the pure pleasure of hurting others.
Our children seem to be struggling with greater behavioural and self-esteem issues which many will attribute to the breakdown of the natural family structure. It is my unshakable belief that a father and a mother matter in the raising of children and the growing dismissal of this natural and complementary relationship will come at a grave cost.
This week we saw a horrific Four Corners report about the behaviour of guards in a NT juvenile detention facility. There is no doubt the vision was awful and that the issue needs to be investigated but the real question remains: how did these children find themselves in detention?
How does a teenager rack up such a history of criminal and violent activity? Where were his parents? Why has he been in and out of detention for the last seven years? Why didn’t authorities take these at-risk children away from such dysfunction before it got to this point?
I think we all know the answer…fear.
Authorities are fearful of being accused of racism or similar slurs by PC leftists. And now the blame falls upon those trying to prevent harm to the victims of this neglect, the children themselves. I don’t doubt that some of the actions were heavy handed but the inquiry needs to examine the system and parenting that resulted in children finding themselves in such a circumstance and why the guards felt they could act as they did.
The Prime Minister has announced a Royal Commission (as yet without terms of reference) but I hope it shines a light on the hidden horrors of sexual and physical abuse and criminal behaviour that occurs in some communities. We can no longer excuse, cover up, justify or fail to act in the face of facts that too many don’t want to acknowledge.
But it’s not just children we are failing. This week has also highlighted the abuse of our elderly in respite or nursing home care by those entrusted with their wellbeing. Despite the many allegations over many years, it took a hidden camera to wake Australia up to the treatment of some of our most vulnerable.
But our failings don’t stop there.
The cost of deliberate ignorance or dismissal of the dangerous Islamic ideology and its threat to our culture is simply astounding.
The widespread attacks on Sonia Kruger for expressing an opinion on our immigration system were a national disgrace. It doesn’t matter whether you agree with her or not; she is perfectly entitled to her view and any disagreement should be based on logic rather than abuse.
It is time we reviewed our immigration program to establish whether it is working to our benefit or detriment. First cab off the rank could be a rethink of accepting an additional 12,000 refugees from the Middle East, followed by the wisdom of remaining a signatory to the UNHCR treaty on refugees.
Why we remain bound by an outdated document that compromises our national sovereignty needs to be reconsidered in light of events at home and abroad.
Last night saw yet another Islamist attack in France. This time on an 84-year-old priest who was reportedly beheaded by the Mohammedans. If we don’t want to go down the same path as France – a situation I warned my colleagues of many years ago (only to be met with media and parliamentary derision) – we need to take immediate action. That means dealing with some unpalatable facts.
If the States are prepared to enact laws to stop consorting of bikie gang members, without any proof of an offence being committed, why can’t the same principle be applied to known Islamists?
While we are at it, I repeat my longstanding call to ban the burqa in Australia. It is a flag of Islamic fundamentalism and oppresses women – the hypocrisy of so many feminists out there that fail to call out this oppression still amazes me.
But that would require the venal leftists and the PC-elites to suspend their indoctrination that has taught them facts don’t matter, only ideology does. It’s far easier for them to dismiss a counter view with abuse rather than reason and logic.
So here is the solution: we need a commitment to truth and to supporting those who are brave enough to tell it as it is.
No longer can we accept the closure of important public debate and life-saving action for fear of being labelled racists, bigots, phobes or any other pejorative slur.
We are a few years behind the rest of the world where those who now speak the truth, often in the face of great abuse, are winning public support.
Some of those individuals and parties may eventually create a bigger problem than already exists but they are a direct result of the failure of our existing political class to deal with plain-talk over platitudes.
That has to change, and that change will depend on our commitment.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
