It seems to me that Conservatives are hell bent on returning Australia to the ‘Golden Years’ of the 1950s.
Struggling with ever-faster change and pining for a return of the good old days, they seek to turn back the clock in the expectation that this will somehow restore a nostalgically remembered land of milk and honey.
I myself am pragmatically progressive.
In my view, progressives have kicked an own goal as a result of well-intentioned overreach, so, triggering some backlash.
When I was Mayor of Greater Dandenong I didn’t go for the then in vogue “Seasons Greetings” Christmas Cards. I sent religiously themed cards.
I did this after a discussion with my Lebanese Australian wife. She explained to me that in Lebanon it was common practice for Christians to celebrate Eid with their Muslim friends and for Muslims to celebrate Christmas with their Christian friends. Both accepted and valued each other.
It is not British traditions versus Eastern traditions, it is both! In my view much of the so called ‘Culture Wars’ are in practice an attempt to return Australia to the discredited integrationist social policy.
Given 48% of Australians are first or second-generation migrants and most are not of British heritage such an approach is both unlikely to work and socially corrosive.
Kevin Walsh, Cape Paterson.
