We have had a lot of this for decades in the West and most western countries extend this to guests and visitors as the default position. But what does ‘freedom’ mean and how do we know what its limits are?
And how do we defend it?
Even though our freedom in Australia was just shot down in pieces yesterday, I can find no one who is mentioning what it actually was that was shot down, nor anyone who is trying to protect it except Ms Hanson.
Let’s make some definitions for how we want to live:
– the freedom to speak our truth without fear of silencing or coercion
– the freedom to be judged by an impartial, evidence-based court of law
– the freedom to be, just be, without ridicule, coercion, or violence
– the freedom to hold faith and to not hold faith without marginalisation or threat
– the freedom to explore one’s identity and existence without manipulation, fear, threat or violence
– the freedom to access unbiased, evidence-based information
– the freedom to vote on policy for our society with no coercion or fear of violence
Did I miss anything?
The monotheistic religions, authoritarian governments, neoliberalism, feminism, decolonialism, resource scarcity and bigotry all threaten these freedoms. Each and every one of them requires the silencing of another group either passively or aggressively, or both at the same time, to exist. There is one way to manage these threats.
Conflict of interest is an essential mechanism to ensure a nation remains secular, that is, a country where every single person may live without fear.
This is the core value of Western culture.
This is what was shot to death at Bondi.
And this is what we must actively protect.
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Conflict of Interest…
Separating church and state ensures all religions have equal status.
Separating business and state ensures all companies have equal competitiveness.
Separating identity politics from state ensures all people are represented and dealt with equally.
Separating history from state ensures everyone is treated equally in contemporary society.
Separating prejudice from state ensures everyone has equal respect.
Islamophobia claims higher status than infidels; feminism claims higher status than males; our authoritarian government claims higher status for itself than actual parents; trans people claim higher status than women; religions claim higher status for their specific cult: all are anti-equality and anti-freedom for those not in their group.
Can anyone else see how immature these exclusive membership groups are?
Can anyone else see how correct secular values are?
Has anyone else noticed that secularism has not been evoked once in any discussion about authoritarianism?
Can anyone else see how secular society must actively protect itself by identifying which groups use coercion to silence another, whether through social media, political manoeuvring, smear campaigns, terror, or guns, and giving them jail time and deportation?
Secularism needs to be the yard stick, not hate-speech. Maybe use the right to freedom and equality as your yardstick, not your infinite capacity for umbrage.
Live long and prosper, all of us.
A D R A N 