Go woke, go broke? Why anti-Australia Day pub group is making a big mistake
Companies and corporations pandering to irrational woke ideology is a financial minefield, writes Kevin Donnelly.
Opinion
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The decision by the pub owner Australian Venue Co to ban Australia Day celebrations clearly fails the pub test.
As well as being offensive, stupid and potentially financially calamitous the decision also proves those responsible have totally misread the public’s mood.
Proven by the 60/40 vote against the Indigenous Voice to parliament the vast majority of Australians are fed up with Woke mind control and group think pushing the idea society is racist as the First Fleet was an invasion leading to genocide.
In fact, the opposite is the case. Along with the First Fleet were the King James Bible and Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England. Both guaranteed the rule of law and that as all are made in God’s image all deserve justice.
The Admiralty’s orders to Governor Phillip told him to treat any Indigenous people encountered respectfully and without violence. As observed by Watkin Tench, who was one of the marines who arrived with the fleet, any troopers or convicts who disobeyed were punished.
In addition to Phillip arguing there should be no slavery in the new colony such was the rule of law that two convicts successfully bought a case against the captain of one of the convict ships for losing their meagre luggage on the voyage to Botany Bay.
While there’s no doubt violence did occur as the colony expanded inland governors like Lachlan Macquarie made every attempt to help local tribes adjust to what must have been a foreign and unsettling culture.
It’s also true a number of white settlers were convicted and sentenced to death for murdering Indigenous people as a result of what was known as the Myall Creek massacre. Forcing what the historian Geoffrey Blainey terms a black armband view of history on succeeding generations of Australians like original sin, as well as being historically inaccurate, is counterproductive.
As argued by Anthony Dillon in Defend The West, The Culture of Freedom, instead of always complaining about the First Fleet and condemning society as structurally racist, it’s far better to focus on practical measures to overcome current disadvantage.
Especially in remote and isolated communities the focus must be on reducing violence against women, ensuring children’s safety, overcoming drug and alcohol abuse and empowering individuals by jettisoning identity politics where Indigenous Australians are treated as perpetual victims.
Companies and corporations pandering to irrational woke ideology is also a financial minefield. After the US company Bud Light funded a campaign using the transgender person Dylan Mulvaney sales dropped 9.1 per cent costing a reported $US 1.4 billion. Gillette faced the same backlash after a campaign suggesting men failed to respect women.
Australian examples include Women’s Forum Australia campaigning against Big W stores selling children’s books seen as sexualising childhood and the many listeners deserting ABC radio for the endless welcome to country mantra and its refusal to employ conservative announcers.
Earlier this year the decision by Big W and Woolworth stores to stop selling Australian Day merchandise led to the leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton, calling for a boycott. The decision to stop hotels celebrating next year’s Australia Day calls for the same reaction.
As argued by Warren Mundine “Let’s all just go down to the beach, chuck a lamb on the barbie with a few sausages, and get some takeaway from a (venue) that actually cares about this country – not a hater of Australians – and we’ll have a great time”.
While some politicians and commentators argue the best way for the liberals to win the next federal election is to outwoke the woke by adopting policies better suited to the Greens, the Teals and the ALP, the opposite is the case.
Proven by the recent US election, where President elect Donald Trump won the popular vote and the Republican Party now has control of both the senate and the house of representatives, voters are fed up with irrational and mindless woke ideology pushing victimhood, transgender and critical race theories.
Whether the Brexit vote where UK citizens voted to leave the European Union, the success of centre-right political parties in Europe or the vote in the Republic of Ireland to reaffirm the role of women as mothers and home keepers the pendulum is now moving back to rationality, common sense and reason.
Concerned citizens are saying enough is enough. Instead of talking down and denigrating what is such a relatively prosperous and open and free society where, with hard work, ability and motivation all have a chance to succeed, it’s time to be proud of who we are what the nation has achieved.
Dr Kevin Donnelly is a senior fellow at the ACU and editor of the just released Defend The West The Culture Of Freedom
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