As the West loses faith in itself,we must offer values, hope

Raphael’s The School of Athens c. 1511

The West’s confidence is at an all-time low. Faith in our institutions, our values and even democracy itself is shaken. Indeed, it’s even worse than that, for we don’t even seem to be sure of what our values are anymore.

A society that defines its culture as simply multiculturalism, and its values as simply pluralism, is a society that lacks the resources and conviction to stand against the perennial forces that would snuff out liberty and so much that is good.

A shortage of housing, soaring cost of living and political fracturing have led to a fragmented Australia questioning itself: a quarter of our youth now think a non-democratic government is preferable to democracy in some circumstances.

If we are to push back against the creeping influence of dictatorships such as China, we need to be confident and vocal about all that the West has to offer.

Whether it’s a commitment to freedom, belief in an objective human dignity, or a sense of duty to each other, we must recognise the great traits of our society and boldly proclaim them superior to the values and goals of totalitarian dictatorships.

Together with the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship, I’m seeking to address these challenges, restore the West’s confidence and build a vision for a better world ahead of our inaugural conference next week.

The conference will discuss how we can build a society where all are connected with politics and society, and hold a stake in our shared future. The West must rely on the rising generation to repel authoritarianism, but at present we are doing too little to convince it of the worth of our ideals and institutions.

For many of those entering work today, home ownership is little more than a distant dream. Private property perpetuates responsible citizenship across generations, but the lack of a tangible stake in society for many today is creating a crisis of trust. If responsible citizenship is to be revived in the ranks of our youth, our future workers and leaders, then they must have a stake in their own future. They must be able to own property.

John Anderson AO

As well as giving citizens a stake in society, we must remain aware of the risks of creeping authoritarianism on our own shores. The overbearing state can only be beaten back by vigilant and responsible citizens.

Time and time again the government has expanded to meet crises, and we have failed to reclaim that power after the peril has subsided – giving up control over our lives to a bureaucracy with a tendency to grow unchecked.

Whether the expansion of the welfare state in response to the stagflation of the 1970s, government bailouts in reaction to the 2008 global financial crisis, or the pandemic expanding the role of the state to an unprecedented peacetime level, at each moment the state has taken more of our liberties than we had realised. As responsible citizens, we must make it as difficult as possible for our politicians and bureaucracies to lean into a crisis mentality. If we don’t, we risk becoming dependent on the state as a crutch, depriving us of the ability to stride forward once the wounds of crisis have healed.

But avoiding an overbearing state isn’t all it will take to restore the West’s confidence. History teaches us that without a strong moral identity, decadence drives decline. The successes of Rome made the Romans indifferent to living virtuous lives, and eventually robbed them of meaning and purpose. As the Roman historian Livy observed: “As the standard of morality gradually lowers, let him follow the decay of the national character, observing how at first it slowly sinks, then slips downward more and more rapidly, and finally begins to plunge into headlong ruin …”

People rally in front of the New York Stock Exchange against the proposed government buyout of financial firms in 2008.

If we are to prevent the West suffering the same fate as the Romans, that gradual decline needs to be reversed. Perhaps the unprecedented peace and prosperity of the West over the past 50 years has made our decline highly likely, but its continuation is not inevitable, at least not inevitable in the long run, even if it is inevitable in the short run.

Perhaps things will have to get worse before they get better so we will wake up and see what’s in store for us if we continue down our current path.

The path of living beyond our means, stoking the flames of hatred with identity politics, robbing future generations so we can enjoy comfort today, continuing irresponsible immigration programs without concern for our national culture, and being indifferent about whether or not young people can come home from jobs that are satisfying to homes they own.

All of these policy issues can be resolved, even if not perfectly. But it is only with self-confidence, courage and uprightness that we can address these issues and thus push back against decline and assert the superiority of democracy over authoritarianism, responsible freedom over imposed conformism. There is a better vision to offer Australia and our youth; to tell it, we must have courage – the courage to be responsible citizens.

John Anderson was deputy prime minister from 1999-2005. He is a current member of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship’s advisory board and will be speaking at its inaugural conference in London, October 30 to November 1. The conference will also be attended by staff and contributors of The Australian.