by KEVIN DONNELLY – THE woke Left seems content to shift the blame from those responsible for the burning of Old Parliament House to suit their agenda-seeking misconceptions.
If any further evidence is needed to demonstrate the hypocrisy and double standards of Left-leaning, politically correct activists and spokesmen, look no further that last week’s fire destroying the entrance of the old parliament house building in Canberra.
- Instead of reporting the fire was purposely lit, the media falsely claimed it was the result of a smoking ceremony gone wrong.
- The media ignored footage showing a group of activists lined up in front of the entrance while an activist placed more wood on the fire.
An iconic building that served as the home of the commonwealth government between 1927-1988 and that is an inseparable part of Australia’s political and legislative history.
Imagine the outcry from the almond, free-trade latte drinkers and the cultural-left’s preferred media, including the ABC, if anti-vaxxers or activists from the far-Right Reclaim Australia movement defaced and burnt the entrance to the building.
DANGERS
There’d be no end to the hysterical condemnation about the dangers of Right-wing activism and immediate calls for the police and judiciary to investigate and punish those responsible.
Cancel-culture activists would also argue the incident proved why centre-Right ideology is so dangerous.
Not so when those responsible and their supporters violently demonstrating against what they see as white supremacism and evils of European settlement.
Demonstrate against COVID-19 induced lockdowns and compulsory vaccination and you are a threat to democracy and deserve punishment.
Demonstrate against the arrival of the First Fleet by setting fire to one of the nation’s most significant historical buildings and … silence.
The mainstream media, instead of reporting the fire was purposely lit, reported it was simply the result of a smoking ceremony gone wrong.
In its coverage, the Left-leaning Guardian sought to shift the blame for the destruction away from Aboriginal activists to what are described as protestors “closely linked to a complex network of anti-vaccination and conspiracy groups which have been accused of spreading misinformation in Indigenous communities during the COVID-19 pandemic”.
Ignored is the video footage that subsequently went public showing a group of activists lined up in front of the entrance singing what appears to be an Indigenous chant while one activist places more wood on the fire.
HYPOCRISY
The fact the Aboriginal Greens’ senator Lidia Thorpe was able to celebrate the incident by texting: “Seems like the colonial system is burning down. Happy New Year everyone” and not be criticised is yet another example of the cultural-Left’s double standards and hypocrisy.
As to why nothing had been done to protect the entrance and the building’s front doors from being graffitied and burnt after a fire had been set the week before is also cause for concern. Setting up a protective barricade should have happened weeks ago.
That the violent activists set the old parliament building’s entrance ablaze, as well as being a criminal offence, also highlights their ignorance.
While weakened as a result of government overreach in response to the China-virus, the reality is we still enjoy significant liberties and freedoms.
The arrival of the First Fleet and British settlement means we are a Western, liberal democracy where a Westminster parliamentary system and common law prevail.
Along with Governor Arthur Phillip arrived copies of the King James Bible and Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England.
DIGNITY
The New Testament tells us “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus”.
While not always followed, concepts like the inherent dignity of the person and the right to freedom are largely Christian in origin.
In Blackstone’s book, there is a chapter titled “The Absolute Rights Of Individuals” that argues every citizen has an inalienable right to be treated justly and fairly.
As a result of the Glorious Revolution and the Enlightenment, the penal colony inherited the rule of law and a commitment to liberalism.
Ignored by those guilty of setting the old parliament building alight is that all citizens have the same rights.
Also ignored are the affirmative action plans for Indigenous Australians and the over $30b spent annually supporting the Indigenous people.
Read the daily news and every week there is ample evidence why, instead of vilifying and attacking the nation and its institutions, cultural-Left activists should acknowledge and celebrate our way of life.
In Russia, Putin rules as an oligarch and elections only ever have one outcome as any opposition is quickly crushed and any who represent a threat imprisoned.
In China, Xi Jinping, like Mao Zedong before him, rules as a communist dictator where ethnic cleansing of the Uyghurs is official policy.
In the Middle East, countries like Iran are ruled by Islamic fundamentalists intent on carrying out a destructive fatwa against the West and where Israel, the only democratic nation, is threatened with destruction.
The reason millions of immigrants fight so hard to become citizens is because Australia is a bastion of liberty and freedom in an increasingly hostile and dangerous world.PC
Dr Kevin Donnelly is a research fellow at the Australian Catholic University and author of Why Christianity Is Good For Us.
Sometime in the near future I will have to vote on the “VOICE” I have no need to say more !
It’s all lies Dr Donnelly. They could burn down the new parliament and the Labor/Green crazies would spin a way to excuse such destruction. The sad thing is that BLM Marxists are destroying the reputation of our Aboriginal brothers and sisters while doing so.