Today marks the third anniversary of China’s lockdown of Wuhan over the covid crisis.
It was a decision that changed the world as many other nations followed the lead of the communist tyrants in a futile attempt to stop the spread of a respiratory virus.
They were decisions that decimated the world economy and destroyed a lot of faith in public policy. We’re still feeling the impact of those lockdowns and the subsequent ‘health’ measures.
A generation have been impacted by poorer educational outcomes, diminished social development and health problems completely unrelated to the virus.
Unfortunately we cannot change what has been done, we can only try to learn from it.
And so what is the lesson we need to heed?
I’d argue that we should never be willing to surrender our freedom or our rights on the say so of any bureaucrat or politician.
We saw how few were willing to speak truth to power during one of the most egregious incursions on liberty by the state in generations,.
Those that did speak up were marginalised, ridiculed and canceled even though they were right. They maintained their position in the face of great injustice and for that we should all be grateful.
I’m talking about the likes of Alex Antic, Gerard Rennick, Pauline Hanson and George Christenson. I’m sure there were more in public life but few, if any, with the strength of voice of this handful.
There’s a great book, attributed to John F Kennedy, called Profiles in Courage.
It details those in public life who dared to do the right thing even though it came at great personal and professional cost. If that book were being written today, the names I just mentioned would feature prominently.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
