Apparently conservatives are now regarded as extremists, or so I was told via email yesterday. In a thinly veiled insult, I was identified as an extreme conservative for daring to speak publicly of my political and personal views.
In times gone past there was nothing unusual about advocating for the natural order of things or defending the wisdom of the ages. In fact, the extremist tag was historically given to those who sought to overthrow the existing order. Somehow, over the past few decades, the radical is no longer the aberration but seems to have become the norm.
This has placed the conservative in the awkward position of becoming tagged as the ‘extremist’. As the epithet has been directed at me, I thought it might be wise to examine briefly some of my beliefs that cause such consternation among the political left.
Yes, I am an advocate for smaller government and believe that government should stick to its core responsibilities. Those responsibilities will vary according to the nature of the government – federal, state or local.
Thus I also support federalism and the notion that government should be closer to the people in the hope that the decisions they make will be based on a deeper understanding of the local requirements.
I also believe in lower taxes. Firstly, because I don’t think government spends your money as well as you can, but also because individuals need incentives to work and invest. This is the basis of capitalism and has brought unrivalled prosperity to billions of people worldwide.
I believe that there is actually right and wrong and that moral relativism eventually dooms a society (and a nation) to mediocrity and dysfunction. Our moral and legal foundation is based on the Judeo-Christian tradition and regardless of whether one is of faith or not, this tradition has served us well.
This tradition was also at the very foundation of our constitution. This enduring document details the separation of powers, the rights and obligations of every citizen and is the basis of our robust democracy. As such, I endorse the existing constitutional arrangements as vital to the peace and stability we have enjoyed for the past 110 years.
Another ‘extreme’ view of mine is my support for traditional marriage and the traditional family. A man and a woman who unite through marriage provide the best possible environment for the rearing of children. I believe that by advocating and endorsing the traditional family we are reaffirming the importance of this vital social structure in our community.
Oops, some readers will have to reconsider their loathing of me for this particular view as even Julia Gillard has endorsed traditional marriage… or does that mean I should reconsider my position?
Finally, the one thing that seems to get the most hostile and virulent response is my refusal to subscribe to the anthropogenic climate change alarmism. I know thousands of people are making billions of dollars out of this racket but that is not a good reason to suspend common sense and responsible scientific analysis.
The more often the alarmists are shown to be disingenuous, manipulative and outright liars, the more vicious and nasty they become. Perhaps the playwright should have written “Hell hath no fury like an alarmist exposed!”
Anyway, they are just some of the reasons that I am accused of being an ‘extreme conservative’. Heck, after reviewing the above list you might discover that you’re an extremist too. If that’s the case, don’t lose any sleep over it, you’ll be in good company with millions of your fellow citizens.
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.
