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For decades now Conservatism globally has been slowly walking this path back to a dark age by it’s inability to adapt to a modern world. Instead they have trended to be more extreme with nationalism and isolationist views. This lack of any long term vision and being entirely comfortable taking on absurdities to prop up a belief system only amplifies how lost they have become ,  some don’t even believe in the value of government. The election of Trump tested this viewpoint like no other. On the line was a politician’s integrity, easily identified defending blatant falsehoods or just by staying silent when they should have spoken out.  In Australia it’s the same, while we don’t have the extremes of Trumpism it’s clear that certain conservative politicians and media still want to ignore facts in order to protect these precious beliefs. No different in Britain with Brexit, conservatism propped up with falsehoods walking the same path. Meanwhile China, a communist regime turned it’s ideology in knots to adapt to a modern world. A totally focused plan weaponizing Capitalism with it’s thirst for profit and lower costs becoming manufacturer to the world.  Including the many infringements of western innovations but was given a pass because of companies chasing a quick profit. Meanwhile in the USA, it operates like 50 small countries instead of thinking as one.  The obsession with individualism, on one hand that’s a good thing but in a nation that has now grown to over 325+ million, one would think it might be time to take a second look. Especially when 700,000+ covid deaths puts up a litmus test on what is most important, Individual or Country. Instead conservatism now wants to double down, unlike in previous times they could see the value in universal rules for seat belts, gun control, finance or even scientific facts. Now its Climate change is a leftest fantasy, any form of Socialism is evil except if it benefits Wall St, wearing a mask in public during a pandemic is an infringement of “My” rights or election results are fake when it doesn’t go your way.  The fractured logic of the anti-vaxers and protesting school children wearing masks as an individual freedom infringement vs the community benefit. Is the same as protesting why they can’t travel through a school zone at a 100 mph. All those other rules that we live by day to day are also government mandates  that have been with us for centuries. Now they are best known as being the Party of “NO” without any policies for the past 13 yrs. Totally tribal, blocking any attempt at governance for the country while just being content to be angry. They want to believe a government with no oversight is the best government , but the reality of that is exactly the same as communism or a dictatorship. A small group of the powerful elite rule the world and Democracy plays no part. Once it gets to this then you know that is an ideology gone rogue and more of a threat to humanity than its saviour. I replaced the video link with a more up to date commentary by the same Fareed Zakaria as it is more relevant to the post.  As one commentator on YouTube said, the Conservative movement is like a ship adrift at sea without a rudder searching for the 1950’s

Writing political comment on a blog is one thing, but making a point economically with few words is another. This is a skill I wish I had, because this guy has it in spades. His ability to do just that in a short sentence or using a metaphor is amazing. Plus being capable of zooming out to grasp the bigger picture is also very impressive. His name is Anand Giridharadas a journalist and Editor at large to Time magazine along with other news outlets with a book he published two years back called ” Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World “. After seeing him interviewed one day on a business network I was impressed and purchased his book not long after. Mainly because it covered things I viewed as being problem issues over the years but never thought of it collectively in the way he does. It’s a great reflection on how the modern world economy works and also how plutocracy works to undermine democracy. This is one of his interviews conducted by a Dutch network when he was invited to give a speech to the Dutch parliament on the same subject. It would be nice if 2021 was the start in correcting some of these issues.

When Steve Jobs was alive he was once credited with saying Fox News is America’s cancer. Given what has happened in the past decade it would be hard not to agree. The Murdoch stable has been playing an active part in destroying democracies around the world mainly with opinions and conspiracies disguised as news. I’m sure it’s not the intention but a contributor none the less which hardly sets the high bar when it comes to journalism. In Australia an Ex Prime minister has organised a petition to instigate a royal commission into the Murdoch owned media for this very reason.  Free speech is one thing  but if we don’t tolerate hate speech in the media then why should society accept lies. This especially applies to the science of Climate change and other truth based realities where the Murdoch press pushes the total opposite of what is factual. The Brexit example in Britain is another case in point where lies were peddled as truths and a country voted armed with that baseless information. A self inflicted wound became the result of that. Here in Australia we have Sky News after dark pushing the same narrative, totally opinion based without facts. Then there is the Trump cult in America, a wilfully ignorant section of the population being spoon fed lie after lie all because its what they want to hear. This stuff destroys nations, it destroys democracies and while one can understand frustration on the right with woke cancel culture and all the other PC diversions the left seems to take. But those little diversions from the big picture are only harmful to a few individuals, for the rest it’s just an annoyance. On the other hand, ignoring science and hard factual data for the sake of wishful thinking is an extreme danger to everyone’s well being. It doesn’t matter what it is, be it gun control, economics, health care, climate science, or even a reaction to a pandemic. If you are going to try and live in a world with magical thinking then you will perish in the end. Take for instance the 2020 American election, the counties that voted for Biden constitute 70% of America’s economy, while the counties voting for Trump account for less than 30% of the country’s economy. Yet they want to be perceived as the holders of all wisdom when it comes to making the country great while at the same time reap the benefits of the blue states doing the heavy lifting. This is how a person like Trump came to power, a carnival barker who drip feeds lie after lie and his cult soaks it up like a sponge. Which is also why the Murdoch empire needs to be revamped or dissolved completely and the best way to do that is market forces. Advertising boycotts and a more educated public not accepting propaganda as fact. Keeping in mind if a significant portion of the population chooses to remain ignorant by choice. Then that is far more dangerous than any global pandemic virus no matter what country you are living in.

While the rest of its allies saw a “Death Star” hovering over America’s head it seems far too many Trump supporters could only see a bright shiny light. Maybe that’s why they voted for him along with a rebellious statement for those who constantly declared they were misguided. When Obama was elected in 2008 it looked like America had come of age, as he and his family represented the best of what America was really about. It didn’t matter if he was flawed, he had a vision and represented America both at home and abroad in the best way possible. But it seems for some of those states located in the middle of Red Heartland this was a bridge too far and it only amplified the great divide. Couple this with years of misinformation fed to a captive audience creates a recipe only to reek havoc. Then ice that cake with a trillion $ debt added to the economy to fund a tax cut which for the first time allowed the wealthy to pay less tax than the working class. Especially, after arguing for 8 yrs on fiscal responsibility when it was the other guy, blocking all policy making attempts. It’s ironic in US conservative circles they trade on the taboo word, “socialism” because it invokes the same response as garlic to a vampire. Yet for decades they have practised corporate socialism at obscene levels both with state and federal governments. Failing to see the hypocrisy in that nor all the other injustices including voter suppression, gerrymandering, the electoral college or court stacking. Conservatism has to learn that the human progress timeline doesn’t freeze at the 1950’s where environment never played a part nor did population expansion or huge social shifts with technology. It was also when wages were at their strongest and the average CEO only made 20 times that of the baseline compared to current day where it’s almost 300 times. Biden may have not been the best candidate from the Democratic party but even if he was comatose his Administration will surely outperform the Trump grifter team a thousand fold. So that’s the calming factor for the rest of the world, although there will be an anxious wait until January 20th as a lot could happen between now and then. But if all goes to plan, watch parties break out all over the world on inauguration day. In the meantime it’s worth another reminder of what a real President looks like with another excerpt from John McCain’s funeral service whom also met that “Presidential” high bar. Joe Biden speaking about his friend and shared belief in principles and what should be at the heart of America’s soul.