| Twilight of the Elites: an important new offering | | | | us: secularism and Reason need not be perceived |
| by Professor David Flint, chair of the Australian | | | | as being in opposition to faith. |
| Broadcasting Authority and Convener of | | | | Flint's defence of the "Judaeo-Christian tradition" |
| Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM), is | | | | also raises disturbing questions regarding the |
| sure to be one of the more influential texts of | | | | double standards exhibited by some proponents |
| 2003. What the book lacks in terms of the | | | | of cultural relativism. For Flint, it is astonishing to |
| breadth of its readership base, it makes up for in | | | | find that Christianity is "fair game" for an often |
| that base's strategic value: the conservative | | | | degrading ridicule and caricature, while other |
| intellectual elite which has captured the Liberal | | | | religions and cultures are considered "above |
| Party, and now determines the nation's policy | | | | criticism" in the name of pluralism and relativism. |
| agenda. Twilight of the Elites is worth reading if | | | | Determined to break decisively with that "black |
| only to gain a glimpse of the kind of thinking that | | | | armband" view of history identified by |
| is going on in government circles today. | | | | conservatives with the "left-liberal elite", Flint |
| The canvass employed by Flint is wide-ranging. | | | | unsparingly celebrates Australia's traditions and |
| From Indigenous affairs to foreign policy, from | | | | legacy. While his identification of the brutally |
| education to health and welfare, from | | | | Imperialist First World War as a "struggle for |
| republicanism to judicial activism: Flint's prognoses | | | | freedom and democracy" (!) is astonishing, his |
| cut against the grain of what he identifies as | | | | solemn recognition of Australia's role in defeating |
| "elite" opinion. This "elite", comprised of the | | | | fascism in World War Two is cause for praise. |
| "socially liberal left", we are told, count for only 10 | | | | (and also for reflection for those who see |
| per cent of the Australian population, as | | | | "nothing to be proud of" in Australia's past) For |
| evidenced by the 2001 election showing of the | | | | Flint, "practical reconciliation" between Indigenous |
| progressive minor parties. (ie: Democrats/Greens) | | | | and non-Indigenous Australia, via the provision of |
| This being the case, the inclusion of that stalwart | | | | education, health care and housing, is the |
| socialist, Paul Keating, within the ranks of this | | | | alternative to a Treaty or an apology. But as |
| group, seems to defy belief. | | | | survivors of Japanese atrocities during World War |
| According to Flint, this socially liberal "elite", | | | | II could well testify, the recognition and dignity |
| entrenched within the media and within academia, | | | | afforded by an apology is infinitely more valuable |
| has commanded power well beyond its numbers. | | | | than material compensation. |
| Alleging that the "opinion-makers" of this "elite | | | | Many of Flint's remaining prescriptions will be sure |
| layer" have fostered a culture of intolerance and | | | | to raise concern. Despite the inequity and |
| "political correctness", Flint draws upon the writings | | | | inefficiency of America's overwhelmingly private |
| of 19th century French thinker Alexis de | | | | health care system (by Flint's figures, 12.9 per |
| Tocqueville, to suggest a veritable spiral of silence: | | | | cent of US GDP compared of 8.6 per cent for |
| "[The] majority, feeling isolated, begin to retreat | | | | Australia), the author makes plain his preference |
| into silence rather than speak out for what it | | | | for this model as opposed to Medicare's |
| mistakenly thinks is a minority view." | | | | universalism. While showing no concern for the |
| Unfortunately, Flint fails to recognise that the | | | | impact of rising university fees on access and |
| "spiral of silence" induced by "political correctness" | | | | equity, Flint does flag his concern with the |
| is mirrored, in turn, by the populist opportunism of | | | | expense of welfare, singling out single parents for |
| the major parties in regard to concerns such as | | | | special attention. Determined to slash levels of |
| refugee policy. While praising the United States for | | | | progressive taxation and social expenditure |
| its tradition of "self-criticism", and alleging no link | | | | (already well below the OECD average), Flint |
| between media proprietorship and editorial policy, | | | | seems oblivious to the impact of "welfare reform" |
| the author also ignores the tide of fear, | | | | and spending cuts upon a layer of Australians who |
| aggressive nationalism and media conformity that | | | | already barely subsist - often below the poverty |
| overcame that nation in the period leading up to | | | | line. Slashing government expenditure is thus |
| and including the recent Gulf War. | | | | raised abstractly to the status of "an end in itself", |
| Having abandoned past claims to universalism, | | | | divorced from any social consequences. |
| much of today's "liberal left" has substituted | | | | Flint's avowed philosophical universalism is |
| traditional socialist aims for an arbitrary hierarchy | | | | undermined by his stated belief that United |
| of identity - based movements and struggles. The | | | | Nations treaties (eg: the Universal Declaration of |
| new "postmodern intellectual hegemony" is | | | | Human Rights), were only meant to apply to "less |
| commonly characterised as much by its | | | | democratic regimes". Meanwhile his emphasis upon |
| abandonment of universalism as it is by its cultural | | | | Australia's interests with regard carbon emissions |
| relativism and its rejection of Reason. | | | | negotiations shows little concern for Australia's |
| In regard to this, Flint makes some telling points. | | | | responsibilities. Finally, Flint's insistence upon |
| Rejecting relativism, Flint asserts the primacy of | | | | personal responsibility is incongruous in light of the |
| Western traditions, including the foundational role | | | | apologies he makes for a Prime Minister who |
| of "Judaeo-Christian ethics". In doing so, Flint only | | | | seems to know only what he wants to know |
| recognises what the Left itself ought have | | | | (whether we refer here to "children overboard", |
| recognised long ago: belief systems, and systems | | | | or overblown assessments regarding the "threat" |
| of government, are not only "different" but they | | | | posed by Iraq). |
| adhere to certain social and ethical objectives | | | | Twilight of the Elites is nothing if not controversial. |
| that, ultimately, we must judge as either right or | | | | Its condemnation of figures for whom a shallow |
| wrong. Those liberal political traditions inherited | | | | republicanism had become a surrogate for |
| from Britain (Flint would probably contest this | | | | traditional social democratic values is stinging. |
| description), by this reckoning, have played no | | | | Furthermore, its appraisal of media ethics raises |
| small role in preventing such extremes of violence | | | | serious questions about the blurring of the lines |
| as have been known elsewhere in the world. | | | | between report and commentary. While Flint's |
| Flint does appear to forget, however, that the | | | | uncompromising conservatism will disturb many, |
| legacy of the Enlightenment is also part of | | | | there is no doubting that this volume is an |
| Australia's inheritance from the storehouse of | | | | important contribution to public debate in this |
| Western tradition. And as Immanuel Kant, the | | | | country, comprising an open statement of much |
| great German philosopher, would have reminded | | | | that government figures dare not argue publicly. |