It's 2019. Donald Trump is the President of the United States, the UK have just elected the conservative Boris Johnson as their Prime Minister and our country has recently re-elected Scott Morrison to a second-term in office. We're doing our best to embarrass the future and rest assured, we're doing a mighty fine job at it. The political compass is firmly pointing to right at the present time. While you could say this is just an unfortunate phase in our history, I hold concerns that this is just the beginning of a trend that is going to become much more prevalent in the long-distant future.The right seems to making strides as each year passes, while the left is languishing behind and is in a fair amount of turmoil.
Now, I personally fall on the left-side of the spectrum. I'm of the belief that everyone, regardless of their race, age, gender or upbringing, deserves a fair go at life and to be treated equally. Someone's rights and privileges shouldn't be taken away based on how much they are earning. However, in saying that, there are some ideologies on the right which I can sympathize with. I do believe that the citizens of a country should be treated first before the needs of migrants. Proving housing and benefits for new Australians is all well and good, but what about the existing population who are doing it tough? This is an area that the Liberals generally do a better job at prioritizing and to a certain extent, I think it can be said that Pauline Hanson's and Scott Morison's popularity have risen in recent years largely as a result of that.
As much as some of their views can be described as "backwards" and conservative, they come across as being far more relatable and "down to earth" than the current politicians on the left. I mean, Pauline Hanson worked in a fish and chip shop before she made it into politics. Is there really anyone in Labor who can honestly say that they've experienced the same hardships that many everyday Australians face? We know that Anthony Albanese (the current Labor leader) is an avid supporter of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, but how else can he identify with low-middle income workers? Is it simply because he is not a Liberal?
The political left is digging itself into a hole and the only way it will truly re-gain power is if it reassesses what it stands for. This, alarmingly, is a global trend. I think many worldwide are seeing through the policies and promises that the left are advocating for and are realising that it isn't truly what the politicians stand for. We need someone to come along and challenge people's perceptions of what the "Left" is. It definitely won't be an easy achievement though. Unfortunately, the "preciousness" of SJWs ("Baby It's Cold Outside" is a rape song and not a Christmas carol, apparently) and the #MeToo Movement has left a sour taste in many people's mouths. The left has developed the negative connotation that it is followed by people who are overly sensitive, needy and unrealistic. You could argue that the left has always faced this issue (it is the side of the spectrum that the Greens comes under), however that mindset has only increased in the age of social media. It's damaging the left. We all need to act quickly, otherwise the mainstream ideologies in society will gradually shift more to the right as time goes on.
It seems to already be happening. Not only are recent election results testament to that, but extremist right-wing views have also become entrenched into our society in recent years (i.e ISIS, terrorist attacks) and little is being done to surpress that. The age of social media has meant that people are leading increasingly individualistic lives and are becoming disengaged from others around them. In decades gone by, people would regularly chat and form relationships with their neighbours, speak to strangers face-to-face to solve their problems (rather than speaking to a company technician on the internet who may be living on the other side of the world) and work together to accomplish tasks without the aid of automation or AI technologies.
That sense of comradery, which was the backbone of human development for millennia, is diminishing by the day, largely in part due to the accessibility and convenience of social media promoting greater opportunities for people to look after their own selfish needs. Society itself is shifting away from socialistic and communal values, which are qualities that are integral to the political left. Just imagine what society will be like when people can live in their own virtual worlds; obviously that is way down the track, but that is what we are heading towards. Individualism would reign supreme and the decline of the political left is only accelerating this concerning trend.
That sense of comradery, which was the backbone of human development for millennia, is diminishing by the day, largely in part due to the accessibility and convenience of social media promoting greater opportunities for people to look after their own selfish needs. Society itself is shifting away from socialistic and communal values, which are qualities that are integral to the political left. Just imagine what society will be like when people can live in their own virtual worlds; obviously that is way down the track, but that is what we are heading towards. Individualism would reign supreme and the decline of the political left is only accelerating this concerning trend.
I don't know what the future holds. Maybe our current political climate is only a sign of the times and the left will start to regain power in the new decade. However, it can't be denied that Labor (and the political left in general) is experiencing somewhat of a crisis at the moment. Without action soon, the future is looking bleak indeed...
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