As with so much of the rest of the Western world, Australians are demanded to ‘reflect, respect, and celebrate’ on their national holiday. Even if couched in the soft language of human resources consultants, this dour trinity is as subversive as a demand for unabated contrition.
Australia Day is no less than a birthday for the country and the nation. In what world must a birthday celebration be distorted and diluted by penitence?
That world is the sad, broken universe of the anti-civilisational activist. It is incompatible with the custom of gathering at a beach to enjoy the company of friends and family next to the Australian flag.
This set of people has called for the date of the holiday to be changed, the century-old banner to be replaced, all with the intention of abolishing the country itself. That is not an exaggeration; the very phrase ‘Abolish Australia’ can be seen on their signs during their obnoxious marches.
This is a bloodsucking wave, barely concealed with terms like decolonisation, much like Count Orlok in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu; it is an appetite, nothing more. Like the decrepit vampire himself, the foot soldiers of this movement must sink their fangs into the national spirit and exsanguinate it with indignation and shame.
In one case, a Melbourne-raised activist, though they call it Naarm, laid bare the soul of the movement.
‘It’s just over two weeks until invasion day. Go and play snatch the flag. Burn them all. Someone go set fire to Cook’s Cottage. Go and destroy monuments to colonisation. All of them. Chop down their European trees.’
Nihilism and brokenness at the heart of this rage against the world, exemplified by the ‘Invasion Day’ march signs reading: ‘If you’re not with us, you’re against us.’
The refusal to march and accept their premise that Australia’s existence is immoral and illegitimate must enrage them. One simple act of defiance in their wake is to enjoy a nice slice of barbecued lamb and watch the fireworks, as millions and millions do every year.
A major part of winning the culture war against those who tear down statues or demand Victoria be renamed is simply refusing to play the games or try to speak the language of the radicals. Did Scott Morrison’s move to change the words of the national anthem satisfy the mobs?
Disdain, if not fury, towards national holidays and pride became an article of faith among Western leftists for many years, and no concession will satisfy them.
Most people on the left only pay lip service to the radicals, as do their counterparts in Canada and the US. The brokenness as a political constituency falls into their coalitions by default, and Labor is fortunate that the Greens exist as a better fit for them.
Both politicians and celebrities are often cynical creatures by nature and will superficially latch themselves onto whatever trend makes the rounds on social media algorithms.
One commentator called for reparations to be paid by non-Aboriginal Australians, and said in 2021 that the country was ‘built off the back of slavery’ as if they were a Democrat from Massachusetts instead of an ex-football player.
It is no secret that cocktail circuit aficionados are experts at regurgitating the latest left-wing talking points, but even that exercise of copy and pasting rivalled Microsoft Word.
Inevitably, any elite discourse on the left about ‘decolonisation’ or ‘reckonings’ devolves into calls for more diversity and inclusion. From Australia to Canada to Britain, these are lazy, uncreative cliches that substitute gutted terms for anything unique in the national ethos of those countries.
What it does accomplish is to wittingly or unwittingly clear the way for the anti-civilisationalists and provide them with the legitimacy to fill the void and divide society. Remember, it is they who started the latest configuration of the culture war that seeks to split Australia between those who love it and those who hate it.
All is far from lost, however. The data does show that many more want to celebrate on Australia Day this year than in 2024.
In Canada and the United States, the more moderate elements of the left are now sheepishly trying to reconcile with the concept of national pride after discovering how much the average citizen still loves their country.
Do not let yourself be shamed by the unhappy mobs. They may vandalise, burn, and pull down statues, but all that can be washed and replaced, unpleasant as it is.
If you are one of those who will sit by the beach or backyard this Sunday, beer in hand in the sun with your friends and family, there are more of you than there are of them.
On Australia Day, hold the line and they will never be able to take it from you. There are 365 days in a year, on most of which you are already asked to ‘reflect and respect’ at the drop of a hat.
Taking one to celebrate is fully within your rights.
Do not give an inch, and you will outlast the epoch of those who would see Australia dismantled and burnt down to the very trees in its soil. From your patience will come the power.
