【讀者分享 🇬🇧】 從頭認識戴卓爾夫人和列根的保守價值觀 (Patreon)

Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher were influential leaders who played key roles in shaping the global political landscape during the 1980s. They were a match made in heaven, as both were staunchly anti-communist and believed in the superiority of capitalism and democracy over communism. This shared ideology led them to adopt policies aimed at weakening the Soviet Union and promoting Western values. They also believed in strong national defense and took a firm stance against Soviet expansionism and the spread of communism.

Reagan and Thatcher were known for their conservative and free-market-oriented policies, which emphasized individual liberty, minimal government intervention in the economy, unleashing productive potential of individuals, lowering taxes, and the promotion of capitalism. They implemented similar economic policies, often referred to as "Reaganomics" and "Thatcherism," respectively. Not only did these policies fuel stronger economic growth in the US and the UK (at the expense of a big rise in national debt), but they posed a challenge to the centrally planned economies in communist states. Their combined efforts in applying political and economic pressure on the Soviet Union, along with other factors such as internal economic struggles and societal discontent within the Soviet bloc, contributed to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union, and the end of the Cold War at which the influence of western values and soft power reached its culmination.

However, the current political landscape is in sharp contrast and significantly influenced by various forms of political correctness, including wokeness, cancel culture, and the overemphasis on LGBTQ+ rights. Many traditional values and the nitty gritty have been twisted. A recent example is the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University where some protesters bawled out “Zionist dont deserve to live.” This’s clearly an infringement of civil liberties. Free speech isn’t without limits. Hatred, threats, and menacing conduct don’t warrant protection.

Furthermore, while these movements aim to promote inclusivity and social justice, they have also opened the door to external foes infiltrating and undermining democratic systems. Social media, through biased framing, is often used to achieve a deliberate effect on manipulating public reactions and intensifying deep divisions within Western societies over an event, be it an election or a political issue. Progressive ideas are portrayed as antithetical to traditional values, which can divert away the public attention from the nitty-gritty discussions to purely ideological, bitter quarrels.

Common sense tells us that an overemphasis on political correctness without rules and restraint will bring about many serious consequences, such as the suppression of free speech, a culture of censorship, an incomplete view of history or even its erasure, and a narrowing of acceptable viewpoints. Very few now dare voice publicly due to character assassination, a steam of invective, and social canceling. This, in turn, would further divide our society and hinder productive dialogue, potentially undermining the foundations of a free and democratic society. As a result of growing threats against opposing voices, these progressive ideas are invested with authority or legitimacy under the guise of the discourses of power that evince them, and their proponents insistently assert that their concerns must be prioritized over other pressing economic and political issues. Paradoxically, they often remain silent on human rights violations in rogue states while fiercely criticizing their governments for acts of a much lesser degree. They believe that the “benefits” of securing transgender equality in an absolute sense and comforting drug addicts to maintain their status quo far outweigh various threats posed by authoritarian regimes, ranging from political interference, potential military conflicts, unfair economic competition to economic and technology espionage, and environmental degradation.

It’s important to strike a sensible and fine balance between promoting inclusivity and fostering open and respectful discourse to ensure the continued progress and prosperity of our society. Regrettably, I don’t see Western countries moving in this direction at all. And no wonder why the CCP always touts the concept of “rising east and declining west.” The best way to prevent this from happening is to have more young men like Palmer Luckey in our new generation, rather than those who naively advocate peace but are reluctant to prepare for wars and to understand the essence of evils.

▶️ 《The Crown》第四季：一個立體的戴卓爾夫人
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLpGZAwV91A