The family is the primary social unit of society, the fundamental building block, it's own mini-society. The family pre-dates the state, so any attack on the family should be a cause for concern of every citizen. However, citizens don't seem to exist any more. We have the people, the workers, the poor, the fundamentalists, the rainbow parade, the single mothers, young people - all groups that are touted to the populace at large as having special interests of how society ought to be run - but what about the citizens?
In a democracy, a citizen has a responsibility to be interested in what is occurring in the governance of the nation, and taking an active role to prevent anything detrimental to society at large. But it seems in NZ many people no longer consider themselves citizens and instead consider themselves as children that need to be looked after by the state.
No wonder the state is dismembering it's major rival. Strong families don't need a strong state and will prevent a state from over-reaching. Weak families lead easily to a totalitarian state, headed by parliamentarians that don't need to do anything except say the right things to get themselves voted in. Gone are the days where a violent revolution was needed.
Dr. Jeff Mirusof Catholic Culture asked the question: "At what point is totalitarianism recognized by the citizenry? At what point does a sufficiently large group of people understand what is going on that they can move cohesively to stop it?"
It's a good question. I think in NZ, many people are recognising that what Labour has done with the anti-smacking and electoral finance acts went way too far. I think many people think that all our problems will be solved if they just vote in a different government. A different government headed by John Key.
John Key is rapidly turning into the messiah-in-waiting - never-mind that he got the Nationals to vote FOR the anti-smacking act. And even if he was the type to recognise the danger of that act and repeal it IF National gets voted in next election, that will not be nearly enough to turn the creeping tide towards totalitarianism. In a highly secular society such as NZ, the creep will continue inexorably towards the end. The media reaction to the "new" deadly sins shows how adverse many are to any culpability of their own failings in the situation we have now in NZ.
Related Link: Secularism, Acculturation and Creeping Totalitarianism ~ Catholic Culture
In a democracy, a citizen has a responsibility to be interested in what is occurring in the governance of the nation, and taking an active role to prevent anything detrimental to society at large. But it seems in NZ many people no longer consider themselves citizens and instead consider themselves as children that need to be looked after by the state.
No wonder the state is dismembering it's major rival. Strong families don't need a strong state and will prevent a state from over-reaching. Weak families lead easily to a totalitarian state, headed by parliamentarians that don't need to do anything except say the right things to get themselves voted in. Gone are the days where a violent revolution was needed.
Dr. Jeff Mirusof Catholic Culture asked the question: "At what point is totalitarianism recognized by the citizenry? At what point does a sufficiently large group of people understand what is going on that they can move cohesively to stop it?"
It's a good question. I think in NZ, many people are recognising that what Labour has done with the anti-smacking and electoral finance acts went way too far. I think many people think that all our problems will be solved if they just vote in a different government. A different government headed by John Key.
John Key is rapidly turning into the messiah-in-waiting - never-mind that he got the Nationals to vote FOR the anti-smacking act. And even if he was the type to recognise the danger of that act and repeal it IF National gets voted in next election, that will not be nearly enough to turn the creeping tide towards totalitarianism. In a highly secular society such as NZ, the creep will continue inexorably towards the end. The media reaction to the "new" deadly sins shows how adverse many are to any culpability of their own failings in the situation we have now in NZ.
Related Link: Secularism, Acculturation and Creeping Totalitarianism ~ Catholic Culture