National Identity vs Moral Diversity: Can Australia Hold Together? | Peter Kurti & Jude Blik

When Peter Kurti published "The Ties That Bind: Reconciling Value Pluralism and National Identity in Australia", Jude felt compelled to disagree vehemently, though only in a rhetorical sense! “Australia’s multicultural democracy is under increasing pressure, not only from economic uncertainty but from the moral and cultural disagreements that have intensified in recent years. Deep cultural and moral diversity presents both remarkable opportunities and profound challenges for our national identity,” writes Peter. Jude’s response? When disagreements grow too intense, the state must eventually intervene and take sides. He warns of ‘the tyranny of the majority’, the danger that majority opinion in a democracy can suppress dissenting voices or infringe on the basic rights of minorities. So, what happens when illiberal opinions become the dominant norm? This is not a merely theoretical concern. We live in a time of growing social division. The war in Gaza, for example, has exposed rising levels of antisemitism in Australia which is seen by some as disturbingly close to the new normal. The mainstream media may even help to fuel these opinions in the way they report on global conflicts. Earlier this year, the BBC admitted to airing a prime-time documentary narrated by the son of a Hamas terrorist leader. Our colleague Tom Switzer recently interviewed BBC journalist Tim Franks about this incident, broader questions of editorial bias and how journalists with strong opinions can still strive to report fairly. So, what’s the answer? Democracies thrive on healthy debate and a shared commitment to truth. If you're interested in Peter Kurti’s work on civil society and antisemitism, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to CIS: 👉 https://www.cis.org.au/support/donate/today/ All our links: https://linktr.ee/centreforindependentstudies ______________________________________________________________________________________________ CIS promotes free choice and individual liberty and the open exchange of ideas. CIS encourages debate among leading academics, politicians, media and the public. We aim to make sure good policy ideas are heard and seriously considered so that Australia can prosper. Follow CIS on our Socials; Twitter - https://twitter.com/CISOZ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CentreIndependentStudies/ Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-centre-for-independent-studies/ Telegram - https://t.me/centreforindependentstudies 📖 Read more from CIS here: https://www.cis.org.au/ 💬 Join in the conversation in the comments. 👍 Like this video if you enjoyed it and want to see more, it really helps us out! 🔔 Subscribe to our channel and click the bell to watch our videos first: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5c-JkKHb0YxFZ81XBtFCmw?sub_confirmation=1 ⏲️ Missed this event live? Subscribe to CIS to be up to date with all our events: https://www.cis.org.au/subscribe/ 📝 Subscribe to CIS mailing list- https://www.cis.org.au/subscribe/ 💳 Support us with a tax-deductible donation at - https://www.cis.org.au/support/