My name is Aidan Green. I am a journalist and a proud alumnus of the University of Wollongong with a Bachelor of International Studies. Upon arrival to my degree, I was like everybody else, young, naive and left-wing.
It is true what they say about the humanities faculties being taken over by the left. Throughout my three-year degree, I met only one politics lecturer who didn’t make it clear that they were left of centre. It was not until my second year where I began to think more critically and objectively, and it was not until my second year when I began to question the hate that was directed towards our own Western culture. Even until the very end, the most accepted format of political thought and speech was to stay politically correct and to stay within the post-modern narrative. I experienced this bizarre indoctrination first hand. Where identity politics was taught and would place each person as either a victim – who can do no wrong or an oppressor – who could do no good.
I remember where and when I actually began to consider conservative thought, and question why the entire university was at least 80% on the left. The answer comes from the lecturers who teach their very own students. It was a media and communications subject on ‘social justice’ where we undermined western civilisation, criticised cultural appropriation, taught that all truth was now subjective and sex differences were a social construct. You would leave each lesson with an all-around sense of shame for being from the West. It was from that moment that I knew I did not want to be on either the left or right side on the political spectrum. I was going to view each and every political issue with an open mind, allowing my brain to conceptualise my own thought and not be indoctrinated on either side.
Now my very own university has recently witnessed uproar from both academics and students for the confirmation of The Ramsay Centre, which will introduce more conservative thought into the humanities faculty with the Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation degree scheduled to commence in 2020. Knowing full well that the oppressive ideologs would cause an instant uproar, Vice-Chancellor Paul Wellings fast-tracked the degree. From there, The National Tertiary Education Union have taken “unprecedented” legal action against V.P Wellings and the University of Wollongong.
Ramsay was worried that we were losing sight of who we are. One look into our universities and recent history would demonstrate that accordingly with transgenderism, hypothetical social justice and compelled speech becoming a focal point of the left and campuses.
This uproar saw large protests take place on campus just last week. The amount of cognitive dissonance shown among these student protesters is alarming. If you take a stroll through the beautiful campus you will find flyers of the protest both on the ground and on the walls ubiquitously. The three main arguments on these flyers state the following and all obtain red flags. Where their points are factually incorrect.
The first being ‘No racist Ramsay degree at UOW’ this seems to be their go-to argument. Even though there is no one ‘race’ in Western civilisation. The beauty of Western Civilisation is that we are in fact the most diverse. Even our own backyard of Australia is known as one of the most successful multicultural nations on the planet. Currently, UOW offers a Bachelor of Cultural studies and has done so for some time. Not once was there ‘outrage’ from the post-modernists for the teachings of other cultures. Only now do we witness it since the introduction of the Ramsay Centre.
Their second point states ‘defend academic freedom’. Accordingly, they want to defend academic freedom unless they disagree with it? How can they have academic freedom whilst attempting to shut down academic freedom? I think the answer might slide towards hypocrisy and oppression.
The third and final statement says ‘no racist degree in western supremacy’. A bit of research shows that nowhere in the curriculum for the degree will the terms western supremacy be used or taught. Only the protesters themselves are the ones stating that Western civilisation is superior. But at least that’s something we can both agree on. I think it ok to say that Western Civilisation is not the sole reason for all of the third world’s problems.
I am not ashamed, nor do I think it is controversial to say the West is actually something we should be proud of. I have benefited beyond belief due to our cultures core values of freedom and focus on the individual. Our very own free speech is a pillar to our democracy. Which, if you read the news is getting shut down by the left on a daily basis. Luckily, I still live in a free market and have endless amounts of opportunity at my feet.
The West has a lot to be proud of and we are all bathing in its glory. Women’s and minorities rights are the highest in the West. It has also lifted Billions of people out of poverty. The West is thankful for religious tolerance, the abolition of slavery, universal human rights and the development of the scientific method.
So just remember that the world is not going to end when the Ramsay Centre commences. I am highly confident it will only benefit the University and we will see other Universities follow suit as neutrality restores in political thought and speech. This endowment is an extraordinary global opportunity to re-invigorate the Humanities and Liberal Arts in Australia which has never been more urgently needed in our short history. UOW is one of the best universities in the entire world. And I am happy to say The Ramsay Centre is coming to my beautiful, sunny, coastal, steel city. The Gong.
