Freedom Is Making A Comeback!

Senator Cory Bernardi discusses the revival of anti-authoritarianism in Australia:

For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with motorcycles.

As a boy, this wasn’t driven by any particular experience but more the anti-authoritarian and freedom movements that the motorcycling culture represented. There was something inspiring to a young boy about the robust motorcycling heroes captured on the big and small screens.

Later, as an adult, my interest took a new turn with the purchase of a small bike for transport. It quickly dawned on me how dangerous motorcycling can be. I also realised that I didn't have the right mindset at 18 years of age to be a responsible rider. So the bike was sold and my love of motorcycling was once again relegated to vicarious joy. That decision certainly made my parents very happy.

Some 18 years later, during what I laughingly call my first mid-life crisis, the desire for motorcycling again took hold. I obtained my licence and bought an affordable cruiser from the local dealer.

After six years, the pleasure of my weekend rides has not diminished; nor have the dangers attached to this form of motoring. Despite my more mature approach to how I ride, the risks are still significant. A single mistake, by you or other road users, can have catastrophic consequences.

Yet motorcycling is growing in popularity with increasing numbers of new bikes being registered on Australian roads.

I am sure the relatively inexpensive nature of motorbikes as a transport option has something to do with it. With fuel prices near record highs and city parking prohibitively expensive, a motorcycle is a cost effective alternative.

I also detect a revival of the anti-authoritarian and freedom loving movement that so appealed to me as a young boy. However, on this occasion, rather than being inspired by celluloid heroes, I suspect it is a real rebellion against the encroaching nanny state that increasingly governs almost every aspect of our lives.

That might explain why the ‘extreme’ sports are a fast growing competitive arena - irrespective of whether you are competing as a team or only against yourself.

There is a growing awareness that life is meant to be lived to the fullest extent possible. We cannot satisfy the requirements of human nature by going through the motions in a sanitised and bureaucratised world.

And yet that is the path we are on. Our children are no longer learning from experience about risk taking. In too many schools and backyards, they can no longer climb trees, ride bikes or play contact sports. 

Keep reading here 

Senator Cory Bernardi is the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition and a Senator for South Australia. 

Comments

[.]

1.

SENATOR BERNADI

IF YOU LOVE FREEDOM, YOU'LL AGITATE TO GET THE TAX LOVING TAX EATING MALCOLM TURNBULL DISENDORSED BEFORE THE NEXT FEDERAL ELECTION

[dante]

2.

Riding a bike without wearing an helmet is stupid and is not the example our children need. Mr Bernardi may not have much to protect but head injuries is a serious matter and his example is disgusting and stupid. I'm sure doctors will agree that we need better from our elected representative. I hope his children will not follow his example, or at least their mother will have more sense.

[.]

3.

Freedom means the freedom to make mistakes.

Dante would agitate for OH & S courses for tree house climbing etc.

[Inferno]

4.

Dante, you obsession with criticising Bernadi and others makes you out to be a fool. Where has he advocated for riding without a helmet...and so what if he did.

Your imbecilic comment might relate to the photo. It doesn't look like he's moving. Perhaps you think sitting on a stationary motorcycle without a helmet should be banned. Then we can ban idiots like you from sitting on a chair without a helmet.
Get a life.

[Mark]

5.

Dante, it's clearly a press photo, it's out the front of parliament house for god's sake. In case you aren't aware, you can't see faces with full face helmets, hence the photos aren't very good.

It's illegal to ride in Australia without a helmet, I'm very sure he wouldn't go doing it in full view of the press.

And where has he advocated for it?

Man you're a dumb ass. I can't believe people of your intellect are forced to vote in this country. No wonder we're going down the crapper.

[Brett]

6.

If the bike was moving it would run over the photographer. And there is no law against sitting on a stationary motorcycle without wearing a helmet.

You are a true simpleton.

[kraka]

7.

Piss off Dante you wanker-you are an absolute authoritarian idiot who completely misses the point of the article in his need to argue against anything a conservative believes. I have no problems enforcing children up until the age of 18 wearing a helmut-after that it should be a choice not a law-and THAT is where freedom loving conservatives and left wing socialists differ on just about everything-CHOICE. I wear a helmut because i choose too (pushbike) though originally because I had to however sometimes i only need to go around the corner to get bread and I shouldn't have to fear getting pulled over by the cops and fined $50 because some wanker in government needs to raise funds to pay for the dole bludging, teat sucking university attending arts funded nanny staters who make up most labor/green voters.

[liberal elitist]

8.

lol "helmut"

[Lillith]

9.

lol "dick head"

[Lillith]

10.

Slippery slope there kraka, you give people freedom of choice and what’s next, opening businesses, creating wealth, burgeoning economy, bringing up healthy, responsible children...OMG, the horror of it all!

[John Mc]

11.

People pursuing better lives and their own happiness???!!!! WTF??!!! That's where all this so called freedom stuff is going, I tell you. You're so right, Lilith, where will it end?

[captain catholic]

12.

I'm confused. Where does the 'nanny state" begin?
Compulsory helmets, seatbelts, insurance, building permits, licensing, drinking age, drug use...etc etc.

[mick]

13.

Given Bernardi's enthusiasm for motorcycling and free trade, I would be overjoyed to see him take up the cause of vehicle parallel import restrictions.

The major vehicle brand importers have a ridiculous degree of protection in this country. In the United States, a motorcycle like his beloved cruiser, would cost half what it costs here (despite the US having a domestic motorcycle market). Same for cars.

The degree of restriction upon parallel imports hurts the poor most of all, to the benefit of the importers - inflated prices carry through to the used market. It's heartening that the Liberal party have taken a stance against Holden and Ford's rent seeking, which to some degree explains why we must endure such a protected market.

[dante]

14.

Your freedom to be stupid is fine as long as it doesn't impact on the community, and if it does then you have abused your freedom.

[Lillith]

15.

Will the horror never end!

[Grantley]

16.

Rode motor bikes myself Cory for a long time, both off road and road.

When you get in to govt I hope you fight hard to advance the cause of "defensive" driving courses as a compulsory part of the school curriculum.

I firmly believe that riding a motor bike makes you a much more aware driver in general. There is a certain something in riding on two wheels that bonds you a little more with your own mortality...and fragility.

Nice photo...of you on the stationery bike...without your helmet, which for the ignorant and uninformed that squeak on this site occasionally...is totally legal.

[Oldman]

17.

With his boss Minchin out of the picture and whining Pyne having taken over the spotlight for SA, I am not surprised that Cory has resorted to blogging about motor cycles and anything else that pops into his head. He really has become insignificant and is only tolerated in case he is needed to make up the numbers.

[dante]

18.

You are quick in calling others fools when the only fool is you.

The photo of your hero shows him riding a bike. You may have never ridden a bike in your life and you may not be able to tell if he is moving or not. I can assure your imbecile cowboy is moving.

[dante]

19.

The photographer is at an angle of at least 15 degree, he could be using long lenses. You are such a moron!!!!

[dante]

20.

Mark, I would reply to you but what's the point? You love your idiotic hero, good, continue!!!

[dante]

21.

In your case I would dispense you from having to wear a 'helmut', clearly the 'hulmet' has nothing to protect, there vacuum between your left and right ear. I won't call you a wanker, I'm sure you couldn't even do that, you useless piece of shit!!!

[Brett]

22.

15 degrees. Really? Do you think at all before you post? You are a blue ribbon prize fool. The garbage that you spout is just priceless.

[John Mc]

23.

I'm confused. Where does the 'nanny state" begin?
Compulsory helmets, seatbelts, insurance, building permits, licensing, drinking age, drug use...etc etc.

Don't be too upset, you guys never seem to get this stuff. I still wonder if you guys have similar problems with maths or logic games.

The nanny state begins when force of law is used to regulate the behaviour of adults of sound mind beyond the point of protecting the rights of other people, usually on the basis of 'protecting' those people from themselves or to force them act according to some other doctrine like 'political correctness'.

The nanny state is any regulation that goes beyond ensuring the freedom of an adult of sound mind act according to their own will and pursue their own happiness so long as they are not hurting anyone else.

By hurting anyone else, we are talking about actions that could reasonably violate other people's rights as a direct or logical consequence.

(A direct consequence excludes a second or third order of derivation eg. your risky behaviour makes other people feel bad therefore they are unable to relax at night and their loss of sleep affects their ability to earn income, or some other crap like that).

[captain catholic]

24.

Could you give a couple of examples please john?

[Inferno]

25.

Of course he must be moving because:
a) the clutch is out,
b)he is not using the accelerator,and
c)there are two riderless bikes either side of him that through some miracle are keeping up with his ride!

One other *small* point. Modern bikes have their headlight switched on automatically when they start. The headlight on this one is off!

Much like any connections to reality for wankers and liars like you Dante.

[kraka]

26.

"Your freedom to be stupid is fine as long as it doesn't impact on the community, and if it does then you have abused your freedom"- So you agree Gillard has abused her position and should be sacked?

[kraka]

27.

Jeez, dante answered a post without calling someone a racist-wow-that is progress from the self titled italian economic scientist.

[kraka]

28.

easy, I want to put a shed up in my yard on my land that I bought with my own money. The nanny state tells me how much roof area I'm allowed to have. I should be able to make that shed as big as I like providing it is not blocking anyones view or harming anyone else. The HELMET rule for over 18"s is a nanny state rule etc

[kraka]

29.

I'll tell you what is making the biggest comeback-Dante's stupidity

[John Mc]

30.

Could you give a couple of examples please john?

Love to.

- adults being fined for not having a helmet while riding a bicycle to the corner store
- refusal of the Classification Board to allow adults to play video games because they have simulated violent content
- people being put in jail for using 'soft' drugs, or possessing 'soft' drugs they could reasonably expect to be used by themselves
- people being prosecuted for saying things that offend others i.e. Andrew Bolt (note, this is not defamation I'm talking about)
- a hotel owner not being able to offer his clientele a smoking venue on his own premises
- a hotel having such extreme restrictions on a live music venue it's unprofitable to offer it and unable to delver the atmosphere his clients are after
- McDonald's not being able to sell a hot cup of coffee even if their clients specifically ask for it (USA example)
- Being being legally unable to respond with force during a home invasion (UK example) or being legally obliged to run away
- Being forced to vote under law
- Forcing smokers to pay more taxes than their additional medical expenses would cost the public to make it too expensive for them to smoke
- Forcing people to pay for welfare or social programs they don't' want to use eg. a compulsory dental program
- Restrictions on advertising on fast food or extra taxes on fast food to discourage people from buying it
- Escalated fees and levies on the 'wrong' things eg. 4WDs, pre-mixed spirits to discourage people from buying them even though their paying for the true cost of using the product or service

[TerjeP]

31.

I spent my childhood on motor bikes colliding with trees, cows, the ground, other motor bikes. Many bruises, even some tears, but lots of fun.

[TerjeP]

32.

John - you forgot to list John Howard's gun laws.

[John Mc]

33.

Yes, Terje, the extreme detail to which gun owners are held to account, making the laws virtually unworkable e.g. having a magazine on a pistol that could potentially hold 11 rounds rather than 10 being apparently a serious offence that could result in banning the person from ever owning firearms. Even thought he magazine is sold as a 10 round magazine.

OK, so you've got me started, here's round 2:

- being required to unload a hunting rifle before walking over a dirt road in the back country miles from anyone (you hope, no rangers at least....)
- banning of noise suppressors on small calibre firearms (but still permitting air rifles?)
- The amount of certification (e.g. Blue card or whatever it is) and authorisation before you can coach your kid's soccer club or run their Scouts activities (not to mention the liability you incur for unreasonable things like children's allergies you could not have reasonably known about)
- banning of non-PC dog breeds (which is completely unworkable)
- banning of hunting over hounds (a millennia old practice, we acknowledge indigenous people's right to hunt, but this is apparently not traditional enough or something)
- banning of tail docking and ear cropping on dogs (worse than circumcision on humans, I ask you?)
- The new WH&S laws (never really sure if you've done enough to comply or not , undoubtedly their purpose, small business eg. farmers possibly never in a position to feel safe from prosecution)
- Speed cameras booking people for being 5km/h over the limit on open roads (maybe OK for a $5 fine like in some states of the US)
- Speed cameras enforcing beyond tolerances that normal people would experience on their speedo, e.g. when getting new tyres (obviously because lots of small fines are much more profitable for the government)
- Being forced to pay for superfluous compulsory environmental levies that deliver no tangible benefits on your home utility bills
- Denying partially proven but promising drugs to people with terminal diseases (and prosecuting them if they try to get them overseas)
- Denying pain relieving but currently illegal drugs like marijuana to people in pain, simply because your scared healthy people make get them as well
- Banning private manufacture of alcoholic spirits when home brewing is OK (although I admit not enforced much if at all)
- Heritage listing privately owned buildings without proper (or any) compensation

[barry]

34.

Today we have a bunch of miserable people , who , for some reason , cannot find a way to enjoy life , wanting to make a heap of rules , to prevent anyone else from enjoying life.
These bloody retards need to be shipped off to a country where they don't want life to improve , and get the bloody hell out of our lives.

[captain catholic]

35.

Quite a comprehensive list there John. Some seem to come under state jurisdiction. Have any Liberal Premiers showed an interest in rescinding any of these laws? And, which ones that relate to the Federal Government will Tony Abbott address?
(my understanding is that tobacco taxes DON'T cover the cost to the public purse)

[John Mc]

36.

(my understanding is that tobacco taxes DON'T cover the cost to the public purse)

Your understanding is wrong. You can check tobacco excise duty from the budget, it's around $5billion. Go find a some studies on the cost of smoking, direct medical expenses are in the order of $1billion. The studies you'd probably like factor in things like the extra productivity from a longer living non-smoking workforce. The problem is 'society' doesn't own people's work time like a communist labour force, people own their own lives and if they choose to shorten their lives rather than working longer that's their business. The studies you'd like also tend to overlook things like smokers dying earlier and costing the government less in terms of old age pensions.

Have any Liberal Premiers showed an interest in rescinding any of these laws? And, which ones that relate to the Federal Government will Tony Abbott address?

I've never claimed the Liberal Party is as pro-freedom as it should be, or as much as they claim to be. Senator Bernardi is a breath of fresh air though.

[captain catholic]

37.

What's the Senator's stand on euthanasia then?
Is he consistent?

[John Mc]

38.

I don't know. You tell me. (Yes I believe voluntary euthanasia is ethical and necessary, even though all of us hope we never have to deal with it.)

[John Mc]

39.

Let's go for round 3:

- laws preventing people clearing trees on their own property
- local regulations requiring kids tree houses to adhere to building standards (Eastern Sydney councils)
- proposed pre-registration for poker machine players
- Barbers being unable to give a neck shave with a traditional straight razor, even if the client (me) asks for it
- Stopping tobacconists openly displaying tobacco products, even in tobacconists who sell nothing but smoking products (tobacconists have to apply for an exemption at least in Victoria)
- the laws preventing the sale of gourmet 'French' style non-pasturised cheese (as far as I'm aware this is still the case) even from gourmet food providers and delis because we shouldn't be allowed to accept the risk of a slightly higher chance of getting sick just because we might like it
- Councils fining people for mixing up their recycling or putting 'recyclable' products in normal rubbish
- Police searching people without reasonable suspicion just because they''re in a certain area
- Any random police arrests or searches, including random breath testing, where people can be detained without any suspicion of wrongdoing or probable cause or any reason like that completely randomly on the whim of police
- Finklestein' s proposal to censor personal blogs
- Finklestein's proposal to tell newspaper's what they must say in the interests of 'fairness'
- Laws prosecuting people as criminals for cruelty to animals (for anything but extreme cruelty)
- Empowering the RSPCA like police, with a right to enter people's premises and take their property without a warrant on the basis of enforcing these laws.

[captain catholic]

40.

Random breath testing too?
Didn't the introduction of rbt result in a massive drop in the road toll John?
I'm wondering why the compulsory wearing of seatbelts if one is just driving "to the corner store" is not on your list.

[Arthur Dent]

41.

You must really hate living in Australia John. Have you considered moving at all?

[John Mc]

42.

You can add that to the list (so long as children aren't in the car).

If we had random searches of people's houses we would probably crack down on stolen goods, or drugs or people concealing fugitives. But I don't think it's worth it. If I'm doing nothing wrong the ability to be secure and go about my business in my own home is an imperative that I demand from the society in which I live. Similarly, if the state stops you going about your business it should have reasonable suspicion or probable cause that you are doing something wrong. Preferably they should have a warrant signed by a judge, but police do need leeway to act, however they should have a reason. Random policing doesn't belong in a civilised country.

[John Mc]

43.

You must really hate living in Australia John. Have you considered moving at all?

Since you asked, I don't see myself staying here forever.

Australia has a lot of things going for it. We're wealthy. There's lots of minerals in the ground and if you're in the right industries, on average, you'll be among the highest earning people in the world. Australia has a good health system that you can get for 'free', at least until the mining money runs out. Also, Australia has a small population in a massive area. If you set yourself up correctly you can live a good life without being influenced by the nanny state too much, and not even pay too much tax if you know what you're doing.

But on it's current path Australia won't be staying at the top of the pile, and its quality of life won't remain forever.

[Tom Skene]

44.

Tony Abbott really understands some needs see this item
http://fairgoforbillionaires.com.au/fairgo/

[bluebell]

45.

[But on it's current path Australia won't be staying at the top of the pile, and its quality of life won't remain forever.]

Yeah, especially when this government is flooding Australia with 'refugees' and visa over stayers, sucking the public purse as dry as a stone.

[kraka]

46.

Hey Captain Dopey-give it up. John Mc is detroying you fact by fact and your too stupid to see it. And as for your road toll comment-there is no evidence that suggests it was solely the random breath test that lowered road tolls. It would be fair to say that safer built cars and better roads contribute more to lower death tolls than RBT. Maybe you should change your name to Captain Nanny State seeing as you live in one and don't seem to know it.

[John Mc]

47.

Another one for the list: when I'm staying in an expensive hotel, and I've just had a nice dinner in the restaurant, I don't expect to be told that I can't have a double scotch whiskey before bed. I don't think Australia realises how retarded it looks by having laws insisting or coercing that it can't serve a double spirit after 10pm. And like I"m going to mix a decent scotch whiskey with Coke. Is this how we treat guests? It's no wonder tourism is struggling in this dump.

[captain catholic]

48.

Was it john laws who used to say, "love it or leave it"?