Did you notice the speech that the US Vice-president J D Vance gave at the Munich Security Conference on February 14th? It is worth seeing (or reading). It was “breaking news” – also breaking the hearts of many a European politician. The long-standing project of making Europe a “safe” and unchallenged harbour for all kinds of postmodern beliefs (of which “project Ukraine” is the spearhead) can no longer rely on American (military) support.
In principle, Vance defended liberty – in particular he defended free speech. However, his conservative message came through by the examples of freedom he used: the right to pray in front of an abortion clinic, the right to criticise gender-equity policies and the right to talk about immigration.
On my part I will say, that the odd thing about liberalism is that it turns illiberal when it is driven too far (this is liberalism’s “second problem”, about the first problem, see below). In order to “protect” everybody’s right to think and feel whatever she/he would like to think and feel, you are not allowed to utter anything that might disturb this thinking and feeling. In Europe this was the state of affairs the latest 10-15 years! Benevolently interpreted this is done in order to protect individual human life. But it leads to the opposite. It leads to human loneliness.
The “first problem” of liberalism, is its “blankness”. Liberalism does not work as a sole value! You cannot get up in the morning and say to yourself: Today I will be “freer”! Liberalism makes sense only as a force against authoritarianism preventing you from pursuing other values. The American constitution famously suggests you pursue happiness, which is just as “blank” a value as liberalism itself. But according to the historian Charles Murray the founders of the US constitution agreed on 1) religiousness, 2) integrity of marriage, 3) industriousness and 4) honesty – as values worthy of pursuit, and even preconditions for democracy. Those are real values!
Returning to Vance, it remains to be seen if the traditional values that he lets shine through by examples are sufficient to combat the collective nihilism of Western postmodernity. He promoted family, nation and Christianity, and the latter is a big one. If you read The Bible, you will see that it is full of love, but also “full of hell” – what you are up against. That’s where artists come in.
The painting shows the fight of the moral hero and supposed Son of God, Jesus Christ, at the front-line to Hell territory (Jesus is tempted). Most images depicting this situation suggest a clear-cut choice where the evil side appears obviously dark and sinister (albeit sometimes with some “dark beauty”). But reality is not always clear-cut. In this painting we see from the face of the hero that he is thinking: “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a good loaf of bread AND world power”? Fighting for the good can take place internally as well as on any outer world battlefield. (Detail, artist unknown, found at the website of “The Church of Jesus Christ”.)
- See also Religious Art, Political Art
Schreibe einen Kommentar