The phenomenon of the Liberal 'bleeding heart' is a curious one. Curious because the trigger for their 'concern' and 'compassion' is almost always an item from the agenda of the Left (detainees, the environment, anti-Americanism) and never an item from their own side's social agenda.

Liberalism once used to be attuned to civil society and its importance, more so than the Labor side of politics. (By civil society we mean that sphere of life - relationships and interaction - which are outside the sphere of government and politics.) These days, Labor still doesn't get the idea of civil society, but apparently Liberals don't get it either. If they did, they would vent their spleen about such things as the incursion of government and bureaucracy into civil society and voluntary forms of association (eg why is a permit needed now to run a sausage sizzle? why do have increased government monitoring of private school curricula? why is increaed obesity among kids a matter for government programs rather than a responsibility of families and parents?)

These would be areas which lend themselves naturally to activism from people once associated with liberalism.

But instead, the Liberal bleeding hearts chase their opponents' pre-occupation with symbolic gestures of 'abstract compassion'.

Vern Hughes
vern@peoplepower.org.au