Peter Lyons: We must protect our freedoms without undermining them

Signs are displayed during a vigil in Aotea Square to remember victims of the Paris attacks. Photo / Hannah Peters, Gettys Images

Opinion

We are very lucky in this part of the world in our freedom. We often take this luck for granted because we lack an appreciation of the happenstance of history.

Our luck has little to do with cultural or racial superiority. It has everything to do with accidents of history that set different regions of the world on different paths of development. These paths have led to massive differences in prosperity, freedoms and stability. As author Nassim Taleb states, we have been "fooled by randomness."

Two recent events ram this home. The terrorist horrors in Paris and the suspension of Russia from the international athletics federation for widespread doping. We are fortunate to live in a country where the rule of law applies. Where there is a transparency that we often fail to appreciate. Where there are checks and balances between the political, judiciary and administrative arms of the government.

The media is tasked with providing an addition watchdog over these balances and our freedoms. There is a risk that commercial dictates are undermining this role of the media. Investigative journalism has become a casualty of commercial realities as traditional media struggles to survive.

We live in a country where religion has been relegated to the realm of personal choice rather than imposed doctrine. It is no longer a divisive cause of conflict.We live in a pluralist society where people are entitled to express differing views without the fear of imprisonment, persecution or death. But we live in an abnormal situation in human history. Sadly we often take it for granted. There is nothing natural or normal about the freedoms we currently enjoy.

History is best viewed as cause and effect rather than a vast jumble of famous names and dates. Our core national values of democracy, free enterprise, freedom of expression and religious belief and the rule of law are not the natural state of human history. They are products of long and bloody battles. They are accidents of history rather than the logical outcomes of an inevitable march of human progress.

We delude ourselves if we believe the immense freedoms we enjoy are a natural state. We also delude ourselves if we believe other people will automatically share our values. The Chinese have embraced their own version of free market capitalism.

This does not mean they share our views on freedom of expression or the merits of a transparent democracy. We are naive if we assume that other parts of the world automatically share our beliefs that the freedoms we enjoy are somehow " natural." .

Some Muslims believe there should be no distinction between the state and religion. The dictates of Islam should be the basis of national law. New Zealand is a country that enjoys the freedom of choice in religion. There is clear distinction between church and state. This is pure luck.

This distinction was the product of bloody bitter conflicts fought in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. Religion was eventually put into the box of individual choice rather than imposed doctrine for all. Our freedoms in this area were determined before our country in its current form was even born. We are very fortunate in inheriting this legacy.

Russia has a long history of autocratic rule. National prestige is hugely important to mitigate other failures and lack of freedoms. There is limited transparency. The history of Russia has never really allowed freedom of expression or a truly free media. The tyranny of the Tsars was replaced by the tyranny of the Bolsheviks.

Putin is an unfortunate throwback to Peter the Great because the people of Russia have experienced little else in their history. Systemic doping of athletes in a country such as New Zealand would be very unlikely. The checks and balances and freedom of expression and media would likely ensure prompt exposure.

I appreciate my freedom to criticise Mr Key and his government. I used to be critical of Helen Clark and her government. This is a rare freedom that should never be taken for granted. In writing my opinions I am often criticised by others who oppose my views. I dislike it when they attack me personally. When they attack my ideas that is great. It is the sign of a healthy free democracy.

We are incredibly lucky to live at this time and in this country. Our current situation is the accidental outcome of various historical events that occurred in distant parts of the world before the formation of our modern state. These events range from the Magna Carta to the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the European Reformation and Enlightenment and the French and American revolutions.

Our society is certainly not perfect, but the freedoms we enjoy have been hard fought for. We often fail to appreciate this rich history that we have been very fortunate to inherit. Those offering alternative ideologies such as religious fundamentalism , dictatorship, communism, fascism or nationalism need to be treated with the disdain they deserve. Our big challenge in this current age is to protect our freedoms without undermining them.

Peter Lyons teaches economics at Saint Peters in Epsom.