The West Needs a Christian Civilisational Goal, By Peter West and Richard Miller (Londonistan)

The West is adrift. Across Britain and beyond, a pervasive sense of political failure has taken hold. Politicians promise to curb immigration, yet numbers explode. They pledge fiscal restraint, yet public spending balloons. They vow to honour democratic mandates, like the Brexit referendum or the Voice referendum, only to undermine them through years of obstruction. Leaders who champion liberty impose draconian lockdowns, while those proclaiming devotion to human rights oversee systems accused of two-tier justice. Public services stagnate, economic growth falters, and promises to "stop the boats" ring hollow. This litany of broken pledges has eroded trust in governance, leaving many to question the viability of democracy itself.

The frustration is bipartisan, cutting across Left and Right. Yet, the political class often points the finger at voters, arguing that the public demands contradictory outcomes, low taxes paired with lavish public services, tough environmental policies alongside robust growth, or harsh penalties for unrest followed by complaints about excessive sentencing. This echoes critiques of democracy from the 17th and 18th centuries, when thinkers warned that voters, swayed by ignorance or fleeting passions, would oscillate between extremes, rendering coherent governance impossible. They feared democracy would fracture into factions with incompatible desires, undermine property rights, and erode institutions through corruption and factionalism. Without a unifying moral or spiritual legitimacy, they argued, democracy would consume itself.

Historically, Britain's democracy, and Australia's too, avoided these pitfalls through four stabilising elements. First, its institutions, Parliament, monarchy, the Church of England, evolved gradually, providing continuity and inertia that tempered democratic volatility. Second, Britain's "mixed constitution" balanced the powers of monarch, Lords, and Commons, avoiding the chaos of "pure" democracy. Third, liberalism preceded democracy, embedding principles like freedom of speech and religion as sacrosanct, beyond democracy's reach. Finally, an underlying oligarchy, an Establishment of shared values and backgrounds, guided debate, ensuring that only certain issues reached the democratic arena.

Today, these stabilising forces are crumbling. The Establishment has lost faith in Britain's distinct traditions, seduced by abstract ideals like "international law" or "human rights," or reacting with demands for "more democracy" as the sole source of legitimacy. Politicians, increasingly careerist, choose power over principle. Meanwhile, media and polling amplify fleeting public sentiments, making governance a slave to transient whims. The result is a democracy unmoored, vulnerable to the very weaknesses its critics long predicted.

This crisis is not unique to Britain. Democracies worldwide have faltered, often giving way to authoritarianism, communism, or military rule when trust collapses. Yet democracy persists as the dominant system, largely because Britain's model was seen as successful and exported through empire or victory in war. That success rested on a deeper foundation: a sense of purpose rooted in Christian faith. The Church of England, intertwined with monarchy and state, once provided a moral and spiritual compass that unified the Establishment and gave coherence to its institutions.

The West now faces a choice. Some, particularly younger generations, flirt with alternatives, absolute monarchy in Britain, even rule by AI in Japan. Others argue that democracy, a product of the age of literacy and reasoned debate, is ill-suited to a digital era where attention spans wane and long-form reading fades. But abandoning democracy is neither inevitable nor desirable. Instead, the West must rediscover a civilisational goal, one organised around a renewed commitment to Christian faith, a foundation that historically anchored its values and purpose.

A Christian civilisational goal would not mean theocracy, but a re-embrace of the principles that shaped the West: charity, justice, humility, and the dignity of the individual. These could inspire grand endeavours, eradicating poverty, advancing human flourishing through ethical technology, or exploring new frontiers like Mars, all pursued with a sense of divine stewardship. Such a mission would restore coherence to the Establishment, aligning its factions and tempering democracy's volatility. It would provide a narrative that transcends petty political squabbles, offering voters and leaders alike a higher calling to believe in.

Without this, the West risks further decay. Democracy, left to its own devices, amplifies division and disillusionment. But with a renewed Christian purpose, it can once again channel the energies of a civilisation toward greatness. The task is urgent: rediscover the faith that built the West, or risk losing the system that has, for all its flaws, carried it this far.

https://thecritic.co.uk/democracy-doesnt-work-without-a-civilisational-goal/