PodcastsThe Jordan B. Peterson Podcast393. The Makings of A Great Leader | The Honourable Tony Abbott
393. The Makings of A Great Leader | The Honourable Tony Abbott
The Jordan B. Peterson PodcastThu Nov 02 2023
Leadership and Role of Australia:
- Australia is seen as a significant yet non-threatening country on the world stage, with a global reputation for being free, fair, and welcoming to migrants.
- The role of Australia in international relations should be conceptualized as being a good faith partner and brokering peace.
Problems Facing Australia:
- Maintaining prosperity and security are constant challenges for every country, including Australia.
- Challenges include the risk of recession, high inflation, supply chain issues, decoupling with China, and energy problems.
Cultural Issues Afflicting the West:
- Cultural issues present in the West are also affecting Australia but may be slightly delayed compared to countries like the United States and United Kingdom.
- Universities prioritize brainwashing instead of teaching critical thinking and rigorous learning.
- Schools focus more on teaching children to be nice rather than promoting rigorous education.
The Quasi-Cult of Carbon:
- The obsession with emissions reduction harms economies without making any difference to global emissions.
- Western countries make commitments to reduce emissions while other major emitters like Russia, China, and India do not make such commitments.
- This obsession leads to economic self-harm and virtue signaling on a national scale.
The Need for Faith:
- Human beings need faith or something higher than themselves to provide purpose in life beyond survival or pleasure-seeking.
- Without faith in traditional values or religion, people will seek alternative things to have faith in such as money or environmental causes like climate change.
The Importance of Humility:
- Humility is crucial for successful living as it allows individuals to lose themselves in order to find their true selves and flourish fully.
- Humility helps in respecting and appreciating history, traditions, and civilization that have shaped us as individuals and societies.
The Practice of Virtues:
- Virtues like humility and gratitude need to be practiced consciously even if the benefits are not immediately apparent.
- Practicing virtues can help individuals endure suffering, find meaning in life's challenges, and make a positive difference in the world.
Playing a Straight Game in Politics:
- Playing a straight game involves saying what you mean and doing what you say.
- Leaders should focus on making improvements within their purview while being fair dinkum (honest) with others.
- The job of leaders is to respond intelligently to challenges, striving to nudge things in a better direction while knowing they cannot fix everything.
The Challenges of Leadership:
- Effective leadership requires being straight with others and ensuring the welfare of those one is responsible for advancing.
- Some leaders may be brilliant but lack integrity, while others may be less capable but maintain honesty and fairness.
- Political opposition can create visceral dislike based on ideological differences or personal animosity.
Maintaining Faith Amidst Opposition:
- Maintaining faith can be challenging when going against prevailing zeitgeist or ideologies like environmentalism.
- Personal experiences, upbringing, respect for tradition, and belief in something higher than oneself can sustain faith through difficult times.
Leadership and Government:
- The leader of the opposition's main job is to get their team into government, while the leader of a government has many responsibilities in ensuring effective governance.
- Running a government is more challenging than leading an opposition, especially in times of fragmentation and polarization.
- Being a conservative leader can be particularly difficult as it often goes against the prevailing zeitgeist.
- It's important for leaders to push forward with what they believe is right and overcome challenges.
- Tony Abbott considers his two years as prime minister to be successful compared to other periods of coalition government.
- Leaders can learn from examples like Bibi Netanyahu, who pursued radical measures that took time but ultimately bore fruit.
Personal Values and Leadership:
- Tony Abbott believes it's better to be a fighter than a quitter when it comes to pursuing causes one believes in.
- He tried to resist the obsession with emissions, make the government less burdensome on people's lives, maintain integrity in borders, and ensure Australia was an effective ally.
- While he acknowledges making mistakes, he believes his overall project was good and proper and would do it again in a heartbeat.
Selflessness vs. Selfishness in Politics:
- Many politicians seem more concerned about preferment and promotion rather than making a difference or serving their country.
- A narrow conception of self-interest can lead to short-sighted decision-making and negative long-term consequences.
- Psychopaths serve as an example of how impulsivity and narrowly selfish behavior can harm oneself over time.
Approach towards Enemies:
- Tony Abbott believes in having no unnecessary enemies but recognizes that there are necessary enemies when opposing views clash.
- Gratuitously offending others only demonstrates bullying behavior instead of statesmanship.
China's Role on the International Stage:
- China's increasing oppression of its own citizens, crushing freedom in Hong Kong, mistreating Uyghurs, bullying neighbors, and focusing on taking Taiwan by force have raised concerns.
- The West should cooperate, compete, and confront China based on the situation at hand.
- Australia has engaged with China in various ways, such as joining the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank while insisting on changes to reflect global governance structures.
Russia's Actions towards Ukraine:
- Putin's actions regarding Ukraine are seen as monstrous by Tony Abbott.
- Russia regards Ukraine as a rebel province and has invaded despite no threat from Ukraine or NATO.
- The Ukrainians have shown unity and heroism in defending their territory against superior Russian resources.
- Free countries like Australia should help Ukrainians militarily and make it clear that altering the status quo through force will have severe consequences.
Desired Future Vision:
- Tony Abbott emphasizes the importance of cherishing and admiring the values that have led to prosperity, safety, and freedom in the Western world.
- He believes surrender is not the solution but rather a self-confident approach based on enduring virtues and renewing them for a better future.