Traditionalism After 2016

• Post by: Levan Vasadze
• March 31, 2019

Good morning! What a pleasure to be here! I feel very much at home every time I come to Italy. In Soviet days, Georgia was referred to as the Italy of the Soviet Union, thanks to its wine, food, beaches and mountains, musical culture, and southern climate. I, as a Georgian patriot who loves Italy, would of course reciprocate the compliment and say that it is actually the other way around: Italy is Europe’s Georgia, and this is the best compliment I can render to our generous hosts. Having hosted this Congress three years ago in Tbilisi, let me share some experiences of how the Congress has affected our country in its aftermath. Many traditionalists in Georgia (I’m not a big fan of the term “conservatism,” as I believe living the eternal tradition is more important than conserving an outdated one) state that it was actually World Congress of Families X that changed the course of events in our country. The flank of traditionalist NGOs, bloggers, and activists has grown dramatically. Although we still have a long way to go to the happy day of a complete victory over the Soros-funded demons, the fact of a large international forum like this one was obviously very reassuring to my compatriot traditionalists, who (a) found out that they are not alone and (b) have discovered through the international guests of the Congress that not all Americans and western Europeans are cynical perverts. I believe this Congress will have a similar impact on Italy’s pro-life culture and family movement, and I’m here to congratulate our Italian friends and organizers on this remarkable achievement. The Congress of Tbilisi in 2016 also coincided with remarkable changes on a global scale. Later that year, Donald Trump managed to score a historic victory against the entire U.S. mass media and mainstream political establishment, marking a turning point in the march of global liberalism. His announced policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, althou