Here they are again, the demons of democracy making a reappearance and questing for power. For a while, it had seemed as if they were under control, poking their heads out now and then, but hidden for the most part and believed suppressed by the mainstream politicians and the media. Well, they ain’t suppressed and they’ve come back to upset the apple cart and haunt those who believe that democracy can be a rational process.
The demons are emerging on both the left and the right, but much stronger and more dangerous on the right. They have become a challenge to democracy particularly in Europe and the United States, but rear their ugly heads anywhere a democratic state is faced with problems. And when these problems linger, and solutions require sacrifices, the demons look for simple answers and believe in demagogues who promise them easy ways out of the morass their countries are embroiled in. Usually it is a financial noose around their necks with unemployment running high, but sometimes it is the specter of nationalism, populism, or even religion that brings the demons out of their caves.
Currently, it appears that Europe is most at risk from these demons, with strong far-right parties led by the French National Front, poised to form a significant bloc in the European Parliament. Great Britain’s United Kingdom Independence Party which is virulently anti-European Union also made great gains in the recent election, with right-wingers in the Scandinavian countries, Austria and Hungary all doing well. Those elected by the right-wing populists will represent every country to varying degrees in the European Parliament. One of a number of disturbing aspects of this movement is that many members look to Vladimir Putin for salvation, seeing a strong, conservative, autocratic Russia as the state they would like to emulate. Putin is also seen as a figure who stands for religious values which is important for the far right, condemning homosexuality, not allowing same sex marriages, and not permitting desecration of churches. His annexation of the Crimea for Russia has not swayed the right-wing minds.
However, Putin is the ultimate autocrat, fully in control of Russia and able to rule by fiat. The sad part of this is that he achieved power through the democratic process, elected by his people as a strong figure who would stabilize Russia and turn its economy around. The fact that he had received his training in the KGB and did everything possible to suppress the opposition and human rights did not register with the ignorant citizens who elected him. And corruption has flourished under Putin, with his favored associates becoming wealthy oligarchs through the privatizing of state companies and sweetheart deals with these companies.
Now, the right-wingers in Europe who have lionized Putin also ignore his record on freedom and human rights. They are more entranced by his strength and ability to completely dominate his nation, instilling conservative values and acting as a barrier to the “moral decay” that had become prevalent in liberal democratic societies. Russia is seen as the antithesis of the United States, which has become a pariah state in many nationalist circles. Of course, Putin is also spending money to support a positive view of Russia in the European media, and has been able to fool a significant percentage of the electorate.
Sadly, a segment of the far right nationalists have also followed the formula of their forbears, disparaging and blaming the Jews, Muslims and the Roma for the problems their countries are facing. They are strongly anti-immigrant and against the bureaucracy that has developed in Brussels to support the European Union. Most of these right-wingers would like to see the dissolution of the European Union with their countries standing alone with their own currency or forming an economic and political alliance with Russia.
Fortunately, the mainstream parties appear strong enough to keep the right-wing nationalists at bay for the time being. But no one can predict how Europe will evolve politically in the future. It is imperative that the centrist parties educate the populace to the dangers of nationalism and populism, and how they will benefit from the continuance of the European Union.
Turkey has also seen the demons of democracy emerging with the populace supporting Prime Minister Erdogan at the polls in spite of evidence of major corruption by him and his family. The support, however, does not stem from nationalism, but from religious beliefs, as the majority of voters see Erdogan moving Turkey in the direction of becoming a more devout Islamic state. The evidence of corruption by Erdogan’s circle is not as important to the ignorant electorate as the maintenance of Islamic convictions under Erdogan.
The United States has its own populist movement in the Tea Party that is strongly against immigration and big government. They do not want government to spend money on any social programs or structural improvements, and are against increasing taxes for any reason.
The populists and nationalists have a 19th century vision of the world and most people do not want to go back to living in the past. But the only way the “demons of democracy,” the nationalist and populist movements can be countered is through education of the electorate, to make voters understand the implications of the autocracies nationalists and populists would like to see come to fruition.
Resurrecting Democracy
www.robertlevinebooks.com
Political junkie, Vietnam vet, neurologist- three books on aging and dementia. Book on health care reform in 2009- Shock Therapy for the American Health Care System. Book on the need for a centrist third party- Resurrecting Democracy- A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party published in 2011. Aging Wisely, published in August 2014 by Rowman and Littlefield. Latest book- The Uninformed Voter published May 2020