We Americans aren’t used to hearing European leaders outdoing us in the defense of democracy. But that’s exactly what happened Tuesday in Strasbourg, France, home of the European Parliament, where French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a rousing speech on the virtues of the open society.
He didn’t pull his punches. He spoke of a “European civil war,” one in which “national selfishness and negativity seems to take precedence over what brings us together.” Needless to say, this comment made plenty of headlines.
But we should be paying more attention to another one of his insights. We live, he said, “at a time of great change and transformation, digital revolution, climate change” — all things that “have led to fears and imbalances.” And these anxieties, he noted, are fueling the current authoritarian resurgence we’re witnessing around the world — and even within Europe itself.
He’s right. Our world is awash in the politics of fear. A few hours after Macron spoke, President Trump posted a tweet attacking California Gov. Jerry Brown (D), whom he accused of failing to ensure security “along [the state’s] very porous Border,” adding that, as a result, “The high crime rate will only get higher.”
This was an odd thing to say about a state where crime rates are at historic lows. But Trump wasn’t trying to make a factual point. He was trying to do what he does better than just about any other American politician: Frighten people.
Fear is what got Trump elected. Hillary Clinton — and Trump’s rivals in the Republican primaries — campaigned on traditional bread-and-butter issues. Trump stoked the collective anxieties of millions of Americans by fixating on presumed threats: Islam. Globalization. Rapacious bankers. War-happy neocons. Trade deficits. Scheming reporters. And he’s still at it — though the repertoire of enemies is always expanding. (See “the Deep State.”)
Traditionally, U.S. presidents strive to project optimism and hope. Yet even if Trump is breaking with those domestic norms, he’s entirely in step with the global moment. In Hungary this week, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s allies continue to vilify the opposition as dupes of the Hungarian American billionaire George Soros — whom Orban has built up into a terrifying straw man for all sorts of nefarious forces allegedly threatening the country’s sovereignty. Orban’s diatribes against Muslims and migrants have made him a hero to the far-right parties that are on the rise throughout the European Union.
The same patterns hold across the world — from the Philippines, where President Rodrigo Duterte exploitsanxiety about crime by waging an extrajudicial war on drug dealers, to Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan traffics in surreal conspiracy theories featuring the United States, Europe, Kurds and the Islamic State. Strongmen rise precisely because they promise security against burgeoning threats.
Fear is one of the most powerful human emotions. When it takes over, prudence, wisdom and rational thought go out the window — which is precisely what the demagogues want. It is no coincidence that fearmongering politicians are also leading purveyors of disinformation. Case in point: the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which has become notorious for disseminating fake scare stories about migrants on social media. And as we’ve seen again and again, it’s nearly impossible to correct the record once such smears have entered the media ecosystem.
So how do we fight back? We can start by acknowledging that fear-based politics is powerful because it often has roots in fact. The modern world is rife with chaos and injustice, and liberal democracies won’t succeed unless they start to tackle the root causes of social insecurity. Sensible and balanced immigration policies — something notably lacking in both the United States and Europe — would be a good start. Policies to address income inequality and the destructive effects of globalization are also desperately needed. (Note: Trump-style tax cuts and protectionism won’t cut it.) And fundamental reforms to empower citizens and boost participation in the political process would help, too.
But these are all long-term solutions. In the meantime, we can follow the French president’s lead by reasserting our faith in democratic solutions. It’s time we started making the case for the open society. We should explain why liberal institutions offer a flexibility and capacity for self-correction that can’t be emulated by autocrats. We should explain why tolerance is the only sensible path in a world that is now inescapably multicultural. And we should explain why the rule of law remains the best remedy against corruption and despotism.
Above all, we shouldn’t be afraid to show some attitude. The autocrats, flush with victory, aren’t afraid to shout their beliefs. It’s time we responded with the force of our own convictions. Let’s call out the fearmongers for what they are. Macron’s speech offers an excellent model.
- Christian Caryl
My take: I'm all in.
No comments :
Post a Comment