What do you think is most likely to bring about the end of the world?
A meteor crashing into the earth and causing an extinction level event?
Maybe global warming, – or nuclear war?
My view is, that the world as we know it, will come to an end because of false Nationalism.
That is a deliberately provocative statement which will no doubt have created in you an emotional response.
Here’s how I believe it will play out…
Once a country has a new leader in office, there is a tendency for those with big egos to want to remain in the top job. They will do whatever they can to keep their role as the Premier, the head of their government, the leader of their people. Leaders may claim that they are the only one who is strong enough to protect the country. For this to be a credible claim they need a credible enemy. Someone to pick a fight against and to create in us a fear of ‘the other’. When this escalates, the resulting war, economic or military, is often unjust, unnecessary and appears to be solely created by those in power to support their view of ‘national interests’.
The population who make-up the enemy, ‘the other’, are probably just as fearful of ‘us’ as we are encouraged to be of ‘them’.
The real fear should be, not of each other, but of our autocratic leaders.
Our primary protection against war, particularly war created by authoritarian leaders is …
Democracy and specifically Liberal Democracy.
This ensures that we, the people, have the freedom to choose our leader without interference. Liberal democracy not only requires laws that limit the power of the leader, it is also essential that these limitations on the leader’s power are almost impossible to relax. That’s because many leaders will exploit every loophole to change the rules to improve their chances of remaining in power. To exist, Liberal Democracy needs an independent judiciary to ensure that leaders are held to account for obeying those laws. Only by ensuring our democratic process is free, fair and open can we minimise the risks arising from an authoritarian leader who may want to start a war.
There are many examples of how this gradual erosion of liberal democracy takes place. It usually starts in small ways, inconspicuous at first, then becomes more insidious until finally, the checks and balances that limit the leader’s power are removed.
Examples are plentiful starting with the one which was most relevant to my father’s Kindertransport rescue, namely Hitler’s rise to power. Shortly after his appointment as Chancellor Hitler arranged a series of new laws paving the way for the ‘Enabling Act’. This effectively suspended the democratic process and allowed him to pass further laws without parliamentary approval. In effect he had turned a liberal democracy into a dictatorship. This led to him being able to single out ‘others’ who had no part in his vision of a future Germany: the Jews, the Gipsies, the Slavs, any non ‘Aryan’. They all became an ‘enemy’ of the state. This elimination of the democratic process was finally used against ‘the others’ to pass the Nuremberg Laws in 1935 to remove the rights of citizenship from the ‘others’. After this they had no rights.
A modern equivalent would be when a leader declares a ‘national emergency’ which gives them wide ranging powers to changes laws with little parliamentary involvement.
Other countries today are also beginning to display signs of weaking their liberal democracies. There are examples all over Europe of the rise in Nationalism and leaders who are changing the rules for their benefit such as in Hungary; Slovakia; with other countries also about to make changes.
Examples of how they do this include:
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- Extending the term that a leader can remain in power;
- Altering the rules to make it easier for the leader to pass new laws;
- Demonising the opposition parties;
- Taking control of media that report on the government;
- Packing the judiciary with supporters to favour the head of state…
In parallel, autocratic leaders will promote a false nationalism as a solution to the problems faced by the country. It may show in apperently benign rhetoric such as “British jobs for British workers” or the equivalent in any other country.
While there are many positive aspects to nationalism, this type of speech which blames others for the problems in their own country, leads to increasing polarisation of “us and our nation” and “them, the others”. Taken to extremes, this narrative of Nationalism creates the conditions for conflict. The feelings of fear that come from this artificial polarisation leads to rising discontent, economic hostility, rejection of compromise and ultimately even open warfare.
We must keep an eye on these small changes that erode our democracy.
The first steps are so small that they seem scarcely worth the time or effort to resist.
Who cares whether our supreme court judges are elected or appointed?
Who cares whether the chief of police is a political appointment or a promotion from within?
Who cares whether the state broadcaster is subject to greater control?
Who cares whether the Electoral Commission which decides the regulation of the democratic process is independent or reports to a government department?
We should care!
Our vote at elections is vital to keep our leaders in check. It is only at the ballot box that we have our power and where can choose to whom we give our power. In the UK we are fortunate to have a liberal democracy which, although not perfect, is better than many. Our elections are free and fair – although with increasing evidence of interference from overseas’ state actors. It is our duty to protect our democracy by turning out to vote whenever there is an election. In some countries it is a legal obligation to vote.
Be aware of the subtle changes that give our leaders more power and resist it – they are taking their power away from you.
Remember, your vote ensures the freedoms that you currently enjoy. If you choose not to vote, then do you have the moral right to complain when your government does something you don’t like?
Of course not.
Make sure you protect our democracy by voting at every opportunity.
© Nick Winton 2024