Good news: Autocracy lost! However we have to factor in some arguments which have been reinforced by the uncertainty hovering around elections as it is down to the wire even after 4 years of disruption – A world where – democracy exists in patches, President of the “world’s greatest democracy” is recalcitrant on having a ‘peaceful’ transfer of power, minorities are fearful about overwhelming majoritarianism, egalitarianism is obliterated as deeper faultlines run across religion, race & ethnicity transcending continents, transactionalism is exhibited even in climate change, great powers have dug the graveyard of multilateralism, international laws or agreements are rebuffed as many follow monistic theory of sovereignty, mouthpiece of globalisation has isolated itself, nations suffer more from ‘insecurity dilemma’ than ‘security dilemma’, preponderant tacit consent is given to authoritarianism, ‘trust deficit’ is ubiquitous, narratives are given precedence over truth without veracity, some believe climate change & a virus which killed millions are hoaxes, battle lines are drawn by subverting constitutionalism, nationalism is fuelled by xenophobia & bigotry, right to self-preservation which was even granted by Hobbesian state isn’t secure anymore, dissent is valued only when someone’s own gets ambushed, proficiency is defied & incompetency is accepted, social media gave a platform to demagogues, opponents have turned into nemesis & prejudices are the norms. It will take years for any administration to unravel all this by restoring civility & decency in public life & healing a deeply fractured society. Let’s not forget role of the pandemic & it’s mishandling in the victory. Welcome to a more polarised world!
Why does this matter to us?
“A politician divides mankind into two classes: tools and enemies.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche.
It’s high time we realise our own individual identity rather than dancing to the tunes of hate speech & thereby being reduced to the status of ‘dumb-driven cattle’. Because hitherto, there isn’t a planet B!
What can we do about it?
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived & how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.
~Buddha
Start differentiating between ‘disagreement’ & being ‘disagreeable’
Education is not memorising that Hitler killed 6 million Jews. Education is understanding how millions of ordinary Germans were convinced that it was required. Education is learning how to spot the signs of history repeating itself. We all know, Fascism wasn’t repudiated, but defeated.
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time & your government when it deserves it. Disagreeing when the government goes wrong is not only not anti-national, it is actually the highest form of patriotism.” ~Shashi Tharoor
Prioritise truth over lies, tolerance over prejudice, empathy over indifference & experts over ignoramuses. Build on values of pluralism, secularism, democracy & equality. Ultimately, the leader was ‘trumped’ after all the pandemonium he left behind.
~Amiya Bhaskara
