1 / 19

Democracy renewed

Democracy renewed. Resisting the Far Right and Supporting Democracy. Where are we going?. Defining ‘Populism’ Separation of powers Signs of fascism Resisting tyranny Sociopathic politics Constitutional reforms Reclaiming what we value about democracy. Populism.

jaimepitts
Download Presentation

Democracy renewed

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Democracy renewed Resisting the Far Right and Supporting Democracy

  2. Where are we going? • Defining ‘Populism’ • Separation of powers • Signs of fascism • Resisting tyranny • Sociopathic politics • Constitutional reforms • Reclaiming what we value about democracy

  3. Populism • It is against rather than for things • Promising the impossible • Both of these stymie democracy • Politicians should make positive and consistent proposals • Democracy is not shopping

  4. Separation of powers

  5. Separation of powers was intended to guard against tyranny and preserve liberty. It was held that the major institutions should be divided and dependent upon each other so that one power would not be able to exceed that of the other two. Today, the separation of powers is more often suggested as a way to foster a system of checks and balances necessary for good government. In the UK and other common law jurisdictions, however, the theory of separation has enjoyed much less prominence. In the UK, the major offices and institutions have evolved to achieve balance between the Crown (and more recently the Government) and Parliament. The system resembles a balance of powers more than a formal separation of the three branches, or what Walter Bagehot called a “fusion of powers” (1867)

  6. Media as the Fourth Estate • A ‘free press’ is vital • What about press ownership? • What about political bias? • What about Facebook? • We need a shared view of reality • Disturbing revival of disinformation and propaganda

  7. Fear of Difference “The first appeal of a fascist or prematurely fascist movement is an appeal against the intruders. Thus Ur-Fascism is racist by definition.” Signs of fascism – Umberto Eco, 1994

  8. Appeal to social frustration “One of the most typical features of the historical fascism was the appeal to a frustrated middle class, a class suffering from an economic crisis or feelings of political humiliation, and frightened by the pressure of lower social groups.” Signs of fascism – Umberto Eco, 1994

  9. Selective populism “There is in our future a TV or Internet populism, in which the emotional response of a selected group of citizens can be presented and accepted as the Voice of the People.” Signs of fascism – Umberto Eco, 1994

  10. Believe in truth • Resist the rise of disinformation by not spreading it yourself • Resist the phrase ‘fake news’ • Ask for evidence and reliable sources • Value intellectuals On Tyranny – Timothy Snyder, 2017

  11. Listen to those you disagree with • A flourishing democracy needs respectful disagreement • Avoid offensive or militaristic language • Avoid the echo chamber On Tyranny – Timothy Snyder, 2017

  12. Do your politics in person • The tyranny of the bedroom populist • Be wary of clicktivism • Marching and discussing builds dissent and political confidence On Tyranny – Timothy Snyder, 2017

  13. Sociopathic politics • Signs of sociopathy? • Facility for lying • Superficial charm • Lack of remorse • See populism as a way to advance their careers

  14. Jeremy Hunt • Used the far-right EUSSR trope • ‘invisible chain of democracies’ • Singapore and Malaysia as models • Also Hong Kong no doubt • Meaningless cheap lines to position for Tory leadership

  15. Gavin Williamson and Johnny Mercer • Using militarism to position for leadership

  16. Liam Fox • Global Britain and Empire 2.0 • Trading on imperial nostalgia • Trans-Pacific Partnership? • Fantasy designed for Tory membership

  17. Constitutional reform • Written constitution • Fully democratic second chamber • Fair voting system • Deliberative democracy?

  18. Reclaiming what we value • Genuine freedom of speech • Representative democracy • Citizens’ assemblies? • Referenda?

  19. Find out more • My website: www.mollymep.org.uk • Greens-EFA website: https://www.greens-efa.eu/en/ • Sign up to my fortnightly newsletter • Sign up to my Brexit newsletter

More Related