Nationalism

Eduardo del Buey
Foto: Twitter @NicolasMaduro
La Jornada Maya

Miércoles 2 de mayo, 2018

Some of my previous articles have focused on the rise of populist leaders preaching an “us versus them” narrative to their respective voters.

Nationalism is coming back, and with it, the politics that are divisive and potentially violent when guided by the wrong hands.

Many have concluded that globalization has not succeeded in making the lives of many around the world any better than they were before. This conclusion is more from a self-centered point of view of those who feel that they have lost status or wealth despite the huge improvements in global living standards. Indeed, multilateralism and global economic integration are perceived by many as a way to enrich the “elites” and keep others down.

Nationalism today is often perceived as a way for societies to regain control over their destinies. By building walls they can also build fortresses. Yet history has taught us (and continues to teach us - if we look at North Korea) that protective nationalism leads to autocratic forms of government and economic impoverishment.

The main arguments used by populist nationalist leaders are that traditional governments have not paid attention to the needs of the average citizen, that traditional political parties no longer represent their interests, and that national elites (those in economic and political power) have more in common with other national elites than with their own people.

They go on to propose that globalization has destroyed national economies, has diluted the job market, and has resulted in diminishing the strength of the national culture.

The economic argument proposed by nationalist populists is that workers are losing their jobs due to globalization, that free trade is leading jobs away from industrialized countries and towards developing countries where wages, taxes, and regulations have less impact on the bottom line, and that immigrants are taking away the jobs of citizens.

In many cases, these are false premises and the truth is far more nuanced than they would have us believe. But it is easier for populist leaders to create observable enemies rather than the silent foe of technological change.

Indeed, these populists play on the fears of the everyday person. Fear of losing one’s job is far easier to handle if one has a face and a name to blame. Hence President Trump’s success in blaming globalization for job losses and diminished economic conditions, Muslims for terrorism, Mexicans for heinous crimes, and illegal immigrants from around the world flooding the U.S. with cheap labor and keeping wages down.

By creating identifiable enemies whether real or contrived, the autocrat sets himself up to be the lone leader capable of saving the nation. And nationalism becomes the creed by which enemies (real or imagined) will be defeated under his leadership. The leader embodies the “us”, while the fictitious enemies become the “them”.

In effect, nationalism really divides people from each other and creates conditions where opposition is seen as treasonous.

Hannah Arendt once wrote that, “Totalitarian movements conjure up a lying world of consistency which is more adequate to the needs of the human mind than reality itself”. People prefer to hear and believe what they want to hear and believe.

That is why among the first victims of any populist is a strong and independent media that tells it like it is rather than how the leaders and people would like it to be.

Throughout history, totalitarian populists have sought to control the media and the freedom of expression to remain in power through lies, manipulation and deception.

U.S. President Donald Trump calls it “fake news” as though he had invented the concept. In this sense, his ongoing attempts to vilify the mainstream media has reduced respect for one of the essential pillars of democracy - a major step on the slippery slope towards populist authoritarianism.

By vilifying the media, autocrats seek to divide and conquer. By creating doubt about the credibility of the media and of the sources of news the autocrat makes room to present his ideas and sell them as the only ones of value. And over time, people come to believe or, at least, accept them because it is easier to blame others than to blame oneself for not taking steps to develop professionally and personally and to adapt to a changing work and social environment.

The revival of nationalism in its most insidious form is rising around the world. The true victims are those who believe what populist leaders say and who are willing to give up their freedom for an ideal that in fact only serves to create a new elite.

In the nineteen twenties and thirties, Stalinism and Hitlerism led Europe with unbridled nationalist policies of division and hatred which took humanity to the worst war in history. Before them, nineteenth and twentieth century colonialism – based on the belief in the superiority of one nation, culture, or race over others - killed off millions around the world, and enslaved millions more.

These forms of unbridled nationalism have historically been devastating, resulting in most cases in war and human misery.

And unbridled nationalism in the hands of populist and autocratic leaders has resulted in the worst crimes against humanity throughout history.

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