Deputy Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Evans and Staff Writer Joao Levy Melancia argue that progressives have allowed the far-right to appropriate the ideas of patriotism and freedom – and that it is now time for a reclamation of democracy.
The shadow of populist-nationalism is consuming democracies worldwide, fueled by the language of hate and politics of division. The nasty by-product of an inflationary surge that has ripped through people’s budgets like a hot knife through butter, a brutal pandemic that atomised our communities and perpetuated by the ‘robber barons’ of the new media age: Zuckerburg, Bezos and, of course, Musk.
Our world is addicted to the digital and devoid of the detail, the ancient distractions of bread and circuses have dissolved into an age of flat whites and football, the fleeting sensations of doom-scrolling and sports betting. An age in which a convicted felon has taken the White House with thunderous applause and populists across the world threaten the integrity of the democratic institutions so many paid the ultimate price to preserve.
As international law and basic human rights are flouted by tyrants, multi-national firms wield hitherto untold levels of influence and the climate crisis burns our Hollywood land of make believe – the time for niceties is past. For those who treasure the politics of duty, of love over hate, who look outward instead of cowering inward and who hold dear the doctrine that all people are created equal – now is the time for action.
The progressive centre has failed to address the populist ascension. In the past year alone, we have seen Kamala Harris convincingly defeated by Donald Trump, Macron’s self-inflicted implosion in the French parliamentary elections and Labour’s poll rating disintegrated. This year, despite a post-Trump bounce, Justin Trudeau left 24 Sussex with widespread discontent for his Liberal Party, as Olaf Schulz was defeated by both Merz’s CDU and, frighteningly, Musk’s new found political allies the far-right AfD. Ultimately, progressives across the world are failing to connect with everyday people, the symptom of a strategy that has failed to take people’s lived experiences into account.
Is it true that the US economy fared better under Biden compared to other nations? Of course, but many don’t feel it. Is it true we are all better off after 40 years of globalisation? Definitely, but those in left behind areas, reliant on redistribution have not felt included in the spoils. The top-down elitist instincts of those who govern in the aggregate over the individual, have led to millions feeling overlooked and under-appreciated for decades.
If the status-quo is felt to be failing and exclusionary, many will seek disruptors to upend the liberal consensus. We live in a world where many of us are over-qualified, yet under-demanded. The once prevailing social contract that promised hard work begets just rewards has been torn up leading to many our age willing to trade their democratic rights for perceived dictatorial efficiency. To trade a life of freedom for an iron cage of authoritarianism in a desperate thirst for certainty.
This dark prospect is not the answer to our woes. Authoritarian regimes are highly efficient oppressors, but notoriously poor economic stewards. So in the context of declinism and despair, how can we relight the fires of democracy and make the case for progressive politics once again?
The Democrats’ attempt to fight Trump with simplistic policies and broad slogans failed. We must learn a valuable lesson from this, one cannot fight fire with fire, instead one must pour cooling water on the flame. This means re-taking the positions that have been monopolised by the populists: patriotism and freedom.
Reclaiming Patriotism
Progressives need not indulge themselves in nationalist mythology, which pits one culture against another to defend policies against the people’s interests. True patriotism can be demonstrated by an unwavering devotion to public service and strong commitments to our military alliances, such as NATO, to uphold our shared values of democracy, self-determination and the open society. No where does this apply more than the need for the Western alliance to stand alongside Ukraine in steadfast opposition to Russian aggression. Progressives need to maintain their strength in standing up for these causes, and against those all who wish to subvert them. As the world becomes more volatile and violent, true power will come through this unity in defence of our democracies and very way of life.
A sense of pride and unity through shared historical ties is not the private property of the far-right, who portray themselves as the defenders of national identity against a globalising elite. Where does patriotism lie in allowing our Parliament’s agenda to be dictated by the whims of a foreign billionaire? Where’s patriotism as populists weaken democratic institutions and sow division at the moment when unity in the face of evil is more essential than ever? As polarisation hits new highs, we live in a country of two nations, progressives must work to unify the public through defending the issues that matter most. This will require cooling down our debate by, for example, acknowledging that many see immigration as a threat to their livelihoods, whilst continuing to recognise the universal rights and humanity of all people. Ultimately, we must work to improve the lives of all citizens, instead of stoking up division to distract from managed decline.
Fighting for Freedom
Extremist and populist forces are adept at appropriating abstract nouns, ‘freedom’, ‘patriotism’, ‘common sense’, as justification for their radical visions. In his historic State of the Union address, as Europe wilted under the vile thumb of Adolf Hitler, President Roosevelt set out the alternative to the world of tyranny and strongmen that fascism represented. He said democracy is for Freedom of Speech, everywhere, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear for all the peoples of the world, and Freedom of Worship for all.
These are simple ideas, yet rife with idealism and moral rectitude. Our point is this: We can sell that. Instead of cowering in a corner and telling people how democracy is threatened, the centre needs to stand up and make its case for the kind of world we want to live in. Let the electorate see the contrast as to whose intentions and beliefs are right. Much is said about freedom of speech, but freedom from fear and from want are just as crucial. Democracy cannot function if people distrust institutions and feel themselves pauperised and disrespected. It is when people are afraid that they seek out strong, confident voices rather than those of nuance.
There is an appalling lack of talent and initiative from the centre. Figures like Keir Starmer and Olaf Scholz are borderline soporific and cannot compete for the spotlight with Donald Trump. We believe FDR’s four freedoms are just the sort of idealistic, easily grasped message that the standard bearers of democracy should carry into battle.
The Last Full Measure of Devotion
In 1926, it was Joseph Goebbels who observed, “the big joke on democracy is that it gives its mortal enemies the means to its own destruction.” This was prescient of the events that would come to pass, but equally captures the inflection point of today. The crucial question is: tolerant and pluralist by nature, how does democracy deal with the intolerant and the would-be despots who seek power through electoral politics? How do you unmask someone who is willing to play the game, but is hellbent on changing the rules as soon as they have the advantage?
In this crisis, the partisans of democracy must conduct themselves as joyful soldiers, not frightened victims. The prostrate sulk the Democrats have indulged in since November is utterly desultory and tantamount to dereliction of duty. Democracy is embattled, granted, but reports of its demise are greatly exaggerated. People demand strength and enthusiasm, not lofty patronisation or prophecies of doom; to paraphrase President Kennedy, we must refuse to curse the darkness, and choose instead to light a candle.
We must acknowledge that democracy requires tireless work and good faith to be maintained, not merely because it provides the means for its own undoing, but because it requires the population to believe in its virtue. Disillusionment affects the body politic like tetanus – it first manifests in feverish outbursts, but quickly ends in paralysis.
Many of us will have ancestors who sacrificed themselves to preserve democracy. Some of us will even have ancestors who perished in that Homeric struggle, giving what President Lincoln termed the ‘last full measure of devotion’ in pursuit of the celestial goal that is freedom. The present occasion demands no less effort from us. Any attack on our democracies, their laws and institutions, should be branded and retaliated against as an affront to those who died so we could inherit them. Neither appeasement nor postponement will work. The centre needs a new rallying cry; we propose: Bring it on.
