Imlisanen Jamir
What the world witnessed on January 7 at the United State’s ‘seat of democracy’ is a taste of the havoc an uninformed populace, a click bait media and unprincipled leaders and politicians can cause combined.
For four years, the ‘leader of the free world’ trashed every democratic institution and any person or group who crossed him. He lied and lied, and the media that transfixed him lied and lied, and together they created a powerfully effective feedback loop, sharing and amplifying those lies.
Every bit as reprehensible as Trump were those who allowed him to get away with it. Alone, Trump was a joke. Enabled by an army of others, he was dangerous.
It took a riot — a genuine riot in the Capitol — to make some people see the truth. Plenty of sanctimonious Republicans on Wednesday bemoaned the violence, but where were they all along? They were looking away or reloading his weapons.
Before this era of demagogues and falsities, we weren’t accustomed to consuming images or processing experiences that combine stupidity and real threat in such rapid succession. We still aren’t great at it now, but at least we’ve gotten some experience in the unsettling and banal side of violence—and how little it matters whether or not you call it a “coup.”
In the end Trump conceded to an orderly transition of power, but there are lessons here for the entire world.
There is a danger that the example of January 7 will be used to brand all agitations as dangerous. However, protests are good; they are the lifeblood of a vibrant democracy. Yes, they need to be impassioned and with conviction, but they also need to be informed and reasoned.
Meanwhile, for all democracies, politicians, leaders and most importantly, societies, remember that it is a cocktail of traumatic experiences that make a people receptive of an ideology that propagate the return to a mythical past, when everything was better, an ideology of 'Us versus Them', the people against the so-called elite.
This ideology might have different shapes or colours, the basic story remains the same. "Make America Great Again" is only one example of an ideology that is on the rise in the entire world.
It isn't easy to battle populism, conspiracy theories, fake news and historical myths. This results in even decent people stooping to their own extremes, and the media loves the eventual circus; hence the loop.
Regardless of national and cultural barriers, as a people, we should stop shifting discourse and hold our democratic lines firmly. We should not tolerate anti-democratic behaviour and give a clear signal to our governments and parties that betraying democratic values is unacceptable.
Every single one of our leaders is capable of making people do what the Trump mob did in Washington. And we better prepare for it.
Comments can be sent to imlisanenjamir@gmail.com
