Beware siren call of manipulative leaders
P erhaps Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should go back to acting school, at least if he expects Canadians to accept his questionable role in justifying dropping his preelection commitment to reform Canada’s electoral system.
Trudeau claims he’s been forced to renege on his promise to end this country’s first-past-the-post electoral system because of the lack of a clear national consensus. But many believe it’s because he has realized his own Liberal Party would be unlikely to be the main beneficiaries of any new system, however formulated.
That assessment is a reality that Christy Clark’s B.C. Liberal Party has faced, especially given that her party is essentially an amalgam of two parties that has effectively co-opted traditional voters of the Conservative Party.
B.C. Liberals are also aware any new voting system in B.C. is likely to increase the number of seats for the NDP. Similarly, given the increasing support for environmental issues, the province’s Green Party would conceivably also gain.
Both have reasons to back any system that has the potential to increase their political support at the expense of larger parties.
Not surprisingly, both expect to increase support under any new electoral system still to be determined.
(The NDP and Green Party also hope to gain increased support from younger activist voters following Trudeau’s controversial policy on approving additional pipeline construction in B.C.)
Notwithstanding the critically important role played by the type of electoral system used during elections, the electoral prospects of all contending political parties everywhere is contingent on one extremely important factor: To be successful, politicians obviously must align themselves with the views and wishes of significant segments of society.
Even the shrewdest or best qualified politicians must be capable of not just understanding the views and aspirations of significant sectors of society. They must identify themselves with such views and thinking in order to advance their own political objectives.
One person who obviously understood this reality is U.S. President Donald Trump.
Despite Trump’s complete lack of government experience or traditional political support network, he used his prominent media skills to undermine the increasingly divided Republican Party, and successfully defeated more traditional Republicans vying to be the party’s candidate in 2016.
He did this by deliberately identifying himself as the sole candidate prepared to appeal openly to some Americans’ base instincts and their alienation from a society in which they no longer felt a part, convinced illegal immigrants were greatly to blame. Trump also had no compunction about using racism to advance his political objectives.
In effect, Trump presented himself as the sole leader prepared to use any method to restore the loss of jobs and onetime greatness of the U.S., even if the methods employed undermined the American democratic and legal systems, including deliberately discrediting the press and civil service.
While many in the U.S. and elsewhere were shocked by Trump’s election, he’s only the latest in a long line of such leaders, especially in Europe.
Although many might prefer to regard Trump’s election and authoritarian policies as an aberration, it was preceded in the 1930s by the rise to power in Europe of Adolf Hitler.
Hitler came to power not solely because of severe economic difficulties and job losses following the First World War, but also because of anger and tension in Germany. Like Trump in more recent times, Hitler took advantage of the widespread social discontent. This included longstanding negative attitudes toward foreigners and Jews, many of the latter prominent in the economy and in society.
Hitler promised to restore Germany’s political and economic strength. Through his shrewd manipulation of widespread discontent and resentment, he was democratically elected chancellor, then set about undermining Germany’s democratic system, including the rule of law.
That’s not to say either Trudeau or Trump is a Hitler in the making. But there’s still a lesson to be learned from the siren call of leaders who claim they alone have the ability to provide leadership for a troubled society and its diverse population. Simply remember where such claims might lead if not controlled by the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights.
It’s called the “buyer beware” warning.