WORLD SHIFTING DANGEROUSLY TO THE RIGHT
THE world is reeling from the killing of 50 Muslims while they performed their Friday prayers at two mosques in Christchurch recently.
Unlike other leaders, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has shown exceptional leadership with messages of compassion and solidarity to the victims’ families
She reiterated that the killer was “not us”. Unlike many right-wing strongmen, her leadership will go a long way in the struggle against the emerging right-wing, anti-immigrant current in New Zealand.
Her style is a challenge to toxic right-wing leadership. Jair Bolsonaro’s recent election is a disaster for Brazil, and for democrats and progressives across the world. He is a right-wing strongman in the mould of Narendra Modi of India, Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines and Viktor Orbán of Hungary. Like Modi, he is described as a fascist.
We all know about Donald Trump’s right-wing populism and his policy plan of a “Muslim ban”. Under Trump, there has been a steep incline in anti-muslim feelings in the US. Numerous incidents of Islamophobia and hate have been reported recently.
The world is shifting to the right. Many commentators argue that the disaster was presaged with the election of the corrupt right-wing millionaire Silvia Berlusconi in Italy. He, like Trump, is a millionaire with appalling ethics and no regard for the truth. But Trump is also part of a more contemporary wave of right-wing, sometimes neo-fascist, authoritarian populists who have been elected to power. This includes Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin and Duterte. And politicians like Nigel Farage and Marine le Pen.
The far right-wing authoritarian populism is usually organised around charismatic and often demagogic figures, pretending to be on the side of the people and often blaming minorities for the economic crisis. It has made effective use of social media to whip up fears and anger.
Jacob Zuma and Julius Malema are authoritarian populists.they and former student leader Mcebo Dlamini are demagogues.
We, like many countries in the world, are at a dangerous juncture. The most important reason for this is that the extreme form of neoliberal capitalism supported by the likes of Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, and before them Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, has plunged millions into destitution while the new managerial class has grown wealthy.
The left has failed to win a critical mass of support for an understanding of the crisis built around economic justice. But the right has been successful in stoking prejudices. This has been supported by the decline of the traditional media and the rise of social media that is vulnerable to fake news and post-truth analysis and opinion.
In South Africa, we are far down the rabbit hole. If we are going to avoid hitting rock bottom, we need to take urgent action. The first step is to understand that millions of people face an economic crisis and to take steps to begin to resolve it.
We all have a stake in the progressive project that is being organised against the hate-mongers. The great challenge is to rebuild a democratic and inclusive left that can build a more just world.