Dreaming of an inglorious past

THERE was a time in history when some western societies were almost only white, minorities and people of colour lived in rural areas or on the fringes. At the turn of the century, the US was 87 per cent white. Once upon a time, there was slavery, segregation, exclusive whites-only clubs and whites-only public facilities.

A truly inglorious existence that was viciously guarded, maintained and buttressed by the chattering class of European descent.
Through social, economic and political changes, those societies were transformed and became more plural over time.

This transformation intensified over time with the onset of globalisation. Today, Black Asians, Native Americans and Hispanics, make up almost one-fourth of the US population. The US Census Bureau has informed that Whites will not be in the majority by 2044. According to the Pew Research Centre, the median share of immigrants in the European population is 12.2 per cent, and the proportion of immigrants in individual countries ranges from as high as 18.3 per cent.

It is against the aforementioned backdrop that my friends and I discussed a recent phenomenon in global politics. Specifically it is the rise of the likes of Donald J. Trump (United States), Matteo Salvini (Italy) and Jair Bolsanaro (Brazil). What do these leaders of very powerful nations have in common? They have been accused, creditably so, of being clinical racists who unapologetically and grandiloquently profess the superiority of whites.

In the case of Trump, he has categorically denied being racist but his critics have pointed to his subtle praise for white nationalists, his glorification of Robert F. Lee and his disparaging references to prominent African-Americans as either dumb or stupid.

Salvini became the Deputy Prime Minister of Italy on June 1st 2018. Prior to his ascension to office, he had called for segregation on Milan’s public transport system in 2009, and his party, the Northern League, was accused by Cecile Kyenge, Italy’s first black minister of being openly racist. Kyenge had bananas thrown at her and was called an orangutan by members of Mr. Salvini’s party, during her time as Minister of Integration.

On October 28, it was announced to the world that Brazil had elected Jair Bolsonaro as their next President with 55.2 per cent of the vote. I hastily retreated to Google to apprise myself of this hitherto unknown global political figure. My search revealed widespread accusations of racism, but his main mantra was a request for Brazil to return to the hardline military dictatorship of 1964-1985.

Some have expressed shock at the fact that these agitators would even make it past their party’s leadership contest. Some have sought to fathom what could be responsible for the emergence of these demagogues. It has been noted that Adolf Hitler, one of the most vilified leaders in history, won a democratic election in 1933 to gain control of Germany.
A cursory glance at the ignoble pantheon of demagogues, which include the likes of Stalin, Huey Long, Senator Joseph McCarthy and Benito Mussolini, would reveal the same approach to winning the hearts and minds of the masses.

These charismatic and bombastic rabble-rousers often prey on the fears of a society and create imaginary enemies and imminent threats. The fire-brand leadership that has now engulfed the United States, Italy and Brazil is arguing that the status quo is the enemy, the change is the enemy. It is on this basis that they are calling for the return to an inglorious past, a past long condemned by good humans.

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