Hindrances of Democracy- Behind the Rise of the Far-Right

The Year was 2016, and I – like millions of my fellow Americans on the fateful night of November 8th – found myself enthralled by the spectacle unfolding before my very eyes. As I paid rapt attention to the declaration of the Electoral results, I was absolutely dumbfounded by the outcome. The perpetual frontrunner: former First Lady, New York Senator, and Democratic Nominee for President Hillary Clinton, had been universally (albeit erroneously) expected to win the Presidency by pundits left and right, with Newsweek even publishing a premature article before the election dubbed ‘Madam President’: was handily defeated by her Hard-Right opponent, the political outsider and media pariah Donald J. Trump. As every news station from MSNBC to Fox News expressed their collective shock and disbelief regarding the matter, they widely regarded the outcome as a polling fluke, a one-off anomaly, the Halley’s Comet of the political world. With one analyst having proclaimed the election result “The Upset of the Century” – an electoral phenomenon that occurs but once in a lifetime. However, a little less than a decade later, that assessment couldn’t seem further from the truth. As the Far-Right ideology now known as Trumpism has become embedded into the political atmosphere, having consolidated its dominance over the Republican Party, transforming her from a Centre-Right Conservative party espousing tradition to a Far-Right organism espousing tyranny. Having made incremental gains in Local, State, and Federal elections the nation over, alongside the present Ultraconservative supermajority within the Supreme Court being steadfast in eroding our Civil liberties. Perhaps most alarmingly however – following a turbulent election cycle in 2020, an increasingly bellicose Donald Trump has commenced in his Third Presidential run, being set to win by a greater margin than ever before over a divided and demoralized Democratic party, potentially ushering in an age of autocracy in the land of the free – thus, it seems ever the more apparent that the Far-Right is here to stay.

    However, this veracity is not only present within America – but throughout the European continent as well – the Far-Right appears to be engulfing a land previously famed for its welfare states, enlightenment values, and political stability. This divergence from liberty can be elucidated when observing nearly every nation throughout the continent. For instance, consider Italy, which has elected the first Far-Right government since Benito Mussolini, headed by the unhinged and openly Neo-Fascist Georgia Meloni, and since then has begun to erode their Democratic institutions. Or the Netherlands, a nation famed for its Progressive, Liberal politics, which has for the first time in its history elected the Far-Right to government, with the Populist, ultranationalist Geert Wilders at the helm. Consider the Scandinavian countries, all of which have elected or (in the case of Norway) are set to elect coalition governments incorporating the Far-Right. Furthermore, as a new Iron curtain descends across Eastern Europe, it is not one of Marxism and Stalinism, but rather one of Far-Right, Fundamentalist, Authoritarian, and often Ethno-nationalist regimes everywhere from Poland and Slovakia to Macedonia and Turkey, and everywhere in between – threatening the livelihood of Democracies and exacerbated by the influence of the totalitarian Russian state. Or consider the myriad of nations set to elect Far-Right governments in the coming months and years, with France expected to elect extremist leader Marine Le Pen to the presidency, or Belgium, Germany, Austria, Spain, and dozens more, who are all set to experience Far-Right pluralities and/or surges in parliament following a record performance in the 2024 elections to the European Parliament, rendering the formation of alternative, moderate coalitions a Sisyphean task – or Portugal, where this outcome has already occurred, rendering collaboration with the Far-Right paramount for effective administration. Moreover, Great Britain has experienced the erosion of its Conservative Party following numerous scandals, which many pundits believe will be gradually replaced and engulfed by the Far-Right Reform UK Party of Nigel Farage. As the Far-Right has been exacerbated to the point where traditional policies of “cordon sanitaire”, being political jargon for the political isolation of Extremist or morally hazardous movements from coalition politics, have been rendered impossible, a dark cloud has set in over the West.

      And if one is eager to see the long-term outcome and detriments of Far-Right despotism in government, one can merely observe the nations of Hungary or Turkey, harbingers of events to come. These nations experienced an early onset of this Illiberal plague in the Mid to Late 2000s with the rise of Viktor Orban and Recep Tayyip Erdogan respectively – and since then have commenced in Judicial Overhaul, persecution of political opposition, disenfranchisement of minorities, dismantling the processes’ of fair elections, abrogating civil liberties and constitutional freedoms, instituting Statist Economic policy, Fascistic levels of Ethnic-based Ultranationalism, draconian jurisprudence and a truculent remilitarization cracking down on civilian protestors, all characterizing policy. With former Hungarian Minister of Justice Judit Varga having dubbed Orban’s regime as “a mafia state”, and if one questions the correlation between demagogues like Viktor Orban and Vladimir Putin with aspiring autocrats such as Donald Trump, Steve Bannon himself proclaimed Orban and his Illiberal rule over Hungary as “Trump before Trump”. However, the plague of the Far-Right has not been solely confined to the West, as the Middle East has observed a rise in both Islamist Fundamentalism and Kahanism – a Jewish variation of Fascism, respectively, with Israel, once cherished as the sole democracy of the Middle East, having elected a decidedly Far-Right government, with the Ministers of Defense and National Security hailing from openly Kahanist political parties, as the current Israeli government resembles less a Jewish Democratic State and more a kleptocratic fever dream. Furthermore, within East Asia, Far-Right and Authoritarian movements have assumed power in a more turpid manner than the West – with both the Philippines and Indonesia having elected the Son and Son-in-Law of former dictators Ferdinand Marcos and Suharto respectively, both on Far-Right, Authoritarian platforms vowing a restoration of tyranny. Or India, the world's largest Democracy, which has fallen firmly into the grip of Narendra Modi and his Far-Right doctrine of Hindutva – a variation of Hindu Neo-Fascism and sensationalist ultranationalism, an aberration from the nation’s progressive ideals in the image of Mahatma Gandhi. Furthermore, in South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia, all of their traditionally Conservative ruling parties have embraced and been engulfed by their Far-Right factions. Lastly, in Latin America, seemingly everywhere from El Salvador to Argentina has been gripped by Far-Right surges, primarily defined by a populistic style of Christian Nationalism, with historic landslides being achieved by Authoritarian Radicals the likes of Javier Millei, Jair Bolsonaro, Nayib Bukele, and many more.

    As innumerable additional nations shift or are set to shift into the firm grasp of authoritarianism the world over – it seems that we are in the proverbial eye of the storm, as lovers of Classical Republicanism everywhere face a Global Pandemic far more devastating than COVID or Influenza. It is of irrefutable veracity that the Far-Right and Fundamentalist movements are surging at an exponential rate the world over; as nation after nation becomes overwhelmed by this plague of despotism, and everywhere from France to Indonesia seems incapable of mitigating the crisis, it, therefore, is self-evident that Liberals, Progressives, and Republicans everywhere are in dire need of a decisive change in their tactics. Now, don’t be mistaken, this is not another sensationalist tabloid blaming the Liberal Left for the rise of Trump and those in his likeness – on the contrary, the Far-Right has exacerbated the various crises of the 21st Century, whether it be Economic, Social, Ideological, or Existential, to manipulate often valid gripes and disillusions of everyday people, presenting fallacious solutions to very real problems. However today, rather than merely excoriating the voting populace for considering such a deplorable partisan doctrine, we must embark upon tangibly understanding the disillusionment of ordinary people with the political status quo, and how to rationally resolve such matters, instead of denouncing the people as so-called deplorables – because as time is of the essence, it is evident that the current methods of mitigation are ineffective. Having said that, internationally, regardless of nation, region, religion, or culture, there are five universal ideological characteristics of the Far-Right, all of which are cunning manipulations and radical solutions to primarily valid, popular discontent regarding various dilemmas of the 21st Century in which vast sectors of the general populace feel are neglected or mismanaged by the Establishment which in the Late 20th Century was largely characterized by Neoliberal two-party systems;

    The first and arguably most predominant of the five characteristics prevalent within every Right-Wing extremist movement the world over has been a heavy emphasis on Hardline Ultranationalism, often incorporating a jingoist National, Ethnic, Religious, and cultural identity as integral in their government policy. This principle often incorporates downright ethno-nationalist and xenophobic principles, and policies such as vehement opposition to Immigration, Isolationism, and in some cases, a truculent foreign policy. This sensationalist Ultranationalism often appeals to popular opposition to Globalism the world over, and an increasingly prevalent fear that the Political Establishment and “elites” are opposed to and dismantling national identity, with this ultranationalism centered around a popular desire to preserve national/ethnic identity and prevent its erosion within an increasingly globalist society, often incorporating xenophobic rhetoric. This strand of ultranationalism is especially prevalent within Nations with high rates of immigration, for instance, the Italian and French Far-Right have been effectively spurred and bolstered by the nations’ high rates of especially Muslim immigration, and the paranoia spurred by the Far-Right of an erosion of national identity, akin to the MAGA movement within the United States has been spurred by high rates of Latin American and Muslim immigration.

    Secondarily, the trait that has been equally prevalent the world over has been a platform of hardline Economic Protectionism and Economic Populism, which has incorporated often isolationist, economically nationalist, populist policy – appealing to perhaps the greatest folly of Neoliberal and establishment policy, the emerging vast disillusioned sector of working-class citizens who have been largely neglected by a baleful economic policy. With this considerable segment of the Electorate feeling alienated by much of the economic policy of the late 20th-21st Century, shifting from the traditional backbone of Laborist and Progressive parties the world over towards an Economically Protectionist, Populist Far-Right. This blue-collar digression can be tangibly observed from the Old Industrial Titans of the West to the developing nations of the Far East, and everywhere in between. For instance, perhaps the most steadfast base of grassroots support for Former President Donald Trump in America has been the vast disillusioned sector of Midwestern Laborers – a region and demographic who historically were vehement in support of the Pro-Labor Democratic Party yet have become disillusioned with the establishment following a perceived mainstream abandonment of the American worker – via policies such as NAFTA and the gradual outsourcing of American Labor. Or consider the entirety of Europe, in which the greatest percentage of Far-Right voters throughout the continent were not previously Conservative voters, but rather supporters of Centre-Left Social Democratic Parties, yet have been largely disillusioned following a succession of policies detrimental to the Worker, especially following the 2008 Financial Crisis – alongside the myriad of jobs which have been rendered obsolete by technological modernization so often espoused by Neoliberal parties – a working-class left neglected by decades of Globalist, Neoliberal economic policy have been lured into the support of Far-Right parties, manipulating the matter of the abandonment of the Blue-Collar Worker via claims of Economic Nationalism, to a stunning degree of success.

   The Trichotomous common characteristic of the Far-Right, which has accelerated the growth and appeal of Right-Wing Extremism the world over has been a vehement opposition to modern Leftist Social Policy, especially that of Social Justice Policies and perceived Identity Politics on behalf of the left – with this sort of Anti-Leftism being often intertwined with Social Conservatism and Religious/National Fundamentalism. This political phenomenon of fervent, sensationalist Anti-Leftism, so often proclaimed “Anti-Wokeism” (Referring to the perceived ideology of Wokeism, recently having been utilized as a pejorative against and a shorthand referring to Left-Wing Social Justice Policy, Activism Politics, Cultural Radicalism, and Identity Politics), has been highly influential and masterful in seducing vast sectors of the populace, exploiting the popular, general disdain for modern Identity Politics and an “out-of-touch” cultural establishment, rewriting cultural norms and instigating meaningless culture war political conflicts. This sensationalist quagmire has enabled the success of the Far-Right internationally, often intertwining this Anti-Leftism and Anti-Wokeism with sentimental Social Conservative nostalgia politics, and its success can be demonstrated when observing the myriad of newly elected heads of state the world over, on explicitly “Anti-Woke” platforms, perhaps most notably figures like Javier Millei in Argentina, Jair Bolsonaro and his ideological successor, Sao Paulo Governor and potential Presidential Candidate Tarcisio de Frietas in Brazil, or the wider movement of Trumpism in America.

   Furthermore – the characteristic of bellicose Anti-Establishment rhetoric has been equally prevalent and successful for Right-Wing Extremists ubiquitously. The so-called “drain the swamp” strategy has won supporters and seduced ordinary voters far and wide – disillusioned and enraged over a seemingly corrupt, hypocritical, and quintessentially out-of-touch political establishment, as traditional party systems the world over find themselves in decline, widely excoriated as corrupt, elitist, and harboring a labyrinth of a bureaucracy. As everywhere from Washington to Buenos Aires, Rome to Istanbul, Manila, and back again are beset by rhetoric of draining the swamp, as international political scandals such as the “Panama Papers” and its innumerable related corruption cases the world over delegitimize traditional parties perceived to be corrupt patrician machines of power, and are instead replaced by figures in the likes of Trump, Meloni, or Modi, abrogating the Civil Liberties and governmental checks and balances in the name of “draining the swamp” – contradictory to their populist rhetoric.

    Lastly, concerning the fifth and final predominant characteristic of the Far-Right, is an intense emphasis on Law & Order through an increasingly neo-militarist, authoritarian, and draconian degree of Force. This premise often involves and is exacerbated by a degree of fearmongering however is largely based– akin to Anti-Establishment concerns of corruption, or Economic concerns of neglect for the working class – on valid gripes over a rise in Crime rates and sectarian disorder and violence internationally, primarily in nations and regions governed by Liberal authorities, which has been ineffective in mitigating increased social disorder, crime, and chaos leading to the radicalization and increasing appeal of a militarist, draconian, and often totalitarian Far-Right. As these five characteristics are generally predominant within nearly every fundamentalist Far-Right movement posing a threat to Republicanism the world over, it has become paramount for the vanguard of Democracy to ubiquitously change their tactics regarding the Right.

   However, now that we can tangibly understand how the Far-Right within all five primary doctrines has manipulated the various valid political dilemmas and crises of the 21st Century to cunningly seduce the voting populace in support of detrimental, despotic policy. With all five of these matters generally originate from growing disillusion with an ineffective, ‘out-of-touch’ political orthodoxy. Therefore, given the seemingly inexorable rise and success of the Far-Right, this growing harbinger of authoritarianism can best be ameliorated not through the alienation of the voting populace by their excoriation– but rather through a rational, progressive, popular approach to the matters and crises’ which have enabled for the Far-Right to be so popular in the first place, assuaging the apparent necessity for radicalism in the first place – and simultaneously bettering our everyday lives. Now I could depart from the matter with this resolution – yet I feel behooved to propose with alacrity what I believe to be the most rational, effective, and beneficial solutions to the five crises that have enabled the masses to be seduced by the sirens’ song of demagogues the likes of Trump, Orban, Erdogan, and plenty others, defusing the problem with long-term solutions, pertaining not only to my America but for any and every nation plagued by extremism. Firstly, concerning the perceived decline in national identity which has fostered Ultranationalism to take hold – the aforementioned concerns could best be resolved by what I would describe to be ‘national syncretism’ – meaning a policy of syncretism implementing a more moderate, civic nationalism invoking a sense of civic pride in national identity – integrating progressivism and ideals of tolerance with preservation of a storied national identity and Republican tradition, to assuage the seeming necessity for a more fervent, perverse style of Hardline often Ethnically based nationalism. This sort of policy would honor and celebrate the various forms of our nation’s cultural, societal, and regional heritage coupled with a sense of Republicanism as integral for national identity, welcoming newcomers in legal immigration openly yet sensibly, while embedding and preserving national tradition in a progressive, noble, rational manner – epitomizing a style of New Civic Nationalism.

   Meanwhile, regarding the most salient of all crises and matters of politics, the Economic dissolution and neglect of the working class of our nation which has more than anything enabled the rise of the Far-Right – the simple yet ingenious solution to the matter is returning to economic policy appealing to and crafted for the working man. Economic policy benefits not merely profits, nor international commerce solely for monetary gain on a corporate level, but more importantly benefiting the working class of one’s nation, via incentivizing industry and labor opportunities preserving or revitalizing jobs in regions such as the Rust Belt, alongside providing benefits for the working class – thereby resolving the decline in employment and national industry brought about as a side effect of neoliberalism, and propounding benefits and advancements in organized labor and the rights of the American (or any nations’) Worker, ensuring a fair, opportune economic growth. Beyond this, implementing the best economic policy for a given moment whether protectionist or not – will benefit the livelihoods of the American worker tenfold, and nullify the seeming necessity for Far-Right Economic Ultranationalism.

    Furthermore, to mitigate the rising sentiment of Anti-Leftism on a cultural level and the sensationalist ‘culture wars’ in response to identity politics both Left and Right – it is archetypal in order to prevent the further rise of the Far-Right due to the unpopular quagmire of the culture wars, for the Progressive end of politics to distance themselves and evolve past the tribal, petty nature of identity politics. Replacing the radical, culturally unorthodox nature of identity politics and pointless cultural conflict with a sense of shared societal identity, emphasizing tolerance and a civil fellowship of humanity – supporting sustainable and meaningful policy for the betterment of the disenfranchised in our society rather than unnecessary, overbearing, and often merely symbolic policy which has characterized and enabled for the demonizing of the Modern Left. To put it bluntly, the replacement of shallow policy and cultural overhaul with prioritizing a fraternity of humanity, and civil liberties while effectively solving modern problems such as Wealth inequality or cultural discrepancies with something more than, something different from what the Right popularly proclaims as “SJW policy”.  Something more substantial while also more tolerable than the identity politics so reviled by the right and the voting populace all together.

    Along these lines of rhetoric, we also arrive upon the matter of Anti-Establishment sentiment on the Radical Right, the so-called “Drain The Swamp” style of rhetoric – which can often be appealing to people from any end of the political spectrum, and even I occasionally find myself infatuated with the notion. However, it is far more pragmatic and beneficial for reasonable dissolutions with an often corrupt, bureaucratic, and hypocritical establishment to be resolved not by political extremism and autocratic “strong-men politicians” who admire the tyrants of old. But rather to prioritize widespread anti-corruption policies within all branches of government, to incentivize the introduction of newer voices and opportunities into politics rather than a redundant, and increasingly unpopular political establishment – combining the new with the old. Introducing initiatives of good government, less legal immunity for politicians, and participatory republicanism, all previous bulwarks of American Reformism, quintessential to the defeat of the Far-Right.

   Finally, regarding the sensationalist doctrine of an increasingly militarist, often authoritarian style of Law and Order, such as the style of Right-Wing poster boy Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, which like numerous other aspects of the Far-Right are conniving manipulations of valid, popular gripes – which in this case are the discontent over rising crime and societal disorder, alongside a seeming lack of tangible policy and solutions on the Left and Centre. However, this matter, although highly delicate, can best be resolved by Stern but Fair law enforcement, incorporating a policy of reasonable Law & Order intertwined with freedom and the maxim of fair justice, good government, and mitigation of crime in the interests of the common citizen, rather than antagonizing them via draconian law. All traditional facets of Republicanism in practice, neither tolerating crime nor militarizing society, which often hurts the very people whom the judicial system ought to protect (as was the case in historical malfeasance such as Mass incarceration). Instead of these half-solutions, a safe society, and a fair justice system that incorporates reasonable rehabilitation of criminals alongside enshrining civil liberties for the common citizen. These five dilemmas are therefore most tangibly resolved not by extremism nor autocracy, but rather by rationalism and policy enshrining republicanism and beneficial to the American citizen, or those of any other nation. Although not universal nor perfect, I believe that these policies and rational solutions would not only be effective in neutralizing the Far-Right threat to democracies the world over but are also incredibly beneficial for the betterment of our civilization as we embark upon the stormy sea that is the 21st Century.

  Although not the entirety of the solution; additional actions shall be necessary for the long-term mitigation of Hardline fundamentalism, such as the restoration of a healthy Moderate Right, or guarding against extremism from the other end of the spectrum, alongside instilling Democratic and civic principles in my own generation, and remaining vigilant against movements posing a threat to Republics everywhere – however, these initial resolutions shall the paramount to the solution, and the veracity of rationalism coming before any doctrine in problem-solving for any and all political matters, shall be key for a brighter tomorrow. In conclusion, it is vigilance, coupled with reason that are the quintessential axioms for the preservation and continued prosperity of our Republic and our many sister Republics, to emerge victorious against the foe that is despotism. For it was Thomas Jefferson, perhaps the greatest visionary in American history, who proclaimed; “The Price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance”. A Noble price to pay for a brighter tomorrow.