Modern barbarism is a malodorous umbrella concept.
Underneath the umbrella are a great many fetid phobias, isms and other behaviours: Islamophobia, homophobia, xenophobia, semi-fascism, scapegoating, stereotyping, bullying, libeling and an aggressive intolerance of everything & everyone who is not to the liking of the modern barbarian.
Over the past two decades we have witnessed the rise of nationalism across the globe, and the rise of anti-environmentalism, nativism, anti-globalization, protectionism, and opposition to immigration.
From the 1990s on, right-wing barbaric populist parties have established themselves in the legislatures of democracies across the globe, ranging from Australia, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Estonia to France, Germany, Romania and Sweden; entered coalition governments in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Finland, Greece, Italy, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia and Switzerland; and led governments in Japan, Brazil, Colombia, India, Turkey, Hungary and Poland.
The “radical right” in the U.S. is also closely linked to barbaric populism, with its roots in the modern Republican party, led today by Donald Trump.
Since the great recession of 2008, barbaric right-wing populist movements, such as Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (formerly the National Front) in France, Matteo Salvini’s far right League party in Italy, Geert Wilders’ ultranationalist Party for Freedom and Thierry Baudet’s anti-immigrant Forum for Democracy party in the Netherlands, Frank Franz’s National Democratic Party (formerly Reich Party) in Germany, and Nigel Farage’s UK Independence (now Brexit) Party have only grown more vibrant in voter popularity and strength at the polls, in large measure arising from their avowed opposition to immigration from the Middle East and Africa.
In the U.S., Donald Trump’s political views can best be summarized as right-wing populist, nationalist, Islamophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, and based on an aggressive intolerance of anyone or anything not to his liking.
In Canada, we have three left-of-centre, progressive parties from which to choose in the upcoming October 21st federal election: Jagmeet Singh’s New Democrats, Elizabeth May’s Greens and Justin Trudeau’s Liberals.
On the right side of the spectrum we have the neo-barbaric, Andrew Scheer led, Trump-embracing Conservatives, and Maxime Bernier’s far right-of-centre, anti-immigrant, climate-change denying, nationalist People’s Party.
Whether we look south to the Trump admininistration or the far right administration of Jair Balsonaro in Brazil, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India, or Japan’s Shinzo Abe, Heinz-Christian Strache’s Austrian Freedom Party, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, or Polish Congressional leader Michal Marusik, every day we live with the reality of the new barbarism of our modern age, a political philosophy reliant on nativism, the promotion of division and fear of the other, barbarism as adhered to by the cheering and jeering hate-filled, reactionary and revolting masses of the unthinking, undereducated and disenfranchised we see in rallies across the globe, best referred to by their correct name: the modern barbarians.
What’s on the line in this year’s upcoming federal election?
If we vote for one of the right wing parties in Canada (not to put too fine a point on the matter): chaos, catastrophe, ultra-right wing nationalism, the decimation of social and economic norms and programmes in order that the interests of a wealthy elite might be best served, an attack on culture, a war against our most vulnerable citizens, political decay and ultimate disintegration, rage, alienation, anomie, the propagation of extremism, demagoguery, a crisis in leadership, and the atomization of our society.
Hyperbole, you say?
Don’t think it can’t happen here. Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives are not the Progressive Conservatives of Robert Stanfield, Pat Carney, Dalton Camp, Joe Clark, Kim Campbell, Hugh Segal or, even, Brian Mulroney. The modern Conservative party (a contradiction in terms) realized by Stephen Harper is a disingenuous, far right nativist party (there are exceptions in caucus, Red Tory MPs such as Lisa Raitt, Michael Chong and Michelle Rempel), undeserving of your vote — lest you would wish to have the Trumpian nightmare than has much of the U.S. in its grip visited upon Canada.
Again, just look south, to the United States or Brazil, or to the other side of the Earth, to the European countries written about above. There exists a thin line between order and chaos. As in every election, much is on the line.
In 2019, the stakes are high. Choose which side you’re on.
