The pandemic of populism

Today is a very important day for Pakistan. Not because of the defeat of a single party or success of another. It is important because of the temporary defeat of populism, fascism and demagoguery which shows that it can be defeated in the long run too. it is important because of the success of constitution, democratic process and rule of law bringing hope that these can succeed in the long run too.

Watching the sudden spread of sentimental slogans in the political arena and their vast appeal among the youth has been very alarming. Witnessing that in this age of reason and transparency, how easy it is to sell the narrative of conspiracy and subterfuge has been very disappointing. It has been alarming to see that even in the age of information and digital revolution, people can easily be made to overlook bad governance, economic incompetence and violation of democratic norms, with a bit of conspiracy theories and slogans.

Tapping into the inherent grievances and sentiments of masses through rhetoric and slogans is not only easy but very powerful. Innocent people can be rallied behind slogans and sentiments using the propaganda techniques of repetition and lying with confidence even if these sentiments are self-contradictory and devoid of any truth and substance.

Slogans and rhetoric sell more easily and widely than substance and facts. Fiction is believable more than facts. Sensation is stronger than truthful details. Appearing patriotic is more important than being patriotic. The image of being religious is more appealing than actually becoming religious. Optics matter more than reality.

It is a shocker to see that even today in the 21st Century, how an autocratic and self serving ruler can rule by the play book of Niccolo Machiaveli's The Prince of 16th century. Mass manipulation and propaganda still works. Patriotism and nationalism can still be used as tools to divided and move the masses.

Today, the Trumpian Populists all over the world have tapped into the anger and ignorance of youth and have directed their energy and aggression for their own political gains. It is Joseph Goebbels' Germany all over again.

This pandemic of populism turning fast into fascism will not die on its own. The mass appeal of xenophobic Conspiracy theories cannot be fought just through governance and economic development. It needs a strong, proactive and penetrative counter narrative.

This is the era of post truth where every group has its own echo chamber and lives by its own truths. The myths of popular leaders like IK, Modi and Trump need to be busted. They have normalised conspiracies, xenophobia, hate politics and extremism, racism and misogyny. This disease will not end unless met and countered with strong and wilful response.

It is time for the resurgence of Democratic norms and values. It is time to highlight the importance of conservatism over revolution. Only evolution in a stable environment can bring the real and lasting change.

People need to be educated so that they're able to distinguish facts from fiction. They need to be trained so that they can see through the lies and hypocrisy of populist leaders. They need to be taught of the importance of constitution, due process, rule of law for their own sake, their own rights and protections, their own liberties and freedoms. The importance of deciphering complex political phenomenons into simple, understandable and easily digestible information is important, now more than ever. Guiding the youth towards substance and away from superficiality is crucial. It is vital that youth knows that a country cannot be strong without a strong economy, that economy is not run with aggressive slogans, that governance is not possible through optics, that foreign diplomacy is not done through speeches. They need to know that democracy, governance and economic development is a long and arduous process which needs consistency, concerted effort, and perseverance. They need to know that strong system and institutions are more important than powerful personalities.

A wise man said, " save the nation which looks for heroes."

It needs to be taught that for democracy to function smoothly and develop into a mature and effective governance system, it needs consistency, free and fair elections, public participation and positive involvement of all democratic forces.

Countries where democracy and its corresponding values are flourishing fall in the category of low context cultures. In countries like UK, USA and Scandinavian cultures, masses tend to rely more on direct, straightforward and factual communication. On the other than, in high context cultures like Pakistan, ideologies, slogans and rhetoric find more weight among people. The gradual transformation of Pakistani culture from a high context to a low context culture is important. Promoting and strengthening the democratic values and ensuring that it delivers to people is of paramount importance. Making people beneficiaries of democracy, constitutionalism and rule of law is of critical import to make them respect and value it.

Those who know and can see through this farce have a responsibility. Staying passive and hoping for a positive outcome is not going to work. Indifference and detachment is not an option. Today, it is easier to be just a cog in the machine than to be a visionary and truthsayer. But it is important to voice your opinions critically and take down this house of cards built on deceit and demagoguery.

The preservation of self and nations is done by standing with the principles and norms not slogans and rhetoric.

The writer is a legal practitioner from Lahore. alijilani079@gmail.com