Who is a democrat?
A democrat is a person who tries to protect and to upgrade their democracy. In particular, when democrats assess proposed laws, they check that the democratic process of decision-making is being followed without regard to the law’s content. But if the proposed law contains proposals that undermine democracy then that law is totally rejected on principle. But there is an exception. When the group face an existential threat then anything goes. But then any solution must be given an expiry date in the near future. Any proposed extension of that law would then have to be discussed and decided all over again. Further, democrats identify anti-democrats and strive to keep them out of power.
A non-democrat is a person who ignores the democratic process. Most of us for most of the time are non-democrats. We are engrossed in our own lives. We ignore democracy and politics in general, until something goes seriously wrong then we react. It is a mistake. Democratic ideas and principles permeate our lives from our families to international relations. It is a weakness to be a non-democrat. As a group, non-democrats are disorganised, ineffective politically and easily bamboozled by the politically-minded to act against their own best long-term interests.
An anti-democrat is anyone who strives to have their own way politically, no matter the cost to their fellow citizens. Indeed, many believe in an authoritarian approach to solving socio-political problems. Often they justify themselves by appealing to some ideology such as a religion or philosophy. Repeatedly, they hold onto their beliefs and power despite all the inhumane consequences that follow from their actions. For instance, in Afghanistan, the ruling Taliban enforce their interpretation of the Koran and Sharia law despite the inhumanity it causes. The sacred prime duty of all rulers is to look after their people. Yet four young women who refused to wear a headdress have been arrested, severely beaten and then murdered by the police. The Taliban has called in foreign Islamic militia to suppress all the ensuing public protests by force as they have done before.
Anti-democrats are the grit in the democratic system that can wear it down and even destroy it. We must identify them and work hard to remove them from power.
How to recognise an anti-democrat?
Broadly, there are three ways of detecting them: listen to what they say, watch what they do and note whose company they keep.
In the following comments, DT is short for Donald Trump
The Key Indicators of Authoritarian Behaviour
1. Rejection of (or weak commitment to) democratic rules of the game
a) Do they reject the (unwritten) Constitution or express a willingness to violate it? [DT: Yes]
b) Do they suggest a need for anti-democratic measures, such as cancelling elections, violating or suspending the (unwritten) constitution, banning certain organisations, or restricting basic civil or political rights? [DT: Asked for delay]
c) Do they seek to use (or endorse the use of) extraconstitutional means to change the government, such as military coups, violent insurrections, or mass protests aimed at forcing a change in government? [DT: yes. The storming of Capitol Hill]
d) Do they attempt to undermine the legitimacy of elections, for example, by refusing to accept credible election results? [DT: yes]
2. Denial of the legitimacy of political opponents [without evidence]
a) Do they describe their rivals as subversive, or opposed to the existing constitutional order? [DT; no]
b) Do they claim that their rivals constitute an existential threat, either to national security or to the prevailing way of life? [DT: no]
c) Do they baselessly describe their partisan rivals as criminals, whose supposed violation of the law (or potential to do so) disqualifies them from full participation in the political arena? [DT: no]
d) Do they baselessly suggest that their rivals are foreign agents, in that they are secretly working in alliance with (or in the employ of) a foreign government – usually an enemy one? [DT: no]
3. Toleration or encouragement of violence
a).Do they have any ties to armed gangs, paramilitary forces, militias, guerillas, or organisations that engage in illicit violence? [DT: yes]
b) Have they or their partisan allies sponsored or encouraged mob attacks on opponents? [DT: no]
c) Have they tacitly endorsed violence by their supporters by refusing to unambiguously condemn it and punish it? [DT: yes]
d) Have they praised (or refused to condemn) other significant acts of political violence, either in the past or elsewhere in the world?[DT: no]
4. Readiness to curtail civil liberties of opponents, including the media
a) Have they supported laws or policies that restrict civil liberties, such as expanded libel or defamation laws, or laws restricting protest, criticism of the government, or certain civic or political organisations? [DT: no]
b) Have they threatened to take legal or other punitive action against critics in rival parties, civil society, or the media?[DT: no]
c) Have they praised repressive measures taken by other governments, either in the past or elsewhere in the world?[DT: no]
by Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt
How Democracies Die (Penguin Books)
Addenda
6) Their actions betray them
a) Do they put their own or their party’s interests before those of the nation? Do they base some of their socio-political policies on envy or social divisions and by doing so undermine their prime duty of maximising the long-term benefits to the whole nation?[DT: no]
b) Do they try or even succeed in undermining, delaying or frustrating decisions made democratically, especially the results of a national referendum or decisions made by the elected government?[DT: no]
c) Do they try to prostitute the democratic process? with fake news? with baseless accusations, with interference to the election system?[DT: yes]
7) They tell you who they are by the company they keep
a) Do they mix with other people already known to be anti-democrats?[DT: n/a]
b) Are they welcomed by any foreign despot when they visit their country?[DT: n/a]
c) Do they praise (or try to excuse or justify) the inhumane acts of other nations especially dictatorships?[DT: no]
Conclusion According to our dispassionate tests, Donald Trump is an anti-democrat. He is a dangerous threat to American Democracy. He has all the making of a dictator. Yet at the next presidential elections, millions are going to vote for him rather than put the law and their democracy first. The same is true in the UK. This shows how necessary and urgent it is for us to educate ourselves to become democrats and to put our democracy first.
Please write any queries or any constructive criticism in the boxes below. Thank you.