The Era of Exploitative Democrat
The very term exploitative democrat may sound like an oxymoron. But the present times are like that. When democracy as a system of governance drifts to hypocrisy no other term can describe the present global scenario in which many democracies are finding themselves in. A predicament that plagues many nations across the globe. When rulers start ruling and stop governing this is what happens. Democracy is all about the values driven liberals and not about the power crazy autocrats. True, the world saw something similar 100 years ago in Europe. The system was called Fascism. The term was primarily used to identify the political system by which Italy was ruled from 1922 to 1945. It can be also used to identify a prototype of totalitarianism and apply to variations of political systems having similarities to the then Italian one. Historians term the phenomenon of fascism as a backward march of history. And it is so because in the modern times of progressive governance something like fascism should not happen.
Modern state is all about democratic values and principles generally referred to as a model of good governance of the people, by the people, for the people. Certainly then, the wheel is turning backwards.The earlier fascism started with a strong socialist leaning that gradually embraced nationalism. And the subsequent phase led to total state control or authoritarianism. The state became the only defender of law and order and sole guardian of national interest in all affairs building a totalitarian structure. The outcome was a gagged press and a silenced opposition. Constitutional changes created the unique figure of the leader embodying in himself the sum total of all power. That was the year 1925. Something similar is happening today. However, this is 2025 and the scenario is not as desperate. It certainly is dangerous as many champions claiming to be flag bearers of democracy are dealing in hypocrisy. They claim themselves to be the Messiahs of the masses but are actually the representatives of the classes. Given the similarities one may keep the fingers crossed but there are differences that give enough room for optimism.
The one reassuring fact is that the market forces in today's world are more organized and democratic. And the institutions of today are more robust. Let us take a look at the similarities first. The hyper-nationalism that many of the leaders with fascistic streak exhibit today is quite alarmingly similar to Hitler. He had then said that 'today we have order at home and our economy is flourishing. Abroad we are perhaps not popular, but we are respected'. There are many heads of the state in the world today who are talking in the same vein. But such claims are more rhetorical than real. It is keeping such people in mind that Aristotle had once said that Republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into despotism.
This kind of bragging helps such people justify their policies which ultimately harm both their national interests as well as the world at large. They express a kind of expansionism that is unbecoming of someone heading a democracy. Such proclamations seem as if we are living in a dis-orderly world. We saw Mussolini talk in a similar tone in 1935, asking Italian women to sacrifice their gold wedding rings or Saddam Husain in 1991 exhorting Iraqi people to be ready for serious sacrifices. Their campaigns were to annex independent countries. This cannot be termed reasonable. Further, their claims as the savior of their nations are also signs of their bloated ego. Nations are built in decades and centuries, and with the sacrifice of many. One person cannot claim to be the master of a nation.
The prophecies that George Orwell made in his classic 1984 are proving true. Likening Heads of State to God has dangerous consequences as we have seen in the distant past. The world is witnessing the rise of such megalomaniacs and this does not augur well. But there is a silver lining, too. The world today is more closely knit globally and the market forces are quite responsive. We saw its effect in the past few days. Naturally, the designs to rein over the world will not take such leaders very far. The invisible hand still has the power to give visible impact. There may be that occasional Nebuchadnezzar or Nero with a king size ego seeking total control, but they will not go very far. Fascism originates from narcissism but it proves self destructive in due course. The exploitative democrat has a short shelf life.