{"id":186519,"date":"2018-01-18T00:18:33","date_gmt":"2018-01-17T18:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=186519"},"modified":"2018-01-22T00:02:06","modified_gmt":"2018-01-21T18:32:06","slug":"demagoguery-deception-decrepitude-inherent-in-most-contemporary-democracies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/demagoguery-deception-decrepitude-inherent-in-most-contemporary-democracies\/","title":{"rendered":"Demagoguery, Deception & Decrepitude Inherent In Most Contemporary Democracies"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Nishthar Idroos<\/a> –<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Nishthar Idroos<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cDemagoguery is a congenic illness of democracy. There is, though, the chance to keep it under control\u201d <\/i><\/b><\/span>Dr. Rafael Pi\u00f1eiro.<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Democracy is well and good as long its erstwhile proponents and players remain committed to high attendant ideals, pursuing with some degree of intelligence and sanity (fast eroding with the ascent of Donald J Trump).\u00a0<\/span>Surely one must be faithful and devoted to inclusiveness, diversity and multi-racialism regardless of the heat, mutating metrics or sinister opportunities the playing field could engender. <\/span><\/p>\n

The moment insecure contenders see opportunity in unbridled and unregulated demagoguery inherent deficiencies of a democracy get exposed, quite indecently too. Where there is no limits, checks and balances there is disarray and possibly fatal disconnections. When anyone can say and do anything without consequences a dangerous precedence is set. It\u2019s even construed by some as integral instruments afforded in a democracy, is it? In such circumstances minorities and vulnerable sectors get exposed and varying degrees of harm loom against them. It\u2019s deplorable the so called leader of the free world makes overt racist remarks,<\/span> reportedly criticizing immigrants coming to the United States from what he called “shithole countries.” It\u2019s unthinkable such demeaning language is emanating from the President of the United States of America.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mahinda Rajapaksa the great warrior of Sri Lanka, an adept proponent of showmanship with intricate yet subtle proclivities towards demagoguery with his ubiquitous presence, donning the milky white national suit and kurakkan colored shawl. Did a lot to project the image of the undying protagonist of the Sinhala Buddhist people. The sensational image of Dhutugamunu, marauding with his soldiers brandishing his radiant sword resonated well with the people just a few years ago. Can such indiscretions of the former president prove conclusively to be a racist? Absolutely not. Distorting and discrediting a political system more likely hurts the individual than a system. That\u2019s why ideals remain preserved. Abusers either drift to oblivion or perish one after the other.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our own six footer Minister<\/span> of\u00a0Megapolis and Western Development<\/span><\/a><\/span> the right honorable Patali Champika Ranawaka another living testimony and an exemplary technician of the craft of demagoguery. His accent and genre was remarkably fresh. He imbibed a great deal from his former boss. The dude was a walking, talking statistician. Disgorging supposedly disproportionate breeding of Muslims not just to the domestic terrain but abroad as well with effortless finesse. This was when the dude was valiantly supporting the former President.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who on earth is a demagogue? Advent of Donald Trump has necessarily accelerated the spread of this word and ensured a high-octane dissemination. Its etymology traces to the Greek language. Root word simply means \u201cleader of the people\u201d (demos<\/i>, or \u201cthe people\u201d;\u00a0agein<\/i>, or \u201cto lead\u201d). A demoguage is someone who appeals to greed, fear and hatred. An egregious politician who achieves or holds on to power by stirring up\u00a0 <\/span>feelings of his audience and leading them to action despite\u00a0 <\/span>considerations\u00a0 <\/span>weighing against him or her. <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Demagogues have appeared in democracies since ancient\u00a0Athens<\/span><\/a>. They exploit a fundamental weakness in democracy: because ultimate power is held by the people, it is possible for the people to give that power to someone who appeals to the lowest common denominator of a large segment of a population. Demagogues usually advocate immediate, forceful action to address a national crisis whilst accusing moderates and opponents of weakness or disloyalty.<\/span><\/p>\n

A \u201cdemagogue\u201d is usually pretty articulate and adept to refer to either populist or partisan ends; or to deceptive or dangerous means; or to both. This is an in-built gift they have. It\u2019s a tool they carry. <\/span><\/p>\n

Deception is frequently deployed to mislead, misalign and obfuscate. This is an international phenomenon in democracies today.\u00a0 <\/span>In the age of the internet <\/span>the acronym LOL is used quite extensively which is to mean \u201claugh out loud\u201d. But in common political circles in the west it stands for \u201clie or lose\u201d \u2013 the public are so used to lies and desensitized to the truth they have developed a dislike if not a disdain for the truth. There is no such thing as an outright political lie. Instead there\u2019s distortion, exaggeration, misrepresentation, deception and half-truth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Citizens\u2019 alienation and disenchantment with politics breed demagoguery, when parties or the institutional resources available to citizens are not capable of delivering. When politics becomes meaningless for a portion of the electorate, the opportunity for demagogues arises. Although demagogues re-engage disaffected citizens, they, and their political organizations, cannot fulfill their promises. Therefore, demagogues are simply political agents taking advantage of citizens\u00b4 frustration with democratic representation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quality of governance in most countries have weakened at least in South Asia. It has got exponentially impaired and broken. If \u201cYahapalanaya\u201d is something to go by. Crime is the new ethos. Crisp fiat notes get lubricated in their billions every day.<\/span> Celebrity is the new religion \u2013 the average denizen is hooked on to the TV pleasuring and fantasizing. Society is consumed in a pathological contagion. The heist intensifies unabated. All is rotten inside. <\/span><\/p>\n

Relentless d<\/span>ecay of our dystopian and apocalyptic culture has grown to become a recognizable fact. Excessive democracy has in essence has added fuel. Terms such as \u2018decay\u2019 and \u2018decrepitude\u2019 seem to reappear in postmodern culture and erudite thinkers are capturing it in art beautifully. <\/span><\/p>\n

Our societies apparently are in severe need of reconstruction. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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