THAT OTHER PROBLEM

In this historically tumultuous year, the main focus of our attention was — and still is — the disaster of the Covid pandemic. And of course, the advent of Covid was not the only big event to have occurred in 2020. The mounting confrontation between the democracies and Communist China is perhaps the most pressing issue facing the world. Another big one, the recent US Presidential election. But then if we look at the whole world situation, it is possible to see how those first two issues can be seen to be inescapably linked with that fateful election. Trump’s blindness regarding the onslaught of Covid 19 has resulted in an enormous upsurge in covid cases, and the death of thousands. The world saw the video clips of his infamous jeering, sneering opening remarks at a political rally — ‘Covid, covid, covid, covid — .’

Trump’s inability to deal with this deadly pandemic, plus his total ignorance of international issues, put America, and many of her allies, in jeopardy. America’s enemies were delighted, people such as the Russian dictator Putin, whom Trump described in such glowing terms. Many of America’s friends around the world are aghast to see America adrift; at odds with itself. It was like watching some mad dog eating it’s own tail.

Regardless of the rights and wrongs of this crisis situation, it becomes obvious that America has evolved a cumbersome, adversarial political system. A system which seems to make it nigh impossible to pool the best of the nation’s minds and political resources for the national good.

To lay the entire blame upon the recalcitrant former president Donald Trump is tempting, however a dispassionate view would see that it is the system, not the man. It is the system which allows such a cynical political manipulator room to challenge the glaringly unchallengeable — a clear political victory for the president-elect Joe Biden.

With seemingly not a metaphorical leg to stand on, Trump kept up the rhetoric — that the election was stolen from him. The astonishing thing for many intelligent people is that there is such a large group of Americans who chose to believe him. This phenomenon is indeed surprising, but it is not unique. Let us break down some of the factors at play here.

Joseph Goebels, Hitler’s brilliant speechwriter and political strategist, taught the technique of The Big Lie. Goebels made the point that if the lie was big enough, blatant enough and repeated enough times, a certain percentage of people would begin to take it for the truth. And it works. Of course it is not acceptable, not ‘political correct’ to mention the unmentionable — that a large proportion of humanity is susceptible to manipulation. Nevertheless it is true. There is an old saying, it goes like this: ‘a mob is as dumb as it’s stupidest member.’

A concept to remind ourselves with became much earlier on a tenet of Western thought. It is from the teachings of Plato. He made this very important point: if you wish to get somebody to agree with you, to in effect change their mindset, it is counter-productive to attempt to point out that you are right, and your interlocutor, wrong. That will only engage the ego of that person, and they will then only want to defend themselves. Plato showed instead that if you begin by seeking agreement on seemingly trivial, non-controversial issues, then bit by bit finding some common ground on other issues. It is the basis for civilized debate, it is the way of diplomacy. So despite any appeal to reality, it is much easier for those followers of Trump to continue to agree with him, than to admit — he, and therefore they, are wrong. It is too painful to the ego.

This writer travelled from Australia, living and studying in Germany for some time, in the mid 1960’s. It was for me a sobering thing to learn that long after the end of WW2, there were many decent Germans still wishing to believe some good of Adolf Hitler. Later, I lived in Britain. An English friend wanted to know how I could have born living in Germany, only twenty years after WW2. I told him; the frightening thing is not that the German people are some kind of monsters, but that they were very much like us.

The Russian writer Sozhenitzin wrote that many inmates of Stalin’s inhuman gulags, wept on hearing of the death of the Father of The Country. Yes Stalin, whose policy of the Reign of Terror, put them in those camps, and brought about the death of millions of fellow Russians, amongst others.

In an earlier blog, I floated the idea that not only America but many similar liberal democracies needed a re-think about how their political institutions worked — or didn’t work. I certainly don’t claim to be the only voice out there talking along these lines, but I do think this idea has come of it’s time.

Can I suggest going back to re-read that earlier blog; it would be interesting to open up a broad discussion of my admittedly sketchy plan — perhaps the collective wisdom can build upon it. https://www.johnworth.com.au/post/chevaliers-de-la-table-ronde

The following is an excerpt from that earlier blog:

How do we re-calibrate our ideas about government, in the post-covid world. Make no mistake, we have entered a new historic period: The post-covid. Any intelligent observer will know this; we will never return to the ‘pre-covid’ world. Expect enormous economic ramifications, radical socio/political outcomes. We must begin to plan for this new world.

This proposed political model marries the ancient myth of Arthur’s Round table, with the additional possibilities of modern electronics.

Imagine this:

A large chamber, in the centre a circular seating arrangement for a legislature. In the centre of this, a president of the assembly. Not a political figure but perhaps an influential jurist, someone who the majority understand to be a person showing great moral attributes. A wise elder, accepted by a majority of the elected members.

Perhaps we can imagine this personage seated upon a raised, pivotable chair. This person (male or female) does not legislate, but serves as referee. This presiding officer would have the power to eject unruly, disruptive members, and should do this with real rigor, accepting no interruption of proceedings. Perhaps imposing fines for repeat nuisances.

Now, as each member enters the chamber, his/her seat is chosen randomly by electronic means. It is never the same seat as before. One’s seating neighbours, always different. Beneath the desk in front of the members of the chamber, are three (unseen) buttons to record a (secret) vote.

The options are: yes, no, or abstain.

Now obviously, there will still arise groups of like-thinking people who form ipso facto, parties.

But the random seating, plus the secret ballot system, would tend to encourage real conscience voting, in the national interest, not that of special interest groups, as with the secret electronic voting parties would have no way of enforcing party discipline. It would also eradicate that egregious practice, so-called lobbying — or bribing — to gain interest for unelected entities against the national interest. It is a blight on democratic systems of government. Lobbyists would have no way to ascertain how the member votes. Random seating would also encourage real dialogue between randomly chosen neighbours. The assembly would/could have the power to elect from amongst themselves a national leader. Having chosen their representatives on merit, not party lines, the people do not need another election.

Either we quickly evolve systems to handle this new world, or they will be imposed upon us. And we will not like them.

Originally published at https://www.johnworth.com.au on February 9, 2021.