All it takes for bullies to succeed is compliance. When they find that they can get away with pushing the boundaries of language or behaviour, they move on to the next level. Standing up to them can result in a bloody nose, metaphorical or real, so they get away with it too often. Doing nothing in response to threat is all too tempting, even in the knowledge of what may result.
History tells us about these results, when it comes to arch-bullies like Trump and his precursors: Give in and they will take more. The bloody nose of the potential challenger is as nothing compared to the blood-letting of winning bullies.
What is the choice for the individual or the people?
What, in a democracy, can the individual or people collectively do when they see evidence of either bullying behaviour or appeasement of it? Must we wait patiently until the next election, while month by month rights are eroded, enabling legislation is passed and the bully progresses unchallenged? That will be too little and too late.
Democratic checks and balances will be sacrificed by appeasement and the autocratic genie will be out of its bottle, irreplaceably. We can do little but hope and encourage those in leadership positions to stare down the bullies.
Parliament is where matters affecting civics should be aired and decided. Privilege allows the naming of culprits; misbehaviours can be disciplined and votes held as the government of the day exercises its duty to protect the people and the democratic system.
So it is elected leaders who must step up to challenge those who would damage the very system. When the egregious behaviour comes from the government itself, what then?
We have seen on both sides of the Atlantic in recent times how elected bullies like Trump and Johnson have misused majorities to give themselves greater executive powers, weakening the democratic checks and balances, acting as bullies, silencing those who might challenge them even by removing them from the arena.
Why raise this now?
When our PM grovels shamelessly before an increasingly autocratic bully albeit in pursuit of this country’s needs, something is very wrong. When this includes following his example of proscribing peaceful protest, silencing differing viewpoints and insulting ethnic differences, things have gone too far. When at the same time the leader of another UK party emulates the populist behaviours of that bully, largely unchallenged by the media supposed to call politicians to account, there must be outcry.
When the Prime Minister meekly follows in the footprints of this would-be bully in terms of his own agenda, we have the wrong sort of leadership. Starmer himself goes unchallenged in his unquestioning bias towards the bully Netanyahu.
To challenge populism with evidence-based rational argument falls short when attention spans are conditioned by social media. The convincing vacuous slogan delivered by a “man of the people” wins media coverage and popular support with all but the most serious. True democrats must find their own “[wo]men of the people”, not to emulate the loud-mouthed bullies but to compete for the attention and support of voters, to carry them along the right road.
Messages delivered popularly do not have to be empty of value or policy like those of Farage. Messengers need to be passionate about real policies and about the real needs of the people, like Bernie Sanders in USA, for example or Nye Bevan here. Zack Polanski of the Greens has been chosen to lead the Green party as such a leader. We need leaders by persuasion, not bullies who command. Where are today’s Days and Paxmans who will call out the lies of Maga and Reform and risk that bloody nose on our behalf?
As well as finding new Bevans – “populists with policies” – we must enable their parties to represent those who would support them to win the seats in parliament that they merit through fair voting. First Past the Post protects incumbent parties from losing the support the public would like to give to those they prefer and who would more truly represent them.
We may enter the next General Election with a choice between an appeasing, uninspiring centrist and a vacuous but dangerous bully, either of whom may turn this country into a colony of Trump’s USA unless fair voting enables the people to have real choices. If this sounds unappealing, we have to find and follow those with the ideas, personality and courage to lead us.
Giving in to appeasers or bullies can only end badly for this country, for all of us except that tiny minority they will favour and who favour them.
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