How Did We Get Here?
How Did We Get Here?
[Authoritarianism, Lobbying, Trump & Other Lethal Toxins]
Vicar Sayeedi
February 26, 2020
In the early 1990’s, the prominent Political Scientist, Francis Fukuyama infamously proclaimed we had reached, “the end of history.” The political systems and ideologies of governance [Communism and Fascism] that had dominated the 20th Century had fallen by the wayside and the only system left standing was that of the Western Liberal Democracy.
It was a euphoric time. Philosophers, Political Scientists and Thought Leaders cheered the era of the “Peace Dividend” as country after country took steps towards Democracy and governance ideals based upon the Western Humanist tradition – Constitutions, Declarations of Human Rights, Free Press, Free and Open Elections, Separation of Powers, etc. But as the euphoria subsided, the United States began to stray from the settled Western doctrine that constituted the values of the Liberal Democracy, the very doctrine that had defeated Communism. The United States strayed from the Rule of Law.
Thought Leaders on International Affairs have identified three egregious offences [post Cold War] that have done the most damage to the cause of Democracy around the world.
In 2002, Colin Powell appeared before the United Nations Security Council to make the case for war against Iraq. Powell was President Bush’s only Cabinet Member who held an admirable public approval rating and was thus selected to prosecute the fabricated case before the Council that Iraq possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction.
From 2008-2016, the inability/unwillingness of the Department of Justice under the Obama Administration to prosecute those in the Financial Services and Investment Banking industry responsible for the Sub Prime Lending Crisis further undermined America’s commitment to the Rule of Law. These Bankers brought both America’s domestic economy and a number of European economies to their knees. Tens of millions of Americans lost their homes, jobs and savings while those responsible remain unaccountable to this day.
From 2016-Present, the corruption, illegal, immoral and unethical behavior of the Trump Administration has cemented the worldview that the Rule of Law in America no longer applies to the wealthy and powerful.
From an economic policy perspective, once the Cold War ended and Communism had collapsed, America rapidly entered into trade deals with Canada and Mexico. The era of Globalization was upon us as government and industry partnered [colluded], without consideration for workers. Unchecked Globalization led to the collapse of American industries that employed many highly skilled knowledge workers as well as manufacturing workers, and subsequently we have witnessed the collapse of the standard of living afforded to so many in America’s Middle and Working Classes. The collapse of the “Economic Center” [the Bourgeois] has invariably led to the collapse of the “Political Center”.
It seems the need for government and industry to partner in considering the impact to these Classes in America evaporated once the ideological competitors in governance had been defeated. Prior to the collapse of Communism, a strong Bourgeois and Working Class was a major ideological argument for the superiority of Western Liberal Democracy over Communism.
Together, these economic policy and political failures have been identified by Political Scientists and Thought Leaders on International Affairs as the key factors over the past twenty years that have led to the rise of Authoritarianism around the world. During this twenty-year period, no country has made the transition from Authoritarianism to Democracy and the Rule of Law. Conversely, we have witnessed twenty-five countries that were once firmly on a path towards Democracy actually reverse course and return to a particularly severe form of Authoritarianism. The largest and more infamous countries in this category include Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Poland, Russia, Turkey, and Venezuela.
I believe it’s of paramount importance to take a holistic view of how we got where we are [I’ve attempted to highlight key points in this essay but there are so many more important factors]. Identifying only those issues of importance to our Tribe or Special Interest Group is unlikely to afford us much respect in the eyes of our Countrymen; we will rightly be seen as self-serving and selfish. This is a critical factor we must consider as we undertake our strategic planning program. The respect of our fellow citizens must not be discounted if we are to be successful in the long term – we must keep their needs in mind and work towards a just society that serves more than our own narrow self-interest.
The author is an Essayist, Poet and Writer. His most recent book, The Génome Affair is a story about the rise of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on society.
[Authoritarianism, Lobbying, Trump & Other Lethal Toxins]
Vicar Sayeedi
February 26, 2020
In the early 1990’s, the prominent Political Scientist, Francis Fukuyama infamously proclaimed we had reached, “the end of history.” The political systems and ideologies of governance [Communism and Fascism] that had dominated the 20th Century had fallen by the wayside and the only system left standing was that of the Western Liberal Democracy.
It was a euphoric time. Philosophers, Political Scientists and Thought Leaders cheered the era of the “Peace Dividend” as country after country took steps towards Democracy and governance ideals based upon the Western Humanist tradition – Constitutions, Declarations of Human Rights, Free Press, Free and Open Elections, Separation of Powers, etc. But as the euphoria subsided, the United States began to stray from the settled Western doctrine that constituted the values of the Liberal Democracy, the very doctrine that had defeated Communism. The United States strayed from the Rule of Law.
Thought Leaders on International Affairs have identified three egregious offences [post Cold War] that have done the most damage to the cause of Democracy around the world.
In 2002, Colin Powell appeared before the United Nations Security Council to make the case for war against Iraq. Powell was President Bush’s only Cabinet Member who held an admirable public approval rating and was thus selected to prosecute the fabricated case before the Council that Iraq possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction.
From 2008-2016, the inability/unwillingness of the Department of Justice under the Obama Administration to prosecute those in the Financial Services and Investment Banking industry responsible for the Sub Prime Lending Crisis further undermined America’s commitment to the Rule of Law. These Bankers brought both America’s domestic economy and a number of European economies to their knees. Tens of millions of Americans lost their homes, jobs and savings while those responsible remain unaccountable to this day.
From 2016-Present, the corruption, illegal, immoral and unethical behavior of the Trump Administration has cemented the worldview that the Rule of Law in America no longer applies to the wealthy and powerful.
From an economic policy perspective, once the Cold War ended and Communism had collapsed, America rapidly entered into trade deals with Canada and Mexico. The era of Globalization was upon us as government and industry partnered [colluded], without consideration for workers. Unchecked Globalization led to the collapse of American industries that employed many highly skilled knowledge workers as well as manufacturing workers, and subsequently we have witnessed the collapse of the standard of living afforded to so many in America’s Middle and Working Classes. The collapse of the “Economic Center” [the Bourgeois] has invariably led to the collapse of the “Political Center”.
It seems the need for government and industry to partner in considering the impact to these Classes in America evaporated once the ideological competitors in governance had been defeated. Prior to the collapse of Communism, a strong Bourgeois and Working Class was a major ideological argument for the superiority of Western Liberal Democracy over Communism.
Together, these economic policy and political failures have been identified by Political Scientists and Thought Leaders on International Affairs as the key factors over the past twenty years that have led to the rise of Authoritarianism around the world. During this twenty-year period, no country has made the transition from Authoritarianism to Democracy and the Rule of Law. Conversely, we have witnessed twenty-five countries that were once firmly on a path towards Democracy actually reverse course and return to a particularly severe form of Authoritarianism. The largest and more infamous countries in this category include Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Poland, Russia, Turkey, and Venezuela.
I believe it’s of paramount importance to take a holistic view of how we got where we are [I’ve attempted to highlight key points in this essay but there are so many more important factors]. Identifying only those issues of importance to our Tribe or Special Interest Group is unlikely to afford us much respect in the eyes of our Countrymen; we will rightly be seen as self-serving and selfish. This is a critical factor we must consider as we undertake our strategic planning program. The respect of our fellow citizens must not be discounted if we are to be successful in the long term – we must keep their needs in mind and work towards a just society that serves more than our own narrow self-interest.
The author is an Essayist, Poet and Writer. His most recent book, The Génome Affair is a story about the rise of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on society.
No comments have been added yet.
