Right-wing populism is rising. Americans are intensely aware of this with the emergence of Donald Trump as a powerful political player. Some Americans may know there are many other countries that are experiencing a rise in Trump-like leaders. These are not just countries like Russia, where we largely expect there to be less democratic practices — democratic bastions such as Britain, France, Germany and Denmark are all dealing with strong right-wing populist parties.
It isn’t very hard to understand why this is happening: globalization and everything it brings has left many people behind, and right-wing populists are helping empower millions of people again. It is a very understandable view by people and leaders, but it inevitably makes the world less safe. Rallying behind a right-wing populist party or leader might be comforting for certain citizens of a country, but it also makes the world a much more dangerous place.
Right-wing populism is hard to define and is an inherently flexible term, but it has a few telltale characteristics. Populists claim to represent the people directly, juxtaposing themselves against corrupt elites or the “establishment.” The term “right-wing” adds an emphasis on “us vs. them” rhetoric, targeted negative attacks and disrespect of conventional political rules, like political correctness. Right-wing populists are dynamic, providing novel solutions for problems and giving voice to millions of people who are disaffected with government.
Despite the arguably empowering aspects of right-wing populism, there are also many positions that right-wing populists hold that are a danger to international stability. They are often isolationist. There are myriad reasons why isolationism creates problems domestically and internationally, but right now I will only cover the issue of trust. Our international system is one built on mutual trust — a state that is isolationist is going to generate very little trust. This creates greater tension in the international system and makes it more likely for minor conflicts to escalate.
Coupled with isolationism is right-wing populists’ consistent narrative of “us vs. them.” There is nothing wrong with a state looking out for its own self-interest, but right-wing populists often frame rights as if it is a zero-sum game. From the Hungarian president invoking an Ottoman invasion to justify keeping immigrants out to the Slovakian prime minister calling multiculturalism “a fiction,” there is a growing trend of anti-immigrant sentiment. Homogeneity is an unachievable goal which when pursued only serves to restrict liberty and freedom. If we are stuck with people who are different than us — which we will always be despite how well immigration is controlled — we must create a dialogue with them. Vilifying the other side never leads to good results.
Many right-wing populists also legitimize outlandish claims. The most ridiculous example is the Polish prime minister calling for additional representation in the European Union because his country would have almost twice as many people if they Nazis hadn’t killed millions of Polish citizens. The current election has given us many examples of this, such as Trump’s insistence that there were people cheering on 9/11 as the towers fell. A leader who expounds ridiculous claims like this is legitimizing an extreme form of confirmation bias. Confirming beliefs instead of questioning them is exactly how we ended up with disasters such as the Iraq War. We need to challenge ourselves, not fit everything into a comfortable box.
The rise of right-wing populism is already having some effects in the world. Brexit is the most prominent result, holding Britain and Europe suspended in a state of economic and political uncertainty. Countries all over Europe are contemplating closing their borders and enacting laws that limit their rights once they enter the country. Asia, China and Japan are headed by two populist type leaders who have set themselves onto a collision course in the South China Sea. The president of the Philippines threatened to curse President Obama, which may seem silly but shows the idiotic things right-wing populists will do to garner support. This paints a clear picture — the world is much worse off with right-wing populists taking control.
Bobby Doyle is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at b.doyle@cavalierdaily.com.
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