A GUY"S VIEW: Season of discontent

Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York;
And all the clouds that low’r’d upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Richard The Third Act 1, scene 1, 1–4.

There are times when individual events do not feel like individual events. Very often in life, events seem to come in waves and one seems connected to another.
The older people used to say that things happen in threes. This was especially emphasized when there was a death in the neighbourhood. The death of one person seemed to bring some concern for oneself, if not fear. Persons would openly wonder, “Who is next?”

Political events in America seem to have triggered a series of imitation activities across the western world. On hearing the news of the planned Opposition march here in Barbados, a friend called from New York to ask why the Opposition was marching. I repeated the position that they had expressed. They do not think that the Government should remain in office to limp to the Constitutional date for elections. After giving her opinion on the proposed march, she remarked, “We will certainly end up like America. You see how Trump has people running!”

Discontentment at this time is not peculiar to America. Unrest in America is a natural development of the environment created by Donald Trump. Across France and other countries in Europe, dissatisfaction with the system of governance is a rising phenomenon. In Barbados, we are working hard to bring this country to a similar stage of discomfort.

There are several countries where the status quo is being challenged by what has been labeled as populism. Brexit has attracted this label as well. This populist energy has not been embraced by the powers that be. It is interesting that in democratic countries, the will of the people is feared.

Populism speaks to the concerns of ordinary people. When this is not reflected in the policies of power, whether public government or private power, the governed are forced to rise up and assert themselves and make their voices heard in their interest. Leaders of countries and major businesses have been forecasting problems if the people are allowed to have a significant say in the affairs of their state.

These expressions evidence that in western politics, democracy is just another word for capitalism. Fear of the people is anathema to democracy, but is very consistent with capitalism. The contract between the capitalists and labour, or potential labour, is always an uneasy one. This is because it is too often based on exploitation.

Capitalist states are structured to ensure that the ordinary people who are not vital in perpetuating the status quo never gain control of the reins of state, although it is absolutely essential that they be given the perception that this is possible. However, long periods of capitalist success creates complacency, and those who control the resources seek to grab even more. This can only be done at the expense of those on whose backs their wealth is built.

When these developments throw the economy and society out of equilibrium, the result is what is now being seen in Britain, in the form of Brexit, in France, Germany and America, among other places. But when the dust settles again, and it always does, the same class of people, wearing different faces, return to control. And the cycle continues.

Was the election of Donald Trump the cause of American unrest, or was American unrest the cause of Donald Trump’s election? What could have prompted Americans to elect Donald Trump? They knew that he had no idea about running a Government. They knew that he was sexist. They knew that he was racist. They knew that truthfulness was a challenge for him. To cut a long story short, they knew that he was unfit to be President of the United States, if the standards that have been projected over time were to be maintained. And yet they elected him. Yes, the majority of Americans did not vote for him, but millions did. And despite the demonstrations, millions still support him.

It is now clear that his elevation has given confidence to the worse elements in the American society. He identifies with them and they identify with him. But this is not confined to America. Trump’s rise in America has embolden groups that were considered fringe in other countries. As a result, non-white people all over Europe are now feeling under threat. Economics has been a convenient platform for many of these groups, but this is often a thin veil for other social interests that they represent and promote.

President Trump’s chief adviser, Steve Bannon, has declared that Trump’s agenda is to deconstruct the administrative state. Put differently, Trump and his team are on a path of destruction of everything American governance represents, or has represented up till now. Deregulation is a primary aim.

The White House Chief of Staff has boldly declared that he knows what the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is saying to the parties that are investigating the Trump administration, because he has spoken to the FBI. It has since been reported that the Trump White House has been trying to influence what the FBI says publicly about its investigations. It has also been reported that the Trump Government has been trying to persuade the intelligence community to publish information that would justify Trump’s travel ban.

All of this indicates that political operatives are creating their own narrative and are not necessarily responding to facts. They are creating their own facts, but one need not be in Government to create alternative facts. What is unfortunate is that a gullible, unsuspecting public form opinions based on fake facts that have been fed to them.

Volume, platform or brazenness, without more, do not make assertions correct. In the 21st century, the public has to be discerning and look beneath the surface of actions and statements to the motives of the actors. Failure in this respect gave the world President Trump. The question is, how many other Trumps are awaiting us in Barbados, the region or around the world?

The Arab Spring was a period of severe turmoil that rocked those societies which it affected. But it was supposed to be confined to that part of the world. Serious thought must now be given to the rise of discontent in the areas of the world that were supposed to be stable and settled.