Is Political Forgiveness an Antidote to Authoritarianism?

A Message to You

Some of the chaos we’re living through right now is deliberate toxic polarization designed to splinter us into different camps, adding to the tension we already feel. All of this is creating fertile ground for an authoritarian government to take hold. Supporting democracy and stemming the tide of authoritarianism depends on all of us making the kinds of choices that strengthen our democracy, and begins by reaching out to those who hold opinions different from our own. We can approach one another with interest in learning about each other and showing care, or we can create deeper divisions by being disrespectful and holding on to anger and grievances. Depending on our attitudes and the opinions we express, that behavior will trickle down to our politicians and they will act in kind. The choice is ours. The question is what kind of country do you want — a democracy or an autocracy?

What Can You Do?

As an experiment, approach your neighbor who thinks differently from you with an attitude of curiosity, humility, connection, and listening. What does this open up in your own life? Democracy is strengthened every time we make choices like these.

Is Political Forgiveness an Antidote to Authoritarianism?

In his Ted Talk on “How to Spot Authoritarianism,” Ian Bassin shares a story about an urgent message he received which summoned him to pick up a package at a random address late on the evening he was attending the inaugural ball. He was to begin his new job as associate White House counsel with the new administration the following day. So Bassin slipped out of the ball in the rain to retrieve the package. When he arrived at the designated address, the doorman handed him a plastic grocery bag which contained three thick binders. He was to bring them with him to the White House the next day.?

For the next three years those binders became Bassin’s bible. These binders were passed down from administration to administration and explained what Bassin could and could not do when performing his duties. It didn’t matter who was the president, the rules — although not legally binding — were consistent. They were traditions, the norms people followed, although people had the choice to follow them or not. After the 2016 election, Bassin and his fellow counsel alumni began to grow concerned wondering what would happen if a president chose not to follow those rules. They watched carefully and began to recognize there was a threat to our democracy. That threat was a possible slide into a form of authoritarianism. They understood that authoritarian movements take hold by the choices we make; we can also make choices that can defeat it.

So what does authoritarianism look like? Authoritarianism takes hold when the executive branch of government politicizes the judiciary, tries to silence the press, and when the leader becomes a cult-like figure in it for personal gain, removing any threats to his power. To achieve this end the propaganda machine is turned on, corruption becomes the fare of the day and intimidation is freely used — often leading to the use of violence. It is a divide-and-conquer strategy.?

Most people do not want an authoritarian government nor secretly favor it. Yet because we are living in a turbulent time of immense change and uncertainty, people are feeling anxious about their lives and their future. When we feel that our political lives are in ruin, we may think relief can come from a strong man who can take care of everything. We don’t realize that when this happens our democracy begins to slowly erode. Elected officials begin using legal and institutional means to dismantle the guard rails that have kept democracy intact, which chips away at democracy — something we are seeing in our country today.

But there is hope, and we still have time to stem the tide. As a democracy we have the power to choose — something that autocracies take away. Making choices is not just about going out to vote, although that is important. It is about the countless choices we as Americans make every day, which either support or erode our precious democracy, and which can give us great hope or great concern. The hopefuls are people like Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss, Georgia election workers who were falsely accused of tampering with votes and who stood up for what was right in the courts and Congress. Then there are those who make the choice to spread disinformation or undermine government for political gain with the intention of dividing us and creating fear. These feed into the authoritarianism playbook and begin to erode democracy.

Powerful Coalitions in an Age of Rising Authoritarianism

History has been a witness to the rise of authoritarianism. Between World War I and World War II Europe was especially vulnerable. A number of countries in Europe saw the far right as threats to their democracy, and so the mainstream center right decided to unite with their traditionally left opponents to block autocrats from power. Their democracy was saved. Other countries such as Germany made a different choice and we know what happened there.

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From My Desk

ARTICLE: A Recipe for Cooling Down American Politics

Is the United States headed for a civil war? In this article, John Paul Lederach says we aren’t immune from “deliberate toxic polarization” — but we have an opportunity to de-escalate in this moment. In several countries he’s worked with, people personally affected by violence have courageously engaged in cross-community work to rehumanize their adversaries, despite their differences.?

VIDEO: How to Spot Authoritarianism — and Choose Democracy | TED Talk

In the modern era democracy doesn't die with explosions and tanks rolling through the town square, according to attorney and writer Ian Bassin. In the 21st century, he said, “These authoritarian movements work like Trojan horses. Typically, their leader comes to power through an election, and once inside, dismantles the system from within.” Here Bassin outlines the seven steps in the authoritarian playbook.

ARTICLE: Combatting Authoritarianism: The Skills and Infrastructure Needed to Organize Across Difference

What can we learn from countries that have successfully stemmed the tide of authoritarianism? Forming a coalition of left and center-right networks is crucial to most successful democracy movements, according to the book How Democracies Die. Progressives and conservatives alike must see themselves as “part of a larger ecosystem capable of collective action against authoritarianism.”

VIDEO: Democracy Requires Disagreement. Here’s How To Do It Better | TED Talk

There's a pernicious sentiment that democracy is only functional when we agree. In this conversation, writer Bret Stephens and social entrepreneur Yordanos Eyoel argue that a better goal is to productively manage our differences. “This requires us to be adept at having difficult conversations and also to listen when we disagree…. Make the art of disagreement come alive.”

Deeper Moment

Many In Body One In Mind

By Soka Gakkai International

The type of unity aspired to is not a mechanical uniformity, imposed or coerced from without. Rather, it is unity that has at its heart respect for the diverse and unique qualities of each individual. Such unity arises, to quote SGI President Ikeda, when people “treasure each other as unique and irreplaceable individuals, and try to bring out the best in each other.”

… In contrast, he adds, “ ‘Many in body and many in mind’ is a situation of utter disunity, while ‘One in body and one in mind’ is one controlled by group thinking in which individuality is ignored and totalitarianism ultimately results. Neither situation allows people to manifest their unique abilities.”

… evil-minded people actually find it relatively easy to develop solidarity — united by a shared interest in material or political gain. People of goodwill, being more spiritually self-sufficient, tend to overlook the importance of unity. History is filled with tragic examples in which the failure of people of goodwill to work together has effectively ceded the field to the forces of hatred and destruction. It is also clear that only a broad-based coming together of people committed to a more humane future will enable us to meet the challenges of the new century. The Buddhist ideal of “many in body one in mind” offers a vision of the unity of diversity. It is the unity of autonomous individuals committed to the work of self-reformation, concern for others and faith in the possibilities of a better future.

To read more visit Soka Gakkai International Association of Canada