Democracy Must Win & The Icarus Factor

Worth Fighting For

Democracy is a precious thing. Hard fought for, it’s usually taken for granted, the old Joni Mitchell line about not missing something until it’s gone. It is the profound belief of this writer, and one shared by millions, that the more democratic the country, ultimately the freer it is. Man is born free, yet everywhere he is in chains, says Rousseau. Those chains are loosened once we have a taste of freedom, and less and less an encumbrance once we begin to enshrine our institutions with democratic values of accountability, openness and transparency. The last decade or so may not be about the failure of democracy, but of its success.

Look at the way the European Union has largely united against Russian aggression. Putin’s policy since the first Ukraine invasion has been to sew and reap divisions among his democratic neighbours. This includes supporting far right-wing parties, promoting wedge issue (Brexit) and seeking to make his neighbours reliant on Russian energy supplies. Yet over the course of the last five weeks, the idea of a Europe of democratic and free nations has never been more appealing. The claims of the death of the EU are greatly exaggerated. Instead, the European Union has stepped up to the plate in terms of the supply of weaponry, support for refugees, and isolation of Putin.

It is easy, tempting, and often logical to take a dystopian view of the World. Trump’s election in particular seemed to augur in an era of latter-day fascism in the US. Yet for all his weaknesses, Joe Biden won in 2020, not 45. There’s no guarantee that Trump won’t run again and win, but November 2021 was a triumph for both the small and big ‘d’ democrats. America is a deeply flawed country, one where social spending seems unconscionably low when compared with the EU. But in 2020, the country, or at least the voting part of it, looked over the precipice, held back, and trounced Trump in the popular vote.

Yes, we can always do better. Politics recognises that there may be an ideal out there like some Platonic form, but real life and the World at large require compromise and co-operation to work. Democracy is not some cosy default, but must be constantly guarded and promoted. Else we’ll become history’s bystander, rather than having a say how our lives are run. The freedom we have is precious, we should treat it as such.

Hubris or the Icarus Effect

Too clever by half is a peculiarly English phrase defined by the MacMillan Dictionary as someone who is too confident about their intelligence and skills. They lack wisdom, and are unable to see when, like Icarus, they are flying too close to the sun. Many politicians fall into this category, indeed the profession itself, at its worst, can consist of reckless risks that you or I might decline, preferring instead safer paths. Democracy needs politicians, yet few other careers are dependent on what overtly can be described as a popularity contest run every four of five years.

The wise politician is able to judge when a role or a policy is an ambitious overreach. Many’s the man and woman who’ve declined to go for a top job knowing that the position was beyond their capabilities and capacity. But, and you can probably see where this is going, there is a particular type of English politico, usually a Tory, who sees senior ministries as their birth right and views the post of Prime Minister as something he or she can take in their stride. This description applies most strongly to the current incumbent, Boris Johnson.

Despite what his most vituperative critics might say, Johnson is intelligent. He, however, lacks any perspective as to the limits of his own ability. This is a huge problem for any leader as they generate a culture which percolates down through an organisation, movement, or in his case, political party. It means that the gambling he’s done in the past is repeated, for why shouldn’t the opportunism that’s been a consistent over-arching theme of his personal and political life, let him down when it’s been so successful previously? Yet someday, he will run out of road, and may reach that point without knowing it.

The Tories have always been a party run with a ruthless sense of self preservation. As soon as Johnson’s political star begins to wane, they’ll look to a potential leader who can save their seats at the next general election. But they may also have missed their moment. Boris Johnson may be the anchor weight that brings them down in 2023/24. If there’s no credible alternative ready to take him on, then they only have themselves to blame. Either way, Johnson will find it hard to survive the Enoch Powell maxim that all political careers end in failure.