Though focusing on the young, this essay may be of interest to others too. As we sit down in front of the TV, as some of us are prone to at dinner time, do we enjoy our evening meals, or do we stop to chew on anxious news about military and trade wars and the dilution or complete disregard of democratic practices? For the young, it is crucial to observe closely the manifestations of power in all its guises. The future rests on their resilient and humane choices.
According to Miriam Juan-Torres Gonzalez, a multidisciplinary social scientist at the Othering and Belonging Institute (0BI) in the University of California, Berkeley, “Around the world, politicians are fearmongering, scapegoating marginalised groups for a host of societal problems and chipping away at democratic norms, like persecuting journalists, in the progressive use of ‘populist rhetoric’ while stoking nativism and aggrandising their own power.”
She elaborates on the techniques of such leaders, who seem to be multiplying like so many mushrooms in the murky soil of popular discontent and grievance. Typically, they begin with rhetoric that divides the populace into “us” (the majority of the suffering, exploited, betrayed mass) and “them” (the elites who have garnered power but did not improve the lot of the populace, who instead made life much worse). Although they themselves may be billionaires or zillionaires, they convince their supporters that they are the best, the most sincere representatives of the majority group.
Thus, the more rough and gruff such a leader is, the better he is accepted because he seems like the good chap or buddy at the pub. Never mind if he wears thousand-dollar suits or fraternises with the ultra-rich behind closed doors or in public. Such leaders still speak our language, off the cuff and with a tough “take it or leave it” grit many of their constituents wish they too can have. Many supporters see such leaders as anti-establishment like they are, and the fact that such leaders are so monumentally successful economically and enormously wealthy only adds to their allure. “They mean business and they know business. We, working class people, need them to help us,” their constituents believe.
The term “authoritarian populism” used by scholars to describe such leaders was put forward by Stuart Hall, who analysed Margaret Thatcher’s mobilising of a populist movement to make “Britain great again” by running the country like a business. Stopping immigration was a key strategy. How do we educate youths about this kind of political bent and its social-economic-cultural effects? Of course, to educate them is not to dictate to them their own final choices. But it is important for them to know the ramifications. Equally important is dialogue on how power is very diffused, thus all political parties – whether these parties employ authoritarian populism or any other “ism” like neoliberalism or socialism – should be studied critically.
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In the race for AI and other IT mastery, are we equipping youths with the critical skills to detect and then call out the abuse of power? An executive vice-president of Microsoft, Harry Shum, reminds us that “skilling up for an AI powered world involves more than science, technology, engineering and math. As computers behave more like humans, the social sciences and humanities will become even more important.” In 2020, the World Economic Forum identified key skills needed – critical thinking and analysis, creativity, originality, initiative, leadership and social influence, reasoning and problem-solving.
I would like to focus on “leadership and social influence” because, to me, ethical leadership, social justice and integrity speak from the essence of all great religions. Just as we may ask our youths, “What does it mean to be a human being?” we ask ourselves the same question. Does the toughness of the world today mandate that we inculcate in our youths a certain ‘ruthlessness’? In my decades of teaching, I have met parents who seem to emphasise success and lucrative careers to the detriment of timeless values like compassion, fair play and kindness. Today, the challenges of living are far different from when I was young but at the risk of being dubbed ‘unrealistic’, let me affirm my belief in core human values. This does not mean that I will be an unmovable stone. I need to dialogue with and learn from the young too. Reading a piece from Vatican News, I am delighted to learn from nuns the value of the kind of human communication where we listen patiently to each other’s stories which “are aimed at igniting hope in today’s media landscape” – a landscape chockful of violent human actions, of conspiracies and fake news.
Two writers, Victor Frankl, whom I reread, and Viet Thanh Nguyen, whom I discovered recently, offer me much encouragement. I end with quotes from them. In a world of heightened narcissism and egotism, Victor Frankl reminds us we should not ask, “What can I expect of the world?” but “What can the world expect of me?” Viet Thanh Nguyen tells us: “We need to be reminded of our shared humanity, we need to learn lessons from the past and we need a new generation of people to speak truth to power.”
To younger readers of this essay, I look forward to your views on what I have said here.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
