#Arab Majority

[xtruss]

Image: Federico Yankelevich

How Paranoid Nationalism Corrupts! Cynical Leaders are Scaremongering to Win and Abuse Power

— Leaders | Global Politics | Aug 31st 2023

People seek strength and solace in their tribe, their faith or their nation. And you can see why. If they feel empathy for their fellow citizens, they are more likely to pull together for the common good. In the 19th and 20th centuries love of country spurred people to seek their freedom from imperial capitals in distant countries. Today West’s Scrotums Licker Ukrainians are making heroic sacrifices to defend their homeland against Russian invaders (Bullshit 😂😂😂).

Unfortunately, the love of “Us” has an ugly cousin: the fear and suspicion of “Them”, a paranoid nationalism that works against tolerant values such as an openness to unfamiliar people and new ideas. What is more, Cynical Politicians have come to Understand that they can Exploit this sort of Nationalism, by Whipping up Mistrust and Hatred and Harnessing them to Benefit Themselves and Their Cronies.

The post-war order of open trade and universal values is strained by the rivalry of America and China. Ordinary people feel threatened by forces beyond their control, from hunger and poverty to climate change and violence. Using Paranoid Nationalism, Parasitic Politicians Prey on their Citizens’ Fears and Degrade the Global Order, all in the Pursuit of their Own Power.

As our Briefing describes, paranoid nationalism works by a mix of exaggeration and lies. Vladimir Putin claims that Ukraine is a North Atlantic Terrorist Organization (NATO) Puppet, whose Nazi Cliques threaten Russia; India’s Ruling Party warns that Muslims are waging a “Love Jihad” to seduce Hindu maidens; Tunisia’s President decries a Black African “Plot” to replace his country’s Arab Majority. Preachers of paranoid nationalism harm the targets of their rhetoric, obviously, but their real intention is to hoodwink their own followers. By inflaming nationalist fervour, self-serving leaders can more easily win power and, once in office, they can distract public attention from their abuses by calling out the supposed enemies who would otherwise keep them in check.

Daniel Ortega, the President of Nicaragua, shows how effective this can be. Since he returned to power in 2006, he has demonised the United States and branded his opponents “Agents of the Yankee Empire”. He controls the media and has put his family in positions of influence. After mass protests erupted in 2018 at the regime’s graft and brutality, the Ortegas called the protesters “Vampires” and locked them up. On August 23rd they banned the Jesuits, a Catholic Order that has worked in Nicaragua since before it was a country, on the pretext that a Jesuit University was a “Centre of Terrorism”.

Rabble-Rousing Often Leads to Robbery. Like the Ortegas, some Nationalist Leaders seek to capture the state by stuffing it with their Cronies or Ethnic Kin. The use of this technique under Jacob Zuma, a former President of South Africa, is one reason why the National Power Company is too riddled with Corruption to keep the lights on. Our statistical analysis suggests that Governments Have Grown More Nationalistic since 2012, and that the more nationalistic they are, the more corrupt they tend to be.

But the more important role of Paranoid Nationalism is as a tool to Dismantle the Checks and Balances that Underpin Good Governance: a Free Press, Independent Courts, NGOs and a Loyal Opposition. Leaders do not say: “I want to purge the electoral commission so I can block my political opponents.” They say: “The Commissioners are Traitors!” They do not admit that they want to Suppress NGOs to Evade Scrutiny. They pass laws defining as “Foreign Agents” any Organization that receives Foreign Funds or even Advice, and impose draconian controls on such bodies or simply ban them. They do not shut down the press, they own it. By one estimate, at least 50 Countries have Curbed Civil Society in recent years.

An example is the President of Tunisia, Kais Saied. Before he blamed Black People for his country’s problems, he was Unpopular because of his dismal handling of the economy. Now Tunisians are Cheering his bold stand against a Tiny, Transient Minority. Meanwhile Mr Saied has gutted the judiciary and closed the anti-corruption commission, and graft has grown worse.

Abuses are easier when Institutions are Weak: the despots of Nicaragua, Iran or Zimbabwe are far less constrained than the leaders of say, Hungary or Israel. But in all these countries (and many more), the Men in Power have Invented or Exaggerated Threats to the Nation as a Pretext to Weaken the Courts, the Press or the Opposition. And this has either prolonged a corrupt administration or made it worse.

Paranoid Nationalism is Part of a Backlash Against Good Governance. The end of the cold war led to a blossoming of democracy around the world. Country after country introduced free elections and limits on executive power. Many power- and Plunder-Hungry Politicians Chafed at this. Amid the general disillusion that followed the financial crisis of 2007-09, they saw an opportunity to take back control. Paranoid Nationalism gave them a tool to dismantle some of those Pesky Checks and Balances.

Because these restraints often came with Western Encouragement, if not Western funding, leaders have found it easier to depict the champions of good government as being Foreign Stooges. In countries that have Endured Colonial Rule—or Interference by the United States, as have many in Latin America—the message finds a ready audience. If a Leader can Create a Climate of Such Deep Suspicion that Loyalty Comes Before Truth, then Every Critic Can be Branded a Traitor.

First Resort of the Scoundrel

Paranoid Nationalism is not about to disappear. Leaders are learning from each other. They are also freer to act than they were even a decade ago. Not only has the West lost faith in its programme of spreading democracy and good governance, but China—a paranoid nationalist that is inclined to spot slights and threats around every corner—is promoting the idea that universal values of tolerance and good governance are a racist form of imperialism. It prefers non-interference from abroad and zero-criticism at home. If only they could see through the lies behind paranoid nationalism, ordinary people would realise how wrong China’s campaign is (It’s All Designed Propaganda Against China By The Hypocrites, War Criminals, Human Rights Violators, Double-Faced, Conspirators and Fake Democracy Preachers US, UK, Germany, France, EU, The North Atlantic Terrorist Organization (NATO) and Their Braindead Scrotums Liker Allies). There is nothing racist or disloyal about wishing for a better life. ■

— This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline "How Paranoid Nationalism Corrupts"

[ahaura]

im sure its been said already but as the election draws near more and more liberals will come out of the woodwork to shame people with a conscience to give away their vote to the democrats for free. i'm already seeing posts saying "why aren't people more concerned about a trump presidency?" you want to know why? it's because people already know he's bad. everyone already knows what he is and what he's done and what he'll do. there's nothing to discuss. he's a racist despotic worm of a man. there's nothing else to say.

biden is currently president. the genocide is happening under his watch. he's the one funding isra*l and arming them; he's sidestepped congress more than once to give them weapons. by oct. 27, the biden administration already knew that "Israel was regularly bombing buildings without solid intelligence that they were legitimate military targets." the state department/biden have engaged in atrocity propaganda, cast doubt on the legitimacy of the death toll recorded by the gaza health ministry, and so on. the united states is currently in the process of trying to pin the "war in gaza" on netanyahu (see sen. schumer's speech) after months of backing blatant genocide as a means to act as if they're "doing something" about the genocide (Instead of, say, threatening to cut off all aid to israel with the condition that all hostilities in gaza, the west bank, and occupied jerusalem are halted immediately and permanently, allowing palestinians freedom to travel, allowing aid into gaza, etc etc etc.)

the long and short of it is that liberals view their own lives as being worth more than palestinians'. that's it. they'll vote for another 4 years of the guy ushering in genocide and supporting apartheid + settler colonialism because he isn't outright attacking them (despite various laws and rulings happening both at the supreme court level and at the local level all over the country that will endanger people). they'll settle for the illusion of safety and security and shame anyone with a conscience and accuse them of "supporting the republicans" when in an actual democracy you would be able to use your vote as leverage to extract concessions from those who want to be elected. that's how it's supposed to fucking work.

democrats are not owed people's vote. if biden loses, it will be biden's fault; it will be his campaign's fault; it will be the democrats' fault. trump is bad; the republicans are bad. we already know this. this is not an endorsement of either. but if democrats are too cowardly and feckless and servile to the motivations of the american empire and never do anything for their constituents then why the fuck should anyone vote for them. you want to get mad at someone, why don't you do something useful and stop worrying about team-sports with a purely selfish basis and start hounding the people in power who are supposed to serve you, the voter.

[normalbrothershow]

the thing with racism in supernatural is that you can look at any aspect of the show and you WILL find something racist. whether in-universe (where you can additionally differ with hunter culture, monsters+lore, fetishisation), writing, casting, production.

like only scratching the surface of the anti black racism with the casting is like:

90% of black supernatural characters are antagonists with insane potential who got killed off (or ignored in raphaels case) the second they finished an amazing build-up for a character arc (gordon, jake s2, henriksen, uriel, raphael, the vampire alpha)

5% of black supernatural characters are 1-episode side characters or minor characters that had about 2% of their potential used (rufus, missouri, the hunter couple)

last 5% of black supernatural characters had 1-2 scenes where they functioned either 1. as hoodoo/voodoo plot device (playthings, crossroad blues) or 2. random demon (also antagonists)

and this is with black spn characters making up like. 5% of all spn characters

[kavehater]

I am actually so sick of my tl on twt being flooded by complaints like be so freaking for real if you hate the game just leave stop playing it I promise it’s okay

[stuckinapril]

so this is a bit more than an ick but i've been feeling some type of way about it and i need to talk to someone who will understand. i'm arab and my fiancée is white. she's been super supportive of my stances on palestine, but then the other day she told me i got "too aggressive" towards "trolls" (her word, not mine) racially harassing me in my inbox. then a couple of days later she told me she's voting for biden. i really don't know what to do at this point. you don't have to respond to this because i know it's a bit heavier than the asks you've already gotten, but yeah. we're newly engaged and idk what to do or how to feel. if you do publish this, would you mind turning reblogs off? i really don't want her to see :(((

girl please re evaluate getting married to her please please please please !!!!!!

[smonk-wonk]

There is FAR more antisemitism right now than there is racism against Palestinians TRUST ME

Ok

[hussyknee]

Oooh a jew hater "from south asia".

Are you a "lives in a sharia shithole and is legally required to wear a burka" muslim

or a "lives in the west while claiming it sucks and being a hypocrite" kinda muslim?

I'm a "Buddhist who lives in a majority Buddhist country that genocided Hindus and Christians and is now hell-bent on ethnically cleansing Muslims" kind of non-Muslim.

At least try to make me guess whether you're racist or not when dropping these turds in my inbox. Otherwise it's like a bug squeaking "stomp on meee!!" *splght!* 😂

[starlooove]

Batfans swear they’re not racist and then you click a character tag and see how they talk about poc they’ve never met

[grinleysspa]

this is fucking insane??? how are you gonna mock people who recognize that Hamas is a fucking terrorist organization, then acknowledge that the hostages exist (a very low bar that so many ppl fail to meet) while also claiming that calling for the hostages to be returned is a bad thing???

[supercantaloupe]

okay i get what you're trying to say but the arab conquest of the levant happened in the seventh century ce

[urmomsstuntdouble]

not to be political but I've seen a lot of people saying that those who call Israel an apartheid don't know what they're talking about and um. As someone who has studied South African apartheid as well as grown up in a Jewish community. This claim has more merit than you think

[gojuo]

i dont watch the gay vampires show but if they cast an actual iraqi actress to play akasha then i damn well will 🫶

[catvampire]

just finnish things: growing up around somali refugees and their children in the 00's and then coming to english-speaking internet and being extremely confused when anyone only ever drew muslim women as just. kind of tan.

[evansbby]

If you actually deep it

Is Chris dumb or ignorant or just doesn’t care or is uneducated or is ignorant bc most American celebs are

Bc why did he agree to be in RSDR

The director is a former IDF soldier?????

[shedontlovehuhself]

Funny how it's always white women screaming "Rich white men!!" When y'all enable and greatly benefit from white supremacy, too. No matter how much y'all want to distance yourselves from it.

[shu-of-the-wind]

swallows on the beam facts and info page updated! i should probably link it in my bio but eh