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item0074A  1040, 1041

1040   1 November 2004  

The politics
of religion

With very large electorates, the mobilisation of voter-support is a crippling problem for professional politicians.  Democratic election, with all its faults, may well be the least objectionable way of appointing and dismissing Governments.  But the larger the electorate, the more difficult it becomes to focus electoral attention on a specific proposal, a specific “Government”.

The US and Indian electorates have long been the largest in the world, and have therefore had to pioneer new electoral techniques.

It should not be a surprise that “religion” has come to play a key role, in both electorates. With huge electorates, the search for high-level unifying themes takes the spinners easily into the realm of quasi-religious generalisations, and then into religion itself.  In the 1990s, the Hindu BJP Government took power in Delhi, having played the religious card.  And the US electoral process has now been hi-jacked by a crude fundamentalist Christianity.  This right-wing Republican coalition is reported to have been systematically organised, over a period of four years, as the foundation of its electoral success.

  • As a mere amateur scribbler in political matters, I have often thought that the mobilisation of common commitment, within large electorates, demands thinking akin to “religion”.  Politicians are called upon to generate a series of persuasive generalisations which do not condescend to confusing detail. 

Those are the sought-after “Big Ideas” of democratic politics, the coherent narratives.  Without them, it is impossible to keep followers focused on the wider, unifying horizon – and to get them to the polls.   The US neo-Con Right has just clung onto power by hi-jacking the ill-informed simplicities of American Christianity.    

  • We, on the European liberal Left, have no comparable atavistic certainties to fall back on.  The challenge to us is to generate a new faith in human rights and in the open societies which honour them.

How is this wave of religiosity in politics to be countered?  Drop me a line

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1041  22 November 2004  

Hello Roger (from US PhD)

 I enjoy your website - but more importantly, I am glad to see that there is some sanity here in the UK.   I'm an American here in the UK for a PhD - I just got here, and I am honestly shocked at how little liberty exists in Britain.  From ID card
talk and national registries and bureaucracies. to this recent proposal to quash nearly everything thru’ a concept of "anti-social behaviour" .

Honestly, I don't know how Brits put up with this level of government intrusion - perhaps it is the welfare state - it was brought in at the beginning of this century to prevent Bolshevism.  All this mindless trust of the Government - how much are people beaten down in their school/formative years - is it the Dickensian beatings?

America is not much better right now, I admit - with the blanket "terrorism" term thrown around for everything.  But at least we have a Constitution as a bargaining chip (if it is not re-written by Scalia et al in the next few years…)

In short, I think I might visit your website again.

 Regards
Al Cadge  (pseudonym)

Dear Al  

You are right to be astonished - we Brits have lost our way on the civil liberties front in recent years, and that is a matter of the gravest possible concern.  All political parties are guilty of a self-serving spinelessness which is unforgivable - no, it's not beaten into us, but the English are a subservient lot, well-accustomed to the ol' devil class, which casts its dark shadow over too much of English life, and induces an almost natural subordination to Government. 

Remember we have never had a "Revolution", the "People" have never beaten "the Government", historically.  I am sceptical about written Constitutions - indeed, you do not seem to be much protected by yours, at the moment (and it could get much, much worse...)  But one thing we do know - it's good to talk, and to debate - thanks for writing.

Roger WE

the Newcastle E

What do you think?  Drop me a line

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