By Yona Nonglang
An intolerant, raucous, polarised and partisan posturing can be rather unpalatable to people who desire a more level-headed and less feral approach to political discourse. Fortunately, there’s always an alternative to extremism. And those who prefer this option are not some unimaginative, spineless weaklings who are too timid to join the either/or crowd. It, actually, takes sagacity and moral fortitude to be not swept away by the tidal wave of viciousness that is sweeping whole communities because of the many forms of political radicalism.
Indeed, on an almost universal scale, the insularly regressive and the free-wheelingly progressive have been busy making the loudest and most divisive noises through the various broadcasting outlets of our tech-abundant, albeit, tech-naïve generation.
The calculated engineering and amplifying of various controversial disputes and the escalating of clashes of opinions on a whole host of social and economic issues have been the convenient publicity grabbing methods of the Johnnies-come-lately, the Johnnies-come-hungriest, the swaggering-nihilists and the unabashed “moralists” among us. So what, even if they’re sowing needless hostile sentiments and injecting hysteria into the minds of many a gullible victim of their machinations! Sending whole societies into existential mayhem seems to be the stratagem of anarchic resourcefulness, anyway.
And the question uppermost in people’s minds is the oft repeated FOR WHAT? In a world full of twisted logics, those who are the problem can also easily make it look like they’re the only solution, too. And so, it has been, that in a world that’s grown comfortable with twisted logics, self-proclaimed saviours of the very same societies they had helped push to the brink of self-inflicted ruin, get propelled into public offices that are too dignified and too laden with responsibility for them to handle. At the end of the day, these are the societies that end up descending lower into the nadirs of dystopian existence.
And so, thank goodness, for the people who choose to not capitulate to the belligerent mind-set of the day. And what a relief that there’s still a section of the general public that dares to break free from the shackles of the binary mind-set of radicalism.
For the love of our common humanity, all the children and the future that awaits them, let’s not forget that the best thing about democracy is the fact that ordinary members of the public have the power to change whole political trends by either re-electing or replacing governments through the simple act of participation in the voting process.
As of now, while most countries are stuck in some never ending cycle of policy deadlock because of polarised politicking, thankfully, some European countries have been seizing their moment of opportunity for the better way forward by deciding on a less bellicose political narrative. It’s been remarkable how they’ve managed to silence divisive and intolerant rhetoric with the sheer power of their ballot. Even if it meant handing over the reins of power to utter neophytes, as in the case of France, because its people saw the need to reinvent their political system by propelling into power a presidential candidate and his legislators who speak a civilised, conciliatory and moderate political language.
Indeed, entrusting such an enormously complex, nuanced and comprehensive power of national and transnational magnitude to virtual unknowns in public service was a ground-breaking and courageous decision in these very troubling days of radicalism. It could have either been a foolhardy experiment on one hand, but, it could also prove to be a judicious move on the part of the people of France.
As for the post-election bickering over numbers, that less than fifty percent of the French population voted in the parliamentary rounds, it has been more of a trivial and inconsequential case of your grapes are sour, to say the least. The fact of the matter is, Mr. Macron and La République En Marche are now legitimately occupying the highest political offices of their country.
Besides, what actually needs to be considered noteworthy is, how that section of the French population, that felt it was their civil duty to show up for voting on Election Day, succeeded in cementing the authority of Mr. Macron and his party colleagues. And, more importantly, even if only for the time being, that that percentage of the electorate, has also, on behalf of the whole of France, managed to put a stop to the xenophobia that had been threatening to dominate their political landscape for a number of years.
No doubt, it’s up to Mr. Macron and his party’s legislators to prove whether or not they’re deserving of the trust and expectations of their countrymen and women. Time, indeed, will tell. But don’t we so wish, that, for once, in our own generation, we might get to witness an administration, formed by a newly created political party, deliver its promises to an electorate that was willing to give it a chance to lead their country forward?
If that, indeed, would be the case, Mr. Macron and En Marche will not only win a second term of office, France could also end up being a political beacon in a century that is, so far, ravaged by mindless greed, inequality, anger, violence and this ever present binary, opportunistic and anarchistic mind-set that has been killing reasonable dialogue in the public square.
(Yona Nonglang is the author of ‘TEILANG’ and ‘THE WAY AS THEY SEE IT,’ which are available online as e-books).