?Left v/s Right, Liberal v/s Conservative: such terms are increasingly being heard by many a people across the world especially in the wake of Mr. Trump and Brexit.
Change v/s Order
The Liberals have always voted for change and the Conservatives for a semblance of order. However, today we are increasingly witnessing crumbling of the Liberal Left Order which was so painstakingly built after World War II. The world, after the Second World War, was led by the US preaching democracy, peace, justice and human rights. But today we have seen that heading that very nation is a person who is the exact antithesis of such values. The prospects of a right-wing surge across Germany, France and Italy are becoming much more discernible with the rise of populism and hatred for immigrants.
What could be the reasons for such a sudden surge in favour of the right-wing? Could it be due to the self-inflicted mistakes that the left has committed? Answering such questions is quite difficult and being objective is a far-off dream but the one thing that stands out clearly is that the liberal world order is in great danger of being crushed and if instead of introspection we see more venomous strikes by the left on the right then it may permanently cease to exist.
Today’s Liberal: A study in arrogance
Today the liberals have manifested themselves into an avatar which can be best described as “stone-age liberals”. They seem to have created a type of halo image around themselves that reeks of arrogance, superiority and stupidity. Anyone who is not a follower of their values is attacked viciously. For instance, Mrs. Clinton labeled the supporters of Mr. Trump as “deplorable” and here in India, Mr. Aiyar, Congress MP, who with his usual air of Stephanian superiority and speaking immaculate English looked down upon a Chai-wala and invited him to “sell tea”. This remark was greatly exploited by the chai-wala and it handed him the Prime-Ministership on a ready platter.
Today’s liberal has ensconced himself in an ivory-tower which has lost its touch with the ground realities. The liberals are not in a position to understand the people’s anger, console their grievances, concede that they too could be wrong. With the backlash they have had to face due to their laxity and lack of foresight and vision about the impending doom on their self-proclaimed values they are, instead of contemplating as to how and what did they do which has landed them in such a situation, striking back with more passion and ferocity thus alienating the people much more and pushing them on the other side of the ideological table. This, instead of healing the bruised wounds, is going to deepen it more and more.
It would be advisable for the liberal of today to stop at once and thoroughly self-examine his/her mistakes or else just like orange has become the new black, conservative might become the new liberal!
By Ameya Vombathkere