On Political Violence, International Law, and Democratic-Republics
Violence is working its way into the United States’ political system. Recently, several Democratic Party officials were mailed pipe bombs, the country endured a shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pa., and a man murdered two African-Americans in Louisville, Ky. Portland, Ore. has endured regular instances of political violence in the street. In New York City, street fighting broke out in front of the Metropolitan Republican Club in New York where Gavin McInnes, a far-right ideologue, gave a speech. After he completed the speech, he was surrounded by members of the group called Proud Boys, a self-described “western chauvinist” organization. The Proud Boys confronted a group of Antifa protesters and an episode of violence unfolded and criminal charges were filled by 12 people.
Writer Brandon Jetter, in his story “Political Violence as a Symptom of Democracy in Decline,” sees incidents – by non-state actors – as signs of a democracy in decline. He states that the gradual escalation of violence in a democratic-republic almost always leads to something worse. Those who are involved in such violence often see the world as being divided into good and evil and make the evil the target of their violence. A vibrant democratic-republic requires faith in democratic ways such as the respect for winners and losers in elections and a respect for the civil liberties of others. In a democratic society, the body politic must accept the idea that others can think and speak out for something they might or might not believe in. When one results to political violence, regardless of the cause, they are expressing a lack of faith in peaceful, democratic ways because they feel they can achieve their aim through extra-democratic ways.
Society has advanced technologically throughout human history and most economies can deliver products that would have not existed in years past. However, the increasingly advancing technology has also created weapons capable of destroying on a mass scale – nuclear weapons are a prime example. We have the erosion of the idea of international law and diplomacy in the Donald Trump Administration, as the President has withdrawn from the Iran Nuclear Deal and the Paris Climate accords and has also talked of withdrawing from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty.
The establishment of treaties requires that the countries entering into the treaties trust each other enough to follow the agreement, or at least enough trust exists that all sides commit to procedures for following the agreement and an alternative plan if some do not. Politically motivated violence and a lack of respect for democratic ways brings about a state of mistrust of others in the country in which you live. This mindset isn’t friendly to the internationalist mindset that is necessary for the establishment of international law. It invites a bunker mentality where an individual, as a part of a group, is threatened by another group or groups. The foreign policy of Trump speaks of a distrust for other countries, just look at the President’s attitude toward treaties and his attitude toward alliances like the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance.
Trump’s style of politics, called authoritarian democracy or right-wing populism by some, is similar to other political leaders like Marine Le Pen in France, Nigel Farage in the UK, and Victor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungry. All of these leaders voice a distrust of some in their own countries and of multilateral institutions.
The problem with these international divisions is that we now possess weapons, like nuclear weapons, that are capable of killing millions and millions. For the sake of international law and order, these movements must be defeated.
