[SAVING DEMOCRACY FROM THE DEMAGOGUES]
“……the demagogues – or their advisers – know what they’re doing.
Either instinctively or explicitly, they understand the irrational ways in which we react to threat, and know that, to win, they must stop us from thinking.
…….If we don’t break this spiral, it could drag us down to a very dark place indeed.
So what can we do?”
“How, in particular, do we discuss genuinely alarming situations,……..without triggering threat reactions?
The first thing the science tells us is this: treat everyone with respect.
The stupidest thing you can possibly do, if you want to save democracy, is to call your opponent gammon.
Never get drawn into a shouting match, however offensive the other person might be.”
“Don’t be distracted by attempts to manufacture outrage: bring the conversation back to the topics you want to discuss.
We should emulate the calm strength….which responds to the tidal wave of nastiness…..
After studying the success or failure of other political movements, Extinction Rebellion has developed a protocol for activism that looks like a model of good political psychology.”
“It uses humour to deflect aggression, distributes leaflets explaining the action and apologising for the disruption, trains activists to resist provocation, and runs de-escalation workshops, teaching people to translate potential confrontations into reasoned conversation.
It urges “active respect” towards everyone, including the police.
By setting up people’s assemblies, it seeks to create a civic space in which other voices can be heard.”
“…..Stephen Porges, the neuroscientist whose work has done so much to explain our reflexes, points out, our brains don’t allow us to experience compassion for others until we feel safe.
Creating calm spaces in which to explore our differences is an essential step towards rebuilding democratic life.
All this might sound like common sense. It is. But understanding how our minds function helps us to see when they are unconsciously working for the demagogues.
Breaking the spiral means restoring the mental state that allows us to think.”
– GEORGE MONBIOT