The Future of Democracy Newsletter: September 2017

Our September 11, 2017, topic was Overcoming Extremism.

​We discussed writings by a number of writers on the subject of extremism. Arno Michaelis is the author of My Life after Hate ​(2012). He was the leader of a White Supremacist group and metal band that received considerable notoriety. He discusses how he and friends continually looked for fights while in a drunken racist stupor: 

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Between benders I immersed myself in racist dogma, taking in only information that supported the tenuous premise that the white race was at once mighty and fragile and in dire need of conservation by any means possible. And there is plenty of information out there if you choose to spin it that way: blacks and Latinos commit crimes, Jews make movies and own banks…

​Eventually, after the birth of his daughter and compassionate treatment by members of minorities he once despised, he turned his attitude and life around. He now frequently appears on talk shows where he expounds on how the racist ideology he once promoted nearly destroyed his life and the lives of those around him. A quote from near the end of the book is clear about the lessons he learned and wants to share with others: 

Every minute you spend hating someone is a hole in your life…. Believing in the basic goodness of humanity — especially the basic goodness of those who seem evil — is how it’s-done.

We then discussed a recent article in the Washington Post: “The road to hate: For six young men, Charlottesville is only the beginning.” The article confirms the disenfranchisement of those in hate groups. They see the world as conspiring against them and their interests. They are willing to fight (and sometimes die) to defend what they see as a threat by other groups of their rights — and their very being.

For her book Terror in the Name of God (2004), Jessica Stern interviewed terrorists of many backgrounds. They were willing to speak to her because of her ability to listen to them and their hope that their story would be told. This shows that all people seek recognition and understanding, while many justify violence to get that recognition. She speaks with confirmed and convicted terrorists of Christian, Jewish and Muslim backgrounds, and finds that they have much in common: 

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Religious terrorists know themselves to be perfectly good. To be crystal clear about one’s identity, to know one’s group is superior to all others, to make purity one’s motto, and perfection of the world one’s life work — this is a kind of bliss.

Stern believes that the “war on terror” as we have been conducting it is doomed to fail because our attacks on terrorist groups only confirm their view that we represent evil. This also helps their recruiting efforts. Rather, we need to make an effort, as she has, to recognize the reasons that people become extremists:

Unless we understand the appeal of participating in extremist groups and the seduction of finding one’s identity in opposition to the Other, we will not get far in our attempts to stop terrorism.… The terrorism we are fighting is a seductive idea, not a military target.

​The best way to combat extremism is to become models for promoting our values:

Values at the core of the American system and in many other parts of the world are worth defending and reaffirming in the face of assault. The first is that every human being is inestimably valuable, whatever his race, gender, or religion. Another is our commitment to the freedom of religion, but not freedom to murder for religious reasons…. We need to avoid giving in to spiritual dread, and to hold fast to the best of our principles, by emphasizing tolerance, empathy, and courage.

In Eichmann in Jerusalem (1963), Hannah Arendt covered Eichmann’s trial for the New Yorker. Her comments make it clear that those who commit the most atrocious crimes have much in common with the views of all extremist philosophies:

The longer one listened to him, the more obvious it became that his inability to speak was closely connected with his inability to think, namely, to think from the standpoint of someone else. … “The battle of destiny for the German people” made self-deception easier … [and promoted the view that] the Germans … must annihilate their enemies or be annihilated. 

Members of hate groups learn to dehumanize those that they become to believe deserve extermination:

It was of great political interest to know how long it takes an average person to overcome his innate repugnance toward crime, and what exactly happens to him once he has reached that point.

​Living in what we call a democracy is no guarantee against the violation of human rights, as we have seen in our own country and many others. From The Future of Democracy:

Democracy has the potential to improve our lives by creating a more just world. Many use the term “democracy” to focus on individual preferences and their own needs, rather than on what benefits the whole. Terms such as “liberty” can refer to what works best to preserve individual rights, or on the intent by some to impose their will on others. If only considered to be rule of the majority, democracy has the potential, by those who pervert it, to crush individual liberties. At that point it no longer really is democracy. The direction of true democracy must be played out in respectful interactions by those whose lives are affected, with the interests of all kept in mind. 

What do all of the above views have in common?

1. Human beings tend to generalize about themselves and others. We easily can demonize those we consider different from us and blame them for the circumstances of our lives or world. This is the first step toward considering others less than human and deserving of being shunned or even eliminated.
   
   
2. Everyone wants to be heard and considered valid human beings. Those in extremist groups have come to believe that their own value depends on disparaging the value of others. But another way to interact is to affirm the value of each human being — which also lifts our own human value — in the hope that the gap between us can be bridged.
   
   
3. We often emphasize what is wrong in our lives and world, rather than identifying our vision and how to move toward that direction. The vision of democracy is providing for the greatest possible recognition of the value of every human being. We have moved closer to this vision over the last 200+ years but it must continually be discussed and redefined to be an ongoing, living reality.
   
   
4. Our vision of the recognition of the value of each and every human being can be pursued at all levels of human interaction, including the personal, institutional, and political. We don’t need to wait for the world to change to make a dent in extremism. What does make a difference is keeping that vision in mind in our daily actions. This is more easily said than done, but it is more than just a principle or philosophy; it only can come about in everyday practice with others. We always have a choice of engaging — or not — in a war of words with those we consider evil. Physical wars often begin with word wars. The alternative is to engage in constructive dialogue toward a common vision and discuss how best to enact that vision.
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5. Hatred is a feeling of condemnation that we project onto others who may or may not experience it. Thus when we condemn others we also condemn ourselves. In the words of Nelson Mandela:
   
   “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” (Long Walk to Freedom)
   
   
6. Of course we must respond if we are attacked, and be prepared for that possibility. But dwelling on a war-like vision — rather than a vision of the world we want to live in — makes us more likely to move toward conflict and war.

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