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The Accelerator
Stupid actions always have dire consequences
Back in 2009 The Economist magazine naively argued that despite the strong historical correlation between major economic downturns and an upswing in populism/nationalism, the 2007–2008 global recession had not led to the rise of populist Parties and politicians.
One can only wish that The Economist would hire journalists with a more adequate grasp of affairs.
Needless to say, by the end of 2016 it was apparent to even the most innocent journalist that a tsunami of mindless populism was sweeping the globe. Today, very few nations have escaped the toxic effects of populism/nationalism and to many observers it seems we are doomed to return to the stupidities of the 1930s, not least because we failed to learn anything at all from the history of those times.
Some years ago I wrote a book called Why Democracy Failed, in which I argued that representative democracy was an accidental outcome of unique historical factors and was able to stumble along for nearly two hundred years due entirely to the many impediments that precluded its proper implementation. Since World War II, however, those impediments have been removed one by one, and so representative democracy’s systemic flaws are now exposed.
The result: near-total dysfunction.
