Thanks for all your posts and this thread Red. An oasis of reason and information.
I was thinking about the catalogue of measures and methods that Johnson has presided over since becoming PM. I found the website below with a top 10 tactics used by would be authoritarians. While not suggesting the current Government is on a par with Turkey or China, I can think of examples used by the current UK government - most recently the Internal Markets Bill but also recategorising Extinction Rebellion, abolition of the Electoral Commission, contracts to private companies under cover of emergency powers, limiting media access, commitments to limit the role of the judiciary, populism / blaming others - migrants, the EU..., Use of data (e.g original track and trace app), the Planning White Paper claiming an increase in democracy but proposing the removal of the right to comment on planning applications. The list goes on.
"Democracy is in trouble, despite popular uprisings. Scholars say countries across the globe are experiencing a rise in autocratic rule, with declines in democratic ideals and practice. Autocratic rule – also known as authoritarianism – is when one leader or political party exercises complete power to govern a country and its people.
Definitions of democracy vary. All citizens in a democracy have the ability to vote in elections, which should be free and fair. Independent media, freedom of speech and assembly and the rule of law feature in most contemporary perceptions of democracy.
In the old days, autocrats often came to or retained power through military coups and violent crackdowns. Now the shift from democracy to autocracy is slower and less obvious.
While control over security forces remains essential in the autocratic playbook, overt strong-arm tactics aren’t".
The author, Shelley Inglis, spent more than 15 years with the UN, where she advised governments and democracy advocates on how to strengthen the rule of law, human rights and democratic governance.
"I’ve learned that today’s leaders with authoritarian tendencies aren’t just interested in using brute force to rise to power. They are smarter, more resilient and can adjust their methods to take account of new developments, like modern technologies and a globalized economy.
Here are some of the newest tactics used by would-be authoritarians:
- Extend executive power
The mainstay of today’s authoritarianism is strengthening your power while simultaneously weakening government institutions, such as parliaments and judiciaries, that provide checks and balances.
The key is to use legal means that ultimately give democratic legitimacy to the power grab.
- Repress dissent and citizen efforts to hold government accountable
Restrictions on funding and other bureaucratic limitations silence the ability of the people to hold accountable those in power... Democracies have also jumped on this bandwagon. Limitations on permits for public protest, detention of protesters and excessive use of force to break up demonstrations are frequently used tools.
- Capture elite support and, when needed, demonize them too
Economic growth and prosperity are critical to retaining elite or oligarchical support for autocratic leaders. Whether through state-owned businesses, media conglomerates or more sophisticated connections between governments and free-market corporations, money and politics, translated into government favors for the rich, can be a toxic mix for democracy...
- Appeal to populism and nationalism
Most would-be autocratic leaders today exploit existing tensions within complex societies in order to solidify their support.
In many places, fears of migrants and refugees have fueled resurgent nationalism, driving policies like U.K.‘s Brexit...
Blaming external forces for a country’s problems.. is also common...
- Control information at home; misinform abroad
While propaganda and state-owned media is not new, control of modern technology and information has become a key battleground...
- Cripple the opposition
Damaging the opposition parties, while not completely destroying them, is now essential. Infiltrating parties, co-opting members and using pure scare tactics are some possible actions in the autocrat’s playbook. This serves the purpose of retaining a target for pseudo-political competition while also stymieing the potential for new, more democratic forces to gain traction.
- Covert election manipulation
Mostly gone are the days of vote-rigging and vote-buying as a path to power. Would-be autocrats have found cleverer ways to tilt the playing field in their favor. These new tactics include hampering media access, gerrymandering, changing election and voter eligibility rules and placing allies on electoral commissions.
- Play the emergency card
Some autocratic leaders continue to use traditional strong-arm tactics, like declaring states of emergency, to enable further repression.
Since 2001, using the threat of terrorism or organized crime has played well for furthering autocratic rule.
- Extend your model and influence
Today’s autocratic rulers are not keeping to themselves.
- Learn and share
Characterized as “autocratic learning” by scholars, national authorities... are developing and exchanging models for containing threats of social movements and the so-called “color revolutions.”
International meetings and intergovernmental clubs can provide a platform for exchange..."
"...strengthening democracy across the globe will prove impossible if even the most established democracies today fall prey to the tactics of would-be autocrats".
Shelley Inglis Executive Director, University of Dayton Human Rights Center, University of Dayton
theconversation.com/so-you-want-to-be-an-autocrat-heres-the-10-point-checklist-125908