It seems that authoritarianisms are more and more in vogue on the planet.
First, political authoritarianisms are on the rise almost everywhere. It is not just the slippage of American democracy that is of concern. South America and the countries of the East see some of their countries being added to the list of contenders for the title of a league which includes the traditional champions of the category. Added to these suitors is also a list of aspirants who train seriously, often in the shadows. Globally, democracy seems to be losing its feathers. His life expectancy, still rising yesterday, raises more and more doubts. Several analysts announce an imminent death. There is no doubt that the defenders of democracy will have to give a big push if they want
get up from a predicted fall.
We must add cultural authoritarianisms. The finest example is very close to us. The immemorial reality of interbreeding and multiculturalism is instrumentalized to justify, as self-evident, a policy of multiculturalism. The recent outings of Bob Rae and Irwin Cotler against Quebec’s law on secularism clearly illustrate the inability of our Canadian elites to accept cultural differences. The British culture, which places the Queen at the same time on the throne of the State and on the seat of the Church, is quite different from the European continental culture based on the separation of Church and State. Federal multiculturalism stops at the door of the cultures of peoples to remain on the doormat of the folkloric or religious traditions of the claiming communities. Canadian multiculturalism, in the name of diversity and tolerance, only respects differences that make no difference, like all countries which, by sticking state and religion together, cannot accept secularism and its demands.
Finally, the new intellectual authoritarianisms that are flourishing, among others, in our universities. The ideological, theoretical or conceptual differences are not new. What seems new is the hegemonic desire for new ideologies and theories that do not support either debate, contestation or confrontation of facts. Reducing all the dynamics of our advanced societies to simple parameters of identity, gender or race, their hypersensitivity or susceptibility seems to be more about thinness than skin color. Dogmatically convinced of the superiority of their faith, they distribute, often thanks to social networks, condemnations, excommunications, dismissals, banishments, cancellations, harassment and violence. […]
As a sign of the times, the rise of these authoritarianisms does not bode well for our collective capacities to face the complex challenges that await us.