Liberalism runs into national populism (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: International Relations
Prelims level: G-20
Mains level: Impact of globalization

• Just before the G-20 meeting in Osaka in June this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin made headlines in the world media with an interview which he stated that liberalism had “become obsolete”.

Defining liberalism?

• This complex term, much used in India today in various contexts of opposition to the present Union government and used in a derogatory sense by supporters of the government in respect of its detractors might broadly encompass three definitions.
• There is economic liberalism, which ‘emphasises free competition and the self-regulating market, and which is commonly associated with globalisation and minimal state intervention in the economy’.
• There is political liberalism, which for most commentators is founded on ‘belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human being, the autonomy of the individual, and standing for political and civil liberties’ as laid out in various United Nations Covenants.
• And then there is social liberalism, ‘linked to the protection of minority groups, and such issues as LGBTQ rights and same-sex marriage’.
• Liberalism has been the dominant socio-political ideology in the West since the end of the Second World War, where it has been regarded as the norm until recently.
• The financial downturn in 2008 marked a major turning point, with impunity for corrupt bankers and an attempt to return to status quo globalisation that allowed markets to determine everything and led to major questions of identity and culture.
• Now globalisation is heading for a backlash, leading to protection, local solutions and stronger nation states, and the growing conclusion that liberalism needs urgently to justify itself by addressing issues of inequality and the loss of a sense of community.

Liberty vs. protest

• The Russian President’s position is that ‘his country has a specific and different kind of civilisation, where sovereignty trumps democracy and national unity, and stability trumps human rights’.
• Western-style liberalism that prioritises individual rights over those of society is regarded as a ‘challenge to his style of government’, which presents an alternative model.
• The same view is shared by China.
• The desire for liberty is recognised as universal, but the freedom to protest in unauthorised demonstrations and wilfully shatter the economy and tourism as in Hong Kong, or the freedom to blaspheme and outrage the sentiments of the devout, as in the French Charlie Hebdo case, or the freedom to bear arms as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, are only random examples that show that liberty has limitations, even if they are self-imposed.
• Russia and China, with good reason, believe that unauthorised demonstrations open the way to foreign interference and ‘colour revolutions’.

Conclusion

• No country has found the golden mean between free-range liberalism and statism.
• When liberal government and liberal models are under pressure even in the flagship West, it is probably ‘as good a time as any for Mr. Putin to make his case’.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) Which of the following countries is/are members of BASIC Grouping?
1. China
2. India
3. Brazil
4. Russia
5. Sri Lanka
6. South America

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
A. 1, 2 and 3 only
B. 1, 2, 3 and 6 only
C. 2, 3 and 6 only
D. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 only

Correct Answer: A
Mains Questions:
Q.1) Define liberalism. How liberalism can put into national populism?