Authoritarian leaders thrive on fear. We need to help people feel safe | Michele Gelfand
by Michele Gelfand from Science | The Guardian on (#4XB3T)
Across the world, voters are falling prey to leaders who appeal to their worst instincts. Why?
With every new year, I typically set aside some time to write down what I'm grateful for. Health, family, friends, books, jazz, my dog, among other things. This year I added something I've been taking for granted. It's democracy.
Like many of us, I have worried about the rising tide of rightwing populism, nationalism and polarisation across the world. Within just a few years, we've witnessed the election of Donald Trump in the US, the Brexit decision in the UK, the rise of Matteo Salvini in Italy, Victor Orbin in Hungary, the Freedom party in Austria and the Law and Justice party in Poland. The world's largest democracy, India, is menaced by a newly virulent nationalism and xenophobia.
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