A weak left and other reasons for right wing forces' "victory" in Brazil, other countries

Brazil's far right leader Jair Bolsonaro

By Sheshu Babu*
With the far right victory in Brazil, many analysts are predicting domination of right-wing ideology in the coming years. This may sound true, as elections in many countries reflect this, but deeper analysis might reveal the actual state of affairs.
Supporters of right point out at the outset that left ideology is on the decline. When compared to the days after Russian and Chinese revolution after World War-II, there is a perceptible setback to leftist rule, as many nations which had communist and socialist governments are being headed by right wing fundamentalists now. After Lenin, Stalin, Mao etc., there have been very few leaders, who could gain confidence of people and lead them from the front.
Noah Milliman ("Why are right wing populists winning everywhere?" October 30, 2018, theweek.com) says, "...anxiety about order traditionally pushes the public to embrace parties of the right, who most credibly promise to restore order, whether... fighting crime or preserving a familiar culture. And anger at corruption and elite self dealing quite naturally drive the public to drive to punish established leadership and give new comers a try and to seek out newcomers who viscerally share their frustration."

The setback may prove costly if the problems remain unaddressed for their future.

Real statistics

In reality, the right wingers assume office by thin margin and manipulation through divisive tactics. For example, in India, the right wing had less than one-third of the people's support. In US, Trump, whose victory was termed landslide, was in fact, very close one. The percentage of votes won by Trump is hardly a comparison by historical standards ("Trump Landslide? Nope, Robert Farley", posted on November 29, 2016, www.factcheck.org).
John Pitney, a professor of American Politics at Claremont McKenna college, put together a chart showing Electoral College Share and showed that Trump ranked 46 out of 58 out of US presidential elections. There were also claims of illegal voters influencing elections, which raised controversy.
The myth of 'far right' victory in Brazil can be busted by statistical analysis. The boycott of elections by 42 million registered voters who did not go to polls or voted void or blank, is one of the largest electoral boycott in recent history. The actual number may be even higher as many adults had their titles canceled and young people of 16 to 18 years did not issue the electoral document out of discredit and repudiation of the farcical processes (October 30, 2018, anovademocracia.com).
According to TSE calculations, about 30% of eligible Brazilian voters did not choose any of the candidates by abstaining or voting void or blank. Abstentions alone amounted to 20% of the eligible electorate. Even with vast coverage of press and campaign, Bolsonaro could muster 39% which is closer to abstentions and boycott votes.
The campaign by people's movements made people realize the futility of false democracy and need for a change in the system for a new democratic revolution. The historic boycott reflects growing dissatisfaction with the present democratic set up and step towards emergence of popular struggles to protect workers rights as well as focus the crisis in dominant classes.

Need for mobilization

Discontent with the present system is latent in most countries. Right wingers are taking advantage of the growing unrest and, with the help of modern technology along with constant rhetoric of fanaticism, nationalism, false promises of rooting out corruptions, etc. are influencing docile masses to garner just enough votes to gain majority.
In some cases, the whole electoral machinery is being manipulated in such a way that the results declared show ' thumping' majority which is just ' simple' majority ("Erdogan of Turkey wins narrow referendum victory, April 17, 2017, washingtonpost.com, and "Philippines Duterte wins decisive victory", May 10, 2016, www.wsj.com), with controversy on counting of votes) . This reflects that ' elected' persons or parties do not enjoy majority support to rule.
The 'weak' left is unable to mobilise and channel dissatisfaction into potent force and struggle against the bourgeois democratic set up. If sincere leadership takes up the total responsibility of directing and monitoring masses towards a new welfare democracy, this is the opportune time for fruitful and successful struggles.
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*Writer from anywhere and every where, supports egalitarian society and freedom of expression

India's nuclear euphoria: The hard economics policymakers ignore

By Shankar Sharma* There is a sort of newfound euphoria sweeping India with respect to nuclear power — and in particular, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). In political speeches, policy documents, and newspaper editorials, the word "nuclear" has acquired a fresh, almost romantic glow, as though a technology once synonymous with catastrophe at Chernobyl and Fukushima has been quietly reinvented. To be sure, the challenges of climate change and India's growing electricity demand are real and urgent. But enthusiasm is not a substitute for analysis. A hard look at the global evidence, the domestic cost picture, and the practical hurdles of nuclear deployment raises questions that this national conversation urgently needs to confront.

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