News that the UK Supreme Court had struck down as unlawful Boris Johnson's move to suspend Parliament came as a welcome distraction as I was tussling with the first chapter of my PhD today. Self-identified liberals were jubilant as it reinforced their faith in one of the most important institutions of liberal democracies--a judiciary independent of the government. I am not so sure it is such a game-changer. The rules of engagement in politics are changing, and the right-wing governments that have swept into power in many countries across the globe don't play by the old rules. If they are powerful enough, they rewrite the rules to suit them, as they are doing in India. But, there is no guarantee they will play by these new rules if they start to work against them. In fact, I worry more about when the rightwing is in decline because that is when the real violence will start. Fascists don't give up power without a ruinous war.
But putting aside these dismal scenarios for the moment, and putting my wonky hat on: It is times like these when fundamental questions about power and legitimacy become fascinating. Questions such as where does a particular political configuration draw its power and legitimacy from. Money, Military Power, a broad democratic consensus achieved sometimes by lying to the people?
But putting aside these dismal scenarios for the moment, and putting my wonky hat on: It is times like these when fundamental questions about power and legitimacy become fascinating. Questions such as where does a particular political configuration draw its power and legitimacy from. Money, Military Power, a broad democratic consensus achieved sometimes by lying to the people?
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