The Hour Of The Strong Man: The West Is No Longer Able To Produce A "Strong Man"
12 March 2018
By Ghassan Charbel
The belief has been that the age of the strong leaders ended with the past
century. Their emergence was linked to extraordinary developments in the
fabric of wars of independence or world wars. Observing latest developments
demonstrate that the challenges of this century are no less demanding than the
previous one, even if the circumstances and factors have changed.
It appears that our time is awaiting a strong man. One who is able to open the
windows of hope, garner good will, bridge distances and make initiatives when
others hesitate. A man who breaks the paralysis and dares to think outside the
box. We need people of vision, decision-makers and those with a strong will to
overcome the difficult challenges.
Sometimes the emergence of an extraordinary man prevents a country from
falling into the abyss it was headed towards. This man reawakens the dreams of
the youth and allows them to take part in deciding a country's fate. He averts
bloody conflicts and fatal collapses.
The West is no longer able to produce a "strong man". Democracy fears the
powerful, who harbor a deep-rooted dream for unlimited power. This is why the
West has grown adept at devising formulas that can rein in their dreams.
Unforgiving constitutions. The minute he celebrates a victory, he is aware of
the date of his departure. Parliament will not hesitate in putting obstacles
in his way. The public will not hesitate in pouncing on any slip-up. The traps
of the opposition and journalists will bleed the president's reputation. Blood
will be shed on a daily basis on social media. It is clear that democracies
are banking on the role of institutions and their continuity, not on an
all-powerful leader.
The West, however, despite its advancement and enlightenment, is not the whole
world. Wrong are those who believe that the global village will scramble to
adopt the example that declared victory after the fall and suicide of the
Soviet Union. We are now witnessing the confusion of the global arena at the
rise of boxers who are difficult to be labeled as democratic, at least in the
western sense.
The situation in the West is well-known. The United States and the world are
hanging on the words of a tweeting president. The German chancellor was able
to remain in her post, but election results tarnished her image. The honeymoon
between the man in the Elysee and the French people is coming to an end. The
lady in 10 Downing Street is struggling in leading the divorce from the
European Union.
The situation in China is completely different than the one in the global
village. We are witnessing the birth of the Mao Zedong of the 21st century.
There are some who believe that China is preparing to live under the reign of
a new emperor. It is wrong to believe that the development there does not
concern us. We are speaking here about a country of 1.4 billion people and the
world's second strongest economy.
A few days ago, the Communist Party of China surprised the world when it
removed the two-term limit clause in the constitution. The party also proposed
introducing President Xi Jinping's thought into the constitution. This is an
honor that none of Mao's predecessors enjoyed. This simply means that Xi's
voyage with China will be open-ended. The 2023 end date of his current term is
now just a stop in a lifelong presidency that is envied by President Donald
Trump, who admires Xi.
It is clear that Xi succeeded in the past five years in paving the way for an
open-ended stay on Mao's throne. He tamed the army generals and barons of war.
He led a strict campaign against corruption that toppled major and stubborn
figures. Whoever is observing the situation in China realizes the significance
of this coup. In 1982, the party forced the leader to leave after he completed
two terms. It sought to avoid the emergence of a strong figure. It avoided the
emergence of a man, who enjoys freedom to act as he wished, similar to Mao,
especially in wake of the cultural revolution that led to major human and
economic losses.
The prevalent belief in the West was that Russia, which was rising from the
rubble of the Soviet Union, would follow in the footsteps of western countries
and be inspired to establish a democracy despite a long stay under
single-party rule. This did not happen. Since the beginning of the century,
Russia has been ruled by a man who succeeded in forming a Russian version of
democracy. A guaranteed parliament and press. An ongoing crackdown on civil
society and a lack of independent public opinion that can express opposition
and demand accountability.
A strong leader called Vladimir Putin was born. He reshaped the internal
scene, his country's image abroad and its standing among major powers. The man
holds all the strings and running in election is a cakewalk for him. He has
regained Crimea and destabilized Ukraine. He intervened militarily in Syria
and imposed his role on the regional and international scenes.
China is also headed towards unprecedented challenges. Its rise sparks
concerns among countries near and far. The Belt and Road initiative is a clear
demonstration of its aspiration to play an exceptional role in the global
economy, and eventually the political arena. The position of the world's most
powerful economy for decades to come makes it a viable rival in major tussles
with the US.
On the internal scene, the challenges are not simple. Preserving a high
development rate. Preserving stability in a society that is witnessing demands
for improvement among millions of its people, who want to take part in drawing
the future of their country. This is not possible however within the current
party rules. The process of modernity and catching up with the successive
technological revolutions. Dealing with the digital revolution and
transforming each citizen into a journalist, publisher and witness.
Given these factors, the Communist Party in China pave the way for the "strong
leader" phenomenon. Perhaps it sensed that a permanent leader was necessary on
the internal and foreign scenes for the upcoming phase. The need to preserve
prosperity and stability combined. The need to advance China towards the
position of major player on the international scene. Perhaps this is why some
believe that Putin's latest war speech that was directed to the West was not a
stance. The primary competitor to the strong man in the Kremlin is the strong
man sitting on Mao's throne, which is not very far from Russia.
Ghassan Charbel is the editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper
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