As all the time, the traditional knowledge is flawed.
Within the aftermath of the jarring occasions that rattled South Korea earlier this week, the moment consensus among the many immediate “consultants” who rushed to clarify why South Korea’s besieged president, Yoon Suk-yeol, declared martial legislation, was that the failed gambit amounted to, in impact, a determined act of nostalgia.
Yoon made his shocking and authoritarian-steeped transfer for slim and broad causes with the obvious help of the nation’s traditionally democracy-allergic army.
Clearly, the first motivation was to stave off the authorized and parliamentary wolves nipping at his weak heels and to return to these bucolic, not-so-distant days when South Korea was dominated with a ruthless and uncompromising fist.
That’s the reason Yoon’s botched “tactical manoeuvre” took South Koreans and the commentariat off guard – martial legislation was thought of a passe relic; a blunt, autocratic instrument extra consistent with yesterday than at this time.
Incorrect. Incorrect. Incorrect.
Authoritarianism is in vogue. The gravitational pull of the mythic “strongman” who is aware of repair advanced issues with easy, easy-to-absorb rhetoric designed to persuade the gullible that reduction and the solutions are readily at hand, is as irresistible at this time because it was yesterday.
The rule of legislation, opposition events, a “free press,” and the courts are irritating nuisances that forestall the “pricey chief” from defeating the conniving “communist” enemies who’re intent on destroying the nation’s “cloth” and soul from inside.
Plucked from Chapter 1 of the authoritarian playbook, Yoon parroted that predictable line throughout his late night address on Tuesday in defence of his draconian determination to ship within the troops.
Yoon deployed the army – the state’s armed instruments of worry and intimidation – in a blatant effort to silence and probably jail his adversaries and pressure South Koreans to capitulate to his dictatorial designs.
It’s that very same cynical, however efficient, information {that a} host of “strongmen” in a bunch of nations have exploited to attain energy or try to seize it to fulfill their lust for retribution and vengeance and to keep away from, by glad coincidence, the dock.
As I watched Yoon attempt to wrest absolute authority by no matter means crucial, one title sprang to thoughts: Donald Trump.
I’m satisfied that Yoon appeared right into a mirror just lately and noticed Trump’s reflection after which went about making an attempt to emulate his ruthless modus operandi.
Given his litany of Trump-like grievances – principally that he’s the goal of a widespread conspiracy to persecute an harmless man – Yoon seemingly views the US president-elect as a kindred spirit.
By successful a second time period as commander-in-chief and with the complicity of a number of prostrate Supreme Court docket justices, Trump has, it seems, evaded the judicial comeuppance he has earned after a lifetime spent offending decency and the legislation.
Yoon’s calculation, little question, was that Trump’s sinister blueprint was the prescription for his political salvation. So, he seized the second to save lots of himself simply as Trump had escaped the fast-tightening vice a little bit greater than a month in the past.
Amongst his different alleged offences, Yoon may very well be charged with plagiarism for his near-verbatim assault on the supposed pillars of a functioning democracy – journalism, pluralism and the judiciary.
Trump has devoted his rancid political instincts to vilifying all three as constituting a fifth column, who, working in live performance with entrenched parts of the so-called “deep state,” are draining America not solely of its greatness and promise, however its ethnic and non secular purity, as effectively.
All through his marketing campaign, Trump vowed to unleash gun-toting GIs to rid America of the hordes of immigrant “vermin” who’ve “poisoned” the nation and hollowed out its as soon as dominant white, Christian identification.
He has additionally threatened to spherical up the federal and state officers and politicians who sought to prosecute him and warn that he poses an existential danger to the US Structure and, by extension, the ever decaying “American experiment”.
Yoon heard Trump’s fascist clarion name loud and clear and beat him to the despotic punch by imposing martial legislation.
Yoon could have been emboldened by the worldwide group’s failure to carry to account one other indicted strongman turned accused conflict felony, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for the genocidal marketing campaign Israel has waged for greater than a 12 months in Gaza and the occupied West Financial institution which has claimed the lives of 44,000 and counting Palestinians – largely youngsters and ladies.
If America refused to rein within the corrupt chief of its client-state within the Center East, why would it not be moved to restrain the rogue – to place it charitably – chief of its consumer state in Southeast Asia?
Alas, Yoon miscalculated.
Brave South Korean parliamentarians fashioned makeshift barricades to forestall Yoon’s obedient foot troopers from coming into the Nationwide Meeting. Later, they unanimously voted in favour of a decision urging the president to rescind his imperious order.
In the meantime, 1000’s of anxious and, on the similar time, courageous South Koreans flooded into the streets in defiance of Yoon and to insist that parliamentary democracy be restored.
Gladly, they prevailed in only a few hours.
Looking back, Yoon ought to have waited till Trump took the oath of workplace on January 20, 2025, earlier than making an attempt his flagrant energy seize.
Maybe then one authoritarian would have congratulated a would-be authoritarian and supplied his giddy help and encouragement whereas President Yoon labored onerous to Make South Korea Nice Once more with out the hassle of these foolish, anachronistic poll containers.
Nonetheless, regrets, I believe, Yoon has a couple of.
Now he’s facing impeachment or worse.
On that miserable rating, Yoon may quickly be confronting the identical destiny as Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro – but another fake democrat in sheep’s clothes.
In late November, the MAGA fanboy, together with 36 co-conspirators, was charged in reference to a plan to stage a coup d’etat following his defeat in 2022.
In an announcement saying the fees, police claimed that the far-right chief and a bunch of his cronies had meant the “violent overthrow of the democratic state”.
How’s that for an Alexis de Tocqueville-like dedication to free and honest elections.
Yoon, Trump, Bolsonaro and Netanyahu are the antidote to the sentimental concept that liberal democracies in title solely are the bulwark in opposition to extremism.
These treacherous instances demand honesty, not complacency.
The views expressed on this article are the creator’s personal and don’t essentially replicate Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
