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Opinion

It’s time to defend democracy

08 Nov 2024 4 minute read
Donald Trump wearing a MAGA sports cap – Image: Brian Lawless

Adam PriceMS for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr

Donald Trump’s return to power represents more than another American election – it marks the triumph of systematic deception over democratic truth.

His victory, driven by a well-oiled machinery of disinformation, ought to be a wake-up call for democracies worldwide.

For Wales, this moment demands immediate action, not only to safeguard the future of our own democracy but to help set a new global standard for truth in politics.

Deception

In this sense the Welsh Government’s proposal to prohibit deliberate deception in politics could not be more timely.

Trump’s campaign didn’t just distort the facts, it constructed an alternate reality – a seductive “parallel truth” that millions embraced.

As cognitive scientist Stephan Lewandowsky explains, this is “participatory propaganda,” where leaders do not merely lie but weave a narrative so emotionally potent that people want to believe it, regardless of the facts.

Falsehoods

Trump’s campaign mastered the art of calculated falsehoods designed to provoke visceral responses.

His claim that American cities were overrun by illegal immigrants eating pets preyed on deep-seated fears yet had no basis in reality.

Similarly, the assertion that schools secretly conducted gender surgery on children without parental consent was a pure fabrication, crafted to inflame and mobilise. Each tale, amplified through social media, overwhelmed fact-checkers and created a world where facts crumbled before the power of manufactured fear.

Lewandowsky describes how authenticity, typically a valued trait, becomes a double-edged sword in modern politics.

Trump’s brash, unfiltered style allowed him to appear “real” even while spreading untruths. Voters cared less about accuracy than about his apparent willingness to “speak his mind,” generating loyalty through emotional resonance rather than factual truth.

Captivated

His supporters were not swayed by evidence; they were captivated by a leader who seemed to challenge elites fearlessly, even as he undermined democracy’s foundations with each calculated lie.

Trump’s victory was not built on policy solutions but on the relentless repetition of emotionally charged lies until they crystallised into perceived truth.

His baseless claim of rampant voter fraud – the most pernicious of his “Big Lies” – struck at democracy’s heart without a shred of evidence. This was not mere political spin; it was a deliberate assault on the credibility of democracy itself.

Wales now faces a pivotal decision that will resonate across democracies worldwide. A law against deliberate deception would draw a line in the sand, declaring that in Wales, at least, truth in politics is not negotiable.

Manipulative 

This is not about policing every minor exaggeration or rhetorical flourish – it is about confronting the kind of calculated, manipulative lies that have already brought one democracy to its knees.

Whilst Trump’s victory has shown how easily truth can be crushed beneath the machinery of lies, Wales now has a chance to write a different story.

A small nation taking a stand against political deception might seem futile – but history’s greatest defences of democracy have often come from unexpected places.

Trump’s playbook works because it feeds on inaction, on the quiet hope that truth will somehow defend itself. It will not.

His triumph shows how quickly democratic foundations can crumble when truth becomes a commodity to be traded away rather than a principle to be defended.

Courage

This moment calls for courage, not caution. As Trump’s politics of deception threatens to extend its grip, Wales faces a choice that will define its democratic future.

This is not about safeguarding an abstract ideal; it’s about ensuring that tomorrow’s citizens inherit more than a hollowed-out democracy.

By acting now, Wales can lead the world in declaring that even in an age where lies race through social media and truth gets twisted, honesty still matters.

Let Wales show that a democracy grounded in truth can survive the onslaught of alternative facts and manufactured realities.

Trump’s return is more than a warning – it’s a call to defend democracy from those who would trade integrity for influence and sacrifice truth for power.

The time to act is now, before cynicism and deception become our new reality.


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Andy Lloyd
Andy Lloyd
4 hours ago

What’s the problem? It’s just a variation of Starmer & co saying they wouldn’t rise income tax, or here in Wales, Plaid Cymru trying to convince people that an Independent Wales is a viable economic proposition. Both absolute nonsense, but it’s what political parties do to get elected.
What’s new?

S Duggan
S Duggan
2 hours ago
Reply to  Andy Lloyd

I think we know the difference here, don’t treat us like fools.

Richard Jenkins
Richard Jenkins
1 hour ago
Reply to  Andy Lloyd

Be helpful to understand how people ( usually reform idiots) have collated evidence to show that alone amongst all the other nations in the world only is to be considered not worthy or viable. Despite having a larger GDP per capita than Spain or Portugal for instance? No, Adam Price has the clarity to recognise we must be able to identify spin & lies. We must have a credible source of fact assessment! Otherwise, baseless statements designed to hoodwink people gain traction. It seems that many Trumpers thought & still think, no doubt that the Tariffs Trump will impose on… Read more »

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
31 minutes ago
Reply to  Andy Lloyd

Anybody speaking nonsense is you. I’ve never heard so much BS in my life? You think an independent Wales a non-starter? Poppycock! What, Wales cannot survive an an independent country but nations far smaller, landlocked, with less resources, can? Bet you are a hoot when it comes to problem solving. You are the problem not Wales. My impression of you is someone lacking in ability & confidence so want to reflect your failings onto those who want better for their nation. I reject your pessimism, apathy and quitter attitude for positivity, confidence in our ability as a people & nation… Read more »

Alun
Alun
4 hours ago

Democracy has spoken, it was a convincing victory.
Please don’t pretend Kamala Harris was an angel.

Rob
Rob
3 hours ago
Reply to  Alun

No one is saying she was. But at least she is respecting the democratic vote and not calling on her supporters to storm down the Capitol building.

S Duggan
S Duggan
3 hours ago
Reply to  Alun

No mention of angels in the article.

Richard 1
Richard 1
2 hours ago
Reply to  Alun

It does look convincing but I think you are missing the point of the article, which is about a different and more fundamental issue:- was the the result achieved by honest means.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 hours ago

100 years of lead poisoning on the global population has only just ended…are we seeing the symptoms of it in the USA and the rest of the world for that matter…?

S Duggan
S Duggan
2 hours ago

Politics does need to be cleaned up. A law to prevent politicians lying, as hard as that might be to enforce, is desperately needed. Lying has huge consequences. Here we’ve had the lies of Brexit and the economy has stagnated as a result and now in the States the ultimate lier is once again in the White house, with major consequences for climate change and world peace. Cymru has an opportunity to lead the way in stopping the rot now before 2026 and the likes of Farage destroys democracy here too.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 hours ago

That is the face of old man devoid of make-up and pep pills who knows that the grim reaper follows him like a shadow…

‘Dead man walking’ as they say over there…

Geoffrey Harris
Geoffrey Harris
2 hours ago

The success of Trump and Maga is deeply worrying . The extreme right will be fired up by it’s success. Reform will gain seats in the next Senydd election, we must prepare now.

Gunter Del Himml
Gunter Del Himml
2 hours ago

This is a genuine working class revolt – not a far right vote. Trump doesn’t have a political or ideological bone in his body. He’s a businessman, nearly 80 years old. People are fed up of billionaire celebs telling them how to vote. Trump will revolutionise politics. Let’s hope he lets RFK Jr dismantle the Industrial War Machine. At any rate, he’ll be better than Biden, who was a hater of the British, an old romantic fool.

Richard 1
Richard 1
1 hour ago

and here was I, thinking that the big issue was about the tories misrepresenting targetted 20 mph speed limits as a “blanket”. How parochial I can get!

westisbest
westisbest
24 minutes ago

honesty is the best policy.

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