{"id":7080,"date":"2026-01-26T13:57:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T12:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jcvignoli.com\/blog\/?p=7080"},"modified":"2026-01-26T14:00:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T13:00:42","slug":"we-are-not-doomed-to-see-the-far-right-in-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jcvignoli.com\/blog\/en\/2026\/we-are-not-doomed-to-see-the-far-right-in-power","title":{"rendered":"We are not doomed to see the far right in power"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00ab\u00a0Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them.\u00a0\u00bb Bill Clinton<\/a>, Jan 25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The political situation is disastrous and generates a palpable sense of unease in everyone. At the very least, the suffering is profound for those who wish to preserve democracy. Entire parts of the world we once knew are collapsing a little more each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And me, in all of this, I go to work mechanically, whether as a UN civil servant or a baker. I try to convince myself of the usefulness of the next Excel spreadsheet, the next batch of bread, or the next ChatGPT query. Against my inner suffering, I raise my cynicism: what\u2019s the point? The world is mad; there is nothing to be done. I might as well continue my routine, stick to what I already know how to do. I have a life, children, rent, and a career, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My cynicism acts like a curtain, conveniently hiding that room of shame I refuse to see: the one where I believe someone else took refuge in the 1930s, when in reality, it is me today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claiming that \u201cthe world has gone mad\u201d actually brings us more anxiety than calm. Deep down, we know the truth. Alone with ourselves, escape becomes an illusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But we are by no means condemned to watch American democracy collapse in silence, and then observe French, British, or German democracies follow the same path. We must let American activists inspire us and enter our hearts. They are tens of thousands in Minneapolis, millions in the No Kings protests, warning us: the far right\u2014after all\u2014should never have been tried. We should never have normalized dehumanization, authoritarianism, and the rejection of the rule of law. And dialogue too, I feel like adding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what can I possibly do, I ask myself, in a world where Musk, Bollor\u00e9, or Trafigura decide to plunder our planet and our democracies? While we should be focusing on collective action to address the challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity loss, on regulating robotic weapons and AI so that we do not end up killing one another, we retreat into ourselves and stare at our own navels. Is there anything that can be done?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\/ Stop relying on governments. A government\u2019s primary purpose is to remain in power. It may protect us in the present, but it is terrible at imagining the future. And above all, once in the hands of the far right, it will kill us\u2014as in the United States. Of course, we should vote for parties that are uncompromising on democratic rules, but let us be cautious: we are not the only ones voting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2\/ Do simple things. Talk to your neighbors, even if they are boring. Even if they too want to expel immigrants and despise Fatima, that woman \u201cwho never integrated.\u201d You may not change them, but by offering a little warmth, your neighbors may feel less alien to their own world. Commit small acts of resistance: take five or ten minutes each day from your work (surely very important, but it will not change the world) to carry out a small action that might change a vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3\/ Join or create local associations\u2014neighborhood groups, historians\u2019 circles, Linux fans, or lovers of pain au chocolat. Associations that allow people to laugh and to get to know individuals who are different from them. To keep such associations alive, seek out people who understand the importance of commitment; otherwise, the association withers away. These associations are the heart of democracy: civil society, which today is organizing in the United States to bring food to those who no longer dare go to work for fear of being killed by ICE. Our networks, whether local or international, will be invaluable if things become as bad as they are in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4\/ Talk to people who do not think like you. Do it often; train yourself to think against yourself. It is the only way to move beyond clich\u00e9s and to rehumanize society. A democratic society is not made up of identical elements, but of opposing individuals. It is totalitarian societies that seek to create a \u201cnew man.\u201d Do not remain passive on social media: speak up, express yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5\/ Put the heart before profitability. LinkedIn is full of advice on how to be a better employee, but not on how to be a better human being. A society is not a company in need of employees. Our societies, though extremely utilitarian, need human beings with well-formed judgment. It is impossible to think well if one does not know how to love. Instead of treating everyone as a competitor, make more friends. Force yourself to trust, even if all Western education pushes us in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6\/ Educate yourself about those who are plotting to bring the far right to power. I am talking about politicians, oligarchs, and journalists. Our democracies are dying and are on the verge of turning into techno-financial oligarchies, actively supported by journalists paid by these oligarchs, or passively by journalists who refuse to name what they see using the appropriate terms. Being informed is a duty. Everyone knows Elon Musk and his vote-buying with millions of dollars\u2014but do you know Leon Black? Alex Karp? An authoritarian society does not want informed citizens. So inform yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is much more that can be done, but let us at least begin with a few of these actions. It is possible that we will have to do more difficult things in the future; let us therefore get used to working in networks, to finding solutions when WhatsApp or LinkedIn are down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For we have never been so dependent on those who seek to dismantle our democracies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are at a crossroads, with just a little more time than Americans to reverse the trend. Let us choose to act, and to talk to one another. Let us not allow them to convince us that there is nothing to be done\u2014this is false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let action guide us. Let’s make an effort to break our routines: we’ll feel better that way.<\/p>\n

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\u00ab\u00a0Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them.\u00a0\u00bb Bill Clinton, Jan 25. The political situation is disastrous and generates a palpable sense of unease in everyone. At the 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