Obviously in the last week there has been significant focus on the tariff situation with the US. Many people, more educated on economics than I, have posted on the topic. I fully endorse the suggestions made of buying local and national, focusing on innovation, developing our own production rather than/as well as selling raw materials, broadening our trade partners and so on. I never understood why, as a small business, I could get funding to sell to the US but not to find new clients in Canada. It seemed extraordinarily short sighted even then, so hopefully those things will be changing and we'll be able to mitigate the economic impact of tariffs if they do come.
But there's another response to this situation that is more closely linked to the world of people and behaviour that we do work in, and that is the response to someone who is a bully.
Unaware vs just don't care.
I don't mean the bully who is doing unhelpful or negative things at work without knowing or understanding their impact. Obviously that is still bullying, but for me we do better when we know better and that is behaviour we can tackle. No, for this post, I mean the leaders and people who know exactly what they are doing, and for who violence, threats, coercion, intimidation and humiliation are tools to get what they want. Leaders like Vladimir Putin. Leaders like Donald Trump.
Now some people will say -"yes but Vladimir Putin started a war, it's not the same". I would argue Donald Trump has too, just in a different way.
Permission granted.
It has been long documented that electing leaders and/or parties with anti-immigration stances is correlated to increases in violence, intolerance, and incidents of racial hatred (see end of the post for examples of research in this space). Even if you poke holes in any of the research, let's be real about this: if you see someone else doing something, you're more likely to do it too. We all know that.
It's not just that Trump is turning his back on 'good neighbours' with a damaging (and possibly ill thought out) economic strategy/negotiating tactic, it's that he knows all too well the impact of his approach and he doesn't care. He believes that coercion is a legitimate tactic of a great leader.
My concern is that by not denouncing not just the choice of tariffs, but Trump's behaviour itself, we are giving permission for it. Many countries have denounced Putin's attack on Ukraine but the world is notably quieter on Trump's approach to trade, just like kids in the playground avoid antagonizing the bully lest his wrath be turned on them.
And it isn't only Trump, though he is a very visible example. The world is electing leaders on a platform of protectionism, anti-immigration and frankly, intolerance. What I can't quite fathom is how we think that is going to help. The world is stressed out, overworked, and fractured, and our response seems to have been to promote, encourage and appoint leaders whose approaches are to further demean, marginalize and isolate people. We have basically said "it's okay to be a bully as long as you're not bullying me".
Sure, but what can I do about it?
I am a big believer in only worrying about the things you can control. But there comes a point when that slides into being an ostrich.
If, like me, you aren't in the US and you can't vote for a better president or take any form of political action, that can lead to the inevitable shrug of 'what can I do?' But this isn't a US specific issue, even if Trump is a very visible example giving permission for others to act as he does. It's about what we decide is acceptable as a society. So beyond the economic actions we mentioned earlier like buying local, I think that we also need social actions to respond to this situation. Here are my initial suggestions, I'd love to hear how what others think we can do.
- Whatever your role, be the kind of leader we really do need right now. I don't care if that sphere is as a people leader, a community leader, religious leader, parent or just the loudest voice when you're down the pub. Let's focus on tolerance, empathy and supportiveness. That is the real strength of a great leader. Now is the time to bring people together not focus on how to drive them apart.
- Don't mirror. The temptation is to make more enemies. To boo the American national anthem. I get it, I really do. But let's not let the bully make us into bullies too.
- Speak up. Silence suggests agreement. So let's speak up. Either way I'd rather know where you stand. If you disagree with an approach say so. If you see intolerance in action, call it out. I know it takes chops, but now is the time we need that.
- Support organizations that do work in this space. Donate money or time to those taking up the mantle for the rest of us with other day jobs - those countering racism, ensuring that immigration is fair and we don't deport people inappropriately etc etc. And if you can't donate, then promote, endorse, and thank them.
Final Thoughts
None of this is easy. And while I have a view, I don't profess to have the answers. I just don't want to look back and think 'I thought that was coming and I didn't do/say anything'. We all shape the world we live in, for us and for everyone else. It's never okay for someone to be a bully, even if you're not the one in the crosshairs.- University of Warwick (UK) Study – "Trump, Brexit, and the Rise in Hate Crimes"
- German Institute for Economic Research – "The AfD and Hate Crime in Germany"
- FBI Hate Crime Statistics (U.S.)
- European Network Against Racism – "Far-Right Politics and Hate in Europe"