“All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of India with equal rights…” Jawaharlal Nehru

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Ian | disorderedworld

On each of the days leading up to the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States, disorderedworld is posting the words of five icons of democracy to remind us of what democracy really means, and inspire us to stand in resolute opposition to the divisive path along which Trump is leading the world. Today we remember the speech given by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India on the eve of India’s Independence on 15 August 1947. In it Nehru outlines the aim of India’s democracy as ending the poverty and suffering of its citizens, providing a home for all people regardless of religion, and playing a leading role in spreading justice across the world. Continue reading →

“Freedom of expression is the foundation of human rights, the source of humanity, and the mother of truth…” Liu Xiaobo

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Ian | disorderedworld

Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo is currently serving an 11 year jail sentence for campaigning for democracy in China. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 in a ceremony he could not attend. In a message smuggled from his prison cell he asked that his Nobel Peace Prize to be dedicated to “the lost souls from the 4th of June” Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 which suppressed China’s dawning democracy movement. The following extracts from the speech he made at his trail remind us of the enormous personal cost that those who struggle for freedom of speech, human rights and democracy are often willing to pay for the benefit of strangers and future generations. Continue reading →

“There is no other way except by understanding and putting into practice every human right for all mankind…” Shirin Ebadi

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Ian | disorderedworld

“Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace …” Martin Luther King

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Ian | disorderedworld

Starting today, on the birthday of Martin Luther King, on each of the days leading up to the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States, disorderedworld will post the words of five icons of democracy to remind us of what democracy really means, and inspire us to stand in resolute opposition to the divisive path along which Trump is leading the world. In the following extract from his acceptance speech for the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, Martin Luther King reminds us that equality and nonviolence, not bullying, intimidation and division, are the very foundations of democracy.

Continue reading →

Trump’s Angry Narcissistic Fog is a Threat to Democracy Everywhere

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Ian | disorderedworld

Trump’s campaign forcefully reminds us that psychology is central to politics. Despite the so called ‘Goldwater Rule’, which prohibits psychiatrists from commenting on a public figure’s mental health without having personally examined the individual and received their permission to do so, dozens of mental health professionals have issued stark warnings that Trump suffers from narcissistic personality disorder. Aside from Trump’s personal attributes, evidence to support this controversial assertion can be found in the defining characteristic of Trump’s campaign, namely the angry narcissistic fog which he has brought down upon America. Continue reading →

Trump’s Victory is Not Democracy in Action, It is Democracy in Crisis

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Ian | disorderedworld

Donald Trump’s victory is a major blow to western democracy, delivering as it does the most powerful position on earth to a man who clearly demonstrates personality traits that many psychiatrists and mental health professionals have warned are consistent with narcissistic personality disorder. Trump’s most divisive acts during the election campaign are consistent with someone who suffers from this serious emotional and mental disorder. As the UK Guardian newspaper points out, by electing someone whose behaviour is consistent with this severe disorder, Americans have done a very dangerous thing, and because of what they have done,the world faces dark, uncertain and fearful times. Continue reading →

Donald Trump is not an accident but the culmination of long-term trends.

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Ian | disorderedworld

Donald Trump is not an accident. His rise to power has occurred at a time of profound global economic and political change, when the very nature of capitalism itself is in flux and the spread of democracy around the world is undergoing a dangerous reversal. This context is vital to understanding how a man who has made fun of people with disabilities, and called women fat and immigrants rapists, might still be elected President of the most powerful nation on earth. Continue reading →