The theory of defensive nationalism and deeply divided societies

The paper examines the applicability of Beth Rabinowitz's theory of defensive nationalism to the case of deeply divided societies. The focus of her recent book on this subject is the unexpected development of populism and 21st Century fascism in the heartlands of liberal-democracy, where previously political stability tended to be taken for granted and consensus rather than polarisation was the predominant characteristic of political competition, with the battle for the centre ground determining the outcome of elections. Against a backdrop of rapid technological progress, all manner of political irrationality now surprisingly thrives. In deeply divided societies on the periphery or on "ethnic frontiers", to use Frank Wright's terminology, many of the ills currently affecting metropolitan heartlands have long existed, including polarisation, political violence, and the dominance of issues of identity, as well as obscurantist notions of one kind or another. In his lifetime Wright proposed that instead of Northern Ireland's gradually coming to resemble the rest of the UK or the Republic of Ireland in its acceptance of liberal-democratic norms, it was possible that the opposite might occur and the issues causing contention in Northern Ireland might spread with deleterious effects to other societies. Until Brexit, these ideas seemed somewhat fanciful. Its unfolding has increased the possibility of negative reinforcement between politics in Northern Ireland and in the rest of the UK. While the evidence remains mixed in the case of Northern Ireland, there are other examples of conflicts in the world that threaten to interact negatively with developments in the centre. The most obvious example is the violent resurgence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where the progress towards peace which began in the 1990s has long stalled and now has gone into reverse. Through this case and others, tentative conclusions are put forward on the implications of an era of populism for deeply divided societies.