Why liberals must stop wallowing in negativity

5. Democratic Denial

The final, and ultimate, stage of liberal denial is the rejection of the democratic legitimacy of the new political reality. Whether it is because of conspiracy theories or institutional technicalities, liberals argue that the election/referendum outcome is not “democratic” and should therefore be rejected. In Britain some liberals have called for a “second referendum”—in line with a well-established EU tradition to overcome negative referendum outcomes—or for parliament to reject Brexit, a position supported by the European Parliament. In the U.S. the arguments focused primarily on the Electoral College, an undemocratic institution indeed, but largely ignored before Hillary Clinton lost the elections.

There is no doubt that 2016 was a bad year for liberals and liberal denial has not made it any better. Moreover, being in denial ensures that liberals will be unable to withstand and overcome the consequences of 2016 in 2017 and beyond. Before we can truly defend liberal democracy, we must honestly and openly reflect upon our own illiberal and undemocratic reflexes. While we should actively reject attacks on the key institutions and values of liberal democracy, and the mainstreaming of such attacks by the media and political establishment, we must do this within those same institutions and values. If we continue to wallow in liberal denial, however, liberal democracy will really be defeated, by them and by us.