Forced democratisation and the paradox of muscular liberalism

Some Western democracies have pursued policies that appear to suppress or re-engineer certain viewpoints through overt and covert means.

This process involves using state power not merely to protect society from genuine threats but also to impose a certain set of values, beliefs, and ideologies.

David Cameron has been one of the most vocal cheerleaders of forced democratisation.

David Cameron’s call for muscular liberalism’ finds a natural extension in the pursuit of nonviolent extremism, writes Andrew Hammond .

Hammond: In a truly free society, the state should defend the right of individuals to think and speak freely, even when those ideas are unpopular or dangerous.

Hammond says this approach risks criminalising thought and imposing a uniform ideological vision that stifles diversity.

The pursuit of nonviolent extremism allows governments to shape the ideological landscape, suppressing ideas that challenge the status quo.

This suppression of dissent can gradually erode the robustness of democratic debate, narrowing the range of permissible ideas and homogenising political discourse.

Amnesty International pointed out these dangers in its recent report on the Prevent program, This Is The Thought Police .