The rise of fabricated majoritarianism: How nationalism based on ‘othering’ in democracies at times of scarcity is exacerbating existential threats to minorities

Abstract

While calls for system change ring loudly, the appetite for such change is defeated by vested interests. Set against the backdrop of climate crisis–induced scarcity, this chapter shows how fabricated majoritarianism driven by nationalism heightens existential risks to global minorities. It reflects how the last system reset (i.e. decolonisation) set in motion the inevitable consequences faced today, best reflected in the litmus test of minority treatment. Portraying decolonisation as akin to privatisation of an asset where hegemony is retained through majorities and preferential access, the chapter explains why the State, as currently configured, is unlikely to achieve the change needed. Drawing on older, pre-colonial histories, the chapter argues for a recalibration stemming from a sub-regional approach based on functionality rather than identity politics as a key element for securing a different future trajectory.