Since when did simply shouting “Down with the Establishment!” constitute a valid argument? The fierce contempt for bureaucrats and political officials has reached a dangerous level, fuelled by the populism of politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.

Harnessing the power of anti-establishment sentiment, politicians such as Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn have legitimised destructive rhetoric, with officials and bureaucrats becoming collateral damage. Jonathan Rauch, writing in The Atlantic, terms the disintegration and collapse of the West’s political system “Chaos syndrome”. He claims that everyone has “been busy demonising and disempowering political professionals... which is like spending decades abusing and attacking your own immune system. Eventually, you will get sick.” In his article, ‘How American Politics Went Insane’, Rauch highlights how the destruction of the very systems which keep our political institutions ticking-over poses a grave danger to not only the USA, but also to the UK and mainland Europe.

Trump, Cruz and blind populism

If you find yourself questioning why Donald Trump can get away with failing to divulge any details or facts regarding his policies, remember that in today’s politics, complicated is bad. So how does America get to the stage at which Texas senator and nasty virus, Ted Cruz, can quite literally shut down the government? It was a gradual process, from the well-intentioned reforming of previous administrations, to the suggestions from Republicans that various government departments be removed on the basis of being inefficient or ‘unaccountable’. Rauch is right that bureaucrats and so-called middlemen act as society’s immune system, and to remove them is to endanger everything. The reformation of bureaucracy requires a common sense approach, not blind populism. This is not something that Trump and his supporters understand.

Brexit and the bureaucrats

Does the contempt of political officials across the pond sound familiar? That’s because hypocrites like Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage normalise the popular opinion that all complicated processes are inherently undemocratic. Imagine if the government was required to garner public opinion, prior to making every decision! In the Brexiteers’ world – a simpler world – bureaucracy is a thing of the past, and democracy and ‘sovereignty’ is returned. To put things into perspective, the EU currently employs 32,966 people. That’s around 60 times less people than are employed by local authorities in the UK. The EU hardly seems like a ‘bloated bureaucracy’ now, right?

Corbyn and conspiracy

Bureaucrat bullying has also plagued Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party. His likely re-election is partially due to a swell in ‘grassroots’ support. But it is equally attributable to selfish populism, and the peddling of fears among members that political officials are corrupt, systems undemocratic, and representatives conspiratorial and ‘Establishment’. Why have terms such as ‘Establishment’ and ‘Bureaucracy’ become slurs, used with venom by supporters and irresponsible politicians alike? The definition of Bureaucracy is the process of decision making within a system of governing – yet a more recent addition to the dictionary interprets this as excessively complicated administrative procedure.

Now, I am not claiming that all political systems in the West are functioning well. France enjoys a masochistic, self-destructive political apparatus within which mountains of paperwork and administrative excesses obstruct the normal functioning of life. However, Iain McNicol is not a traitor. The General Secretary of the Labour Party is an ‘unelected’ representative of the party members, whom many see as an undemocratic and corrupt conspirator, simply on the grounds that they do not agree with him. Is not the appeasement of these voices the worst kind of populism? Perhaps the Whigs were right in claiming that British Parliamentary Democracy is the best possible kind of democracy; the removal of vital officials from our political system would inevitably lead to its collapse. Just look at the current state of the Labour Party and you are provided with a good argument against the dismantling of the systems which keep things in (reasonable) working order.

The most recent concerning comment from Corbyn’s deputy, John McDonnell, adds further incitement to the bureaucrat-bashers. Accusing his own party of a “rigged purge” of Corbyn supporters, McDonnell claimed that “party officials” were conspiring to oust voters. That completes my Labour Party crisis bingo card. Iain McNicol was quick to respond, urging McDonnell to take back his false remark. These were decisions made by elected members of Labour's National Executive Committee. Such conflation of political organisations, bureaucracy and corruption gives into populism, and, in a characteristic flurry of conspiracy theories, endangers the vital roles played by officials. The irony of party bigwigs, such as Farage and McDonnell, accusing their own party of conspiring against them is inescapable. However, it encapsulates the paranoia which has led us to willingly destroy our own political immune system.

A popular problem

To a certain extent, the resentment of bureaucrats and important political organisations shown by Jeremy Corbyn was replicated by Bernie Sanders’ rise to fame in the USA. An anti-establishment sentiment, not dissimilar to Farage’s politics in the UK, drove the grassroots juggernaut of Sanders’ campaign. A healthy amount of scepticism regarding politicians, bureaucrats and institutions is vital for the lively political climate in which we live; but in America, this has become unsustainable, and the UK is not far behind. It is vital to recognise that there is nothing inherently evil about large political institutions. That the EU employs thousands of bureaucrats does not mean that it is undemocratic. What we must seek to do is oil our political machine, be that by strengthening the power party officials hold, or more significant reforms to do with voting. What we must resist is giving into populism and encouraging a general contempt for the ‘Establishment,’ which fuels Rauch’s so-called “Chaos syndrome”. Either Trump, Farage and Corbyn know exactly what they're doing, or they remain ignorant of the damage they are causing us. Both eventualities are equally terrifying.