Lord Kenneth Baker | Authoritarianism CAN'T Happen Here (3/6) | Oxford Union

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"This House Believes It Can't Happen Here"

In recent years, demagogues have come to power in democracies across the globe. With populism on the rise, are we immune from this worldwide trend towards authoritarianism, or might we be next?

The Rt Hon. Lord Kenneth Baker is the Former Home Secretary and Chairman of the Conservative Party. He now serves as a member of the House of Lords.

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[Rockerfella]

Well done, he ignored the question and just spoke about why we need to get Brexit done for 10 minutes. Someone's been getting speaking tips from Boris...

[yoyo-lfld]

Lmao supposed to be talking about authoritarianism but just spoke about brexit 😂

[itloads]

No one will watch this because you split up the debate into 6 different videos - upload single debate videos pleaseee

[SuperSupermanX]

Ngl his argument about Boris being a journalist and therefore not an authoritarian is bogus. How hard is it to imagine that someone would push freedom of the press when it benefits themselves and quash it when it becomes troublesome? Not saying this is what Boris is doing (though he has been VERY critical of the press over the years and did try and have a critical journalist beaten up in the 90s so...) but there really is no contradiction here. It's what every authoritarian has done throughout history.

[PaulSmith-pfuq]

5:20           The PM Heath made it very clear, several times, in speeches, that the EEC is a much bigger project with a political dimension to grow eventually. Were deaf back then too?

[mindfulmunchkin]

Maybe ask Julian Assange if we are in an authoritrian state.

[noneone.............]

His speech is very wise to look forward. Perhaps he's an old man, knowledge and wisdom collide in his speech. He said authoritarizm will not happen but the other hand he said to make young generation to contribute to build the this country. Is Young generation no in authoritarizm, Sir ?. By the way i gotta a lot of knowledge and bright about future life. Thanks Sir 🇬🇧.

[antmagor]

Authoritarianism can happen anywhere, why, because of people who think it can’t happen.

[naturetubeUK]

It's hilarious how badly this has aged in only a month

[collo]

He spoke some sense at times especially around Brexit but the idea that a wealthy Etonian and his elite cronies don’t have massive influence on mainstream media is naive, if not ludicrous.

[PaulSmith-pfuq]

Did he just mention Enoch Powel? 5:45          IDIOT! Only racists will take you seriously.

[madisonmoffat]

I don't understand this at all. In one clip they are saying authoritarianism can happen here, and then in the next clip they are saying it can't. Make up your mind Oxford Union!

[PaulSmith-pfuq]

The Supreme Court did NOT challenge any Political situation, old man, they challenged a Legal one. Where did they find you?

[PaulSmith-pfuq]

6:25    You never believed that the UK belongs in an association with Europe because in your history you were much more involved in the broad high seas across the world? Really? Britain is got thousands of years of history with Europe and only 300 years with the 'broad high seas' as you call it. I call that Pirateering, Colonisation, Exploitation of Human life, other countries' Wealth & Recourses and heinous crimes against Humanity.  But what's important here is the British Inferiority Complex you are trying to hide. You cannot make the rules in Europe, because there are countries in Europe that are better than yours. You were making the rules back in the day, when you went round the world occupying and stealing, killing and native-culture-destroying of third World countries and peoples who could not defend themselves. Well, guess what. Now, they CAN defend themselves and I'd like to see you trying to repeat your old nasty games on them. But, of course, you'll be dead soon and all the rest of us will have to fix the damage you caused. ARSEHOLE!

[PaulSmith-pfuq]

The tories have been the gatekeepers of Democracy?!?!?!        : Does he seriously believe that?

[PaulSmith-pfuq]

If there was a 2nd Referendum and the Remain side won, the leave side would have to suck it, because that would have been the 3rd Referendum, not the 2nd. In the 1975 Referendum, 68% voted to stay in the EU against the 32% who wanted to leave. And 68-32 is what I call a Majority. The 2nd Referendum in 2016 should never have happened. This whole speech is just outdated rubbish. The old man seems to have a near death experience, dreaming of the old days when Britain ruled the 3rd world