Political Similarities

Looking at the political environments of the world, I wonder just how much the wizard world and the Muggle world have in common. Do countries overrun by warlords have large amounts of wizarding warlords as well? Do countries with vast amounts of political protests also have wizarding protests? What are some other similarities that could be seen in the political environments between wizards and Muggles?

I know that certainly political events do not seem to effect the wizarding world (Tibet still seems to be considered an insependant nation in the wizarding world), but if the people live in the same environment, do you think their politics would have some similarities?

I'd say it all depends on the situation - there would be similarities in some cases and not in others.

For example, let's look at Somalia, a country in a seemingly perpetual state of anarchy. Warlords fight each other not just for power and influence, but for things as basic as food. And according to Gamp's Law of Transfiguration, food is one of the five things that cannot be created by magic. So, there could very well be wizarding warlords in places like Somalia, who fight over scarce resources.

Other wizarding countries could be more or less stable than their Muggle counterparts. I can imagine Iraqi wizards, for example, scratching their heads and wondering why the Muggles keep blowing each other up.

Concerning politics and ideals, I'd imagine that the wizarding world's politics would be somewhat similar to their Muggle counterparts as long as they corresponded to their national or cultural heritage. But ideological Muggle politics would be completely foreign to wizards, I think. For example, the People's Republic of China is a state founded on communist ideology, but would Chinese wizards have any reason to go communist likewise? I don't think so - most wizards are totally aloof as to happenings in the Muggle world, and probably wouldn't understand them if they knew. So wizarding China could very well continue to operate as if the 1911 revolution never happened.

Also, here's an old thread I started that has a lot to do with this very subject.

Tim the Enchanter

But I also wonder what it would take to plunge a wizarding government into disaster. In the books, Britain keeps on going with business as usual while the wizarding world was in anarchy. It was easy to see what caused this: an extremely power Dark wizard, a corupt government, a corupt press, old prejudices, and a dozen other factors. Putting magic into prospective, what could some of these factors be?

I also wonder what it would actually take to make the two worlds intertwine. Because of Gamp's Law of Transfiguration, we know that food and other scarcities can be a factor this. Would other environmental disasters would it take to throw the wizarding world into chaos? What is magic capable of keeping people safe and what can't it keep people safe from?

We also see certain paraelles with disasters in the wizarding world and the Muggle world, such as Hitler and Grindenwald (I can just imagine them at some sort of evil tea part <wow, that's a surprisingly dark thought for me>).

Everybody put your current events caps on now, there's another point I want to bring up. What are some other political atmospheres in the world right now that could theoretically be effecting the wizarding world? Does anyone have any ideas for wizarding events (plot bunny wise, I still know the difference) that could be percieved as disasters by Muggles?

Well, let's hear what everyone has to offer.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OliveOil_Med

But I also wonder what it would take to plunge a wizarding government into disaster. In the books, Britain keeps on going with business as usual while the wizarding world was in anarchy.

---

It is, however, strongly implied that things are starting to get out of hand, to the point that even Muggles are beginning to notice. A lot of dystopian AU fics I've seen explore what would have happened if Voldemort hadn't been defeated, and the Muggle population at large became aware of wizards. (Usually either Voldemort winds up taking over the world, because Muggles have no defense against magic, or the Muggles end up exterminating wizards, thanks to superior numbers and firepower.)

Quote:

---

It was easy to see what caused this: an extremely power Dark wizard, a corupt government, a corupt press, old prejudices, and a dozen other factors. Putting magic into prospective, what could some of these factors be?

---

Wars are always fought over resources and/or ego. The wizarding world will go to war if one group has something another group wants, or if one group feels aggrieved and can only be appeased by punishing/subjugating the other group.

Quote:

---

I also wonder what it would actually take to make the two worlds intertwine. Because of Gamp's Law of Transfiguration, we know that food and other scarcities can be a factor this. Would other environmental disasters would it take to throw the wizarding world into chaos? What is magic capable of keeping people safe and what can't it keep people safe from?

---

While magic can't create food or water, it certainly makes it a lot easier to acquire it, especially in places where the Muggles don't have the means to resist you. So I don't think wizards, even in Sudan, are likely to starve. There are too many ways for them to take what they need, or else just leave, an option not available to the unfortunate Muggles. So even a global environmental catastrophe would probably affect wizards less than others. Unless the human race itself is facing extinction, wizards will be able to survive.

The biggest threat to wizards is probably Muggles. With the growth of the Information Age and an ever-expanding human population, it becomes less and less likely that a hidden society of wizards and magical creatures can remain hidden forever. They're running out of places to hide, and with cameras and satellites and data mining and millions of obsessive, snoopy people logging everything they see on blogs everywhere, it's just a matter of time before their world is exposed.

I just had a plot bunny for story I'm planning to work on!Yay! I'll share it in case it's elpfull, maybe sarks up other ideas...

I was thinking about natural disasters and how they could affect wizards...I don't think a hurricane, or a flood would be as disastrous to them as it is for us...there must be some kind of defensive methods against them. Can't think of a charm right now, I don't remember anything from the book but chances are it exists--or can be possible in fanfiction.

Anyway, linking up with the whole statue of secrecy...what if something really bad happened on Earth, such as I don't know the water levels finally rising and flooding Britain or other countries? I definitely can imagine certain wizards--think of Arthur Weasley-- argueying that if wizards can do something to help muggles then they should. This could be something to divide the wizarding world: those who want to help muggles, therefore exposong themselves and those who think muggles should be left to fend for themselves. Even, the official posture of the government could be to maintain the statue of secrecy thus prohibiting any witch or wizard to help and going out of its way to prevent anyone from revealing themselves to a muggle.

And, since my loverly cat won't let me keep writting (seriously, he just sat on half the keyboard, which makes it really hard for me to write properly) I'll continue this post kater. I just thought I'd write down this while it was still frsh on my mind.

I suppose the main point of this thread was to discuss the topic of countries run by warlords (something we recently have been discussing in one of my classes)?

What I wonder is how much of the culture of it would seep into the wizarding world. Would countries with a lot of Muggle warlords be especially prone to having high amounts of wizarding ones as well? Are the two worlds really as seporate as people tend to think, or what aspects do you think slip in?