24. Populism

Populism is a political movement that favours the common person usually against an elite. It has no leaning to left or right but is usually anti business and its supporting institutions. In modern history it is linked with an authoritarian form of politics led by a charasmatic leader. This leader has a clever short message to bolster his own power through the will of the people. Pandering to the people’s fears and insecurities by focusing on one section of the population as a scapegoat.

It is a way of the people making a complaint against its institutions and systems. Cleverly the agenda is to increase the power of the leader by seeming to address the problem without addressing it. The scapegoat is blamed, while the underlying problem remains unresolved. Usually due its complexity and weight.

To see Brexit in this light. The leader, the scapegoat, the underlying issue which is not resolved. Who knows yet? Immigrants allowed in by the EU, market forces & neo liberalism. So create a leader with a short message
(on the bus), promise a return to an older time (with no immigrants!), leaving the problem of market forces untouched (but still providing profit for the leader and party)

A clever trick which works everytime. With a little help from the elite (EU) who did little to appease its population of the idea of waste, gravy train, and a lack of transparency. As ever groups of humans do nothing, hold on, until a crisis they are forced to change.

In the UK the elite is grown by a medieval system of private education. An elite form of brain washing creating and promoting an elite system including Parliament. What goes around comes around.

Copyright Adrian Scott North London Counsellor Blog 2019
All rights reserved
Disclaimer: This weblog is the view of the writer and for general information only
This article is designed to provoke argument and critique

 

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