Populism versus Democracy

[Billhook]

A new word seems to have crept into the language of politics, usually spat out by politicians and bureaucrats who wish to remain unaccountable.

I see several definitions on this link but in practice surely our democracy has always been populist.

http://philosophy.stackexchange.com...any-difference-between-populism-and-democracy

As soon as a politician comes up with a manifesto at election time he is trying to appeal to populism

From starting the dole,increasing benefits, living wage increases, pensions at 65, to the NHS or Blair "Education, education,education"" all of which seem to be very difficult to sustain and poorly thought through.
The votes for all men followed by the votes for women were more worthy but still populist.

The demonstrations against Trump being a populist vote are themselves a populist movement.

I cannot see much difference between Populism and Democracy as we have it here, perhaps one of you will enlighten me?

 

[baabaa]

A new word seems to have crept into the language of politics, usually spat out by politicians and bureaucrats who wish to remain unaccountable.

I see several definitions on this link but in practice surely our democracy has always been populist.

http://philosophy.stackexchange.com...any-difference-between-populism-and-democracy

As soon as a politician comes up with a manifesto at election time he is trying to appeal to populism

From starting the dole,increasing benefits, living wage increases, pensions at 65, to the NHS or Blair "Education, education,education"" all of which seem to be very difficult to sustain and poorly thought through.
The votes for all men followed by the votes for women were more worthy but still populist.

The demonstrations against Trump being a populist vote are themselves a populist movement.

I cannot see much difference between Populism and Democracy as we have it here, perhaps one of you will enlighten me?

must be bad, frankie says so
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38708485
railing against wall builders seems a little rich from someone who happily lives in his own wee walled state,

 

[Old McDonald]

I suspect it is an attempt by those who are losing power to frighten those in the middle ground of politics to continue to vote for the major parties around the world - which could mean my theory did not apply in USA because those who lost are applying it to the new President. On the other hand there are only two significant parties in the US, so perhaps it does still apply.

Using the expression populist to also mean the far right parties is another "frightener" against those in the middle. If a party is doubly labelled populist and extreme then some people will be dissuaded from voting for them.

 

[Billhook]

must be bad, frankie says so
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38708485
railing against wall builders seems a little rich from someone who happily lives in his own wee walled state,

The Pope cites Hitler, but I would put Blair forward as a good example of populism. His slimy grin and certain charisma appealed to the majority who were blinded to what lay behind this facade.
To take a country to war on a lie is treasonable and I note that one of the first things he did when he became Prime Minister was to repeal the death sentence for treason.

How do you deal with someone who caused so many problems in the Middle East that are still escalating? Why, make him the peace envoy there of course.

 

[baabaa]

The Pope cites Hitler, but I would put Blair forward as a good example of populism. His slimy grin and certain charisma appealed to the majority who were blinded to what lay behind this facade.
To take a country to war on a lie is treasonable and I note that one of the first things he did when he became Prime Minister was to repeal the death sentence for treason.

How do you deal with someone who caused so many problems in the Middle East that are still escalating? Why, make him the peace envoy there of course.

just think if he had got his dream job of eu president

 

[Billhook]

just think if he had got his dream job of eu president

What worries me is that most of the people who voted for Blair are the ones that worry about Trump.

 

[Danllan]

'Populism' is a term used by people when referring to something that they believe may be popular, but that they disagree with; it is therefore almost always used in a derogatory sense. Anyone referring to democracy in a derogatory way is as good as classing themselves as a fascist, so most people don't.

What we sometimes have here is a government reacting to a situation, i.e. playing catch-up, to fit in with what they believe to be the public will. At other times have a precise idea of what the public want e.g. after a referendum... or they have a set of ideas they have run by the public, usually in manifesto form.

In any case it seems rational for a government to do what its people want, in general terms. Where it gets difficult is when the government thinks X should be done and most of the public think it should be Y.

 

[Tarty]

Rightly or wrongly, Is "populism" not just code for "appeals to stupid people"?

 

[Billhook]

Rightly or wrongly, Is "populism" not just code for "appeals to stupid people"?

But the same could be said for Democracy if it does not go your way.

Holding an EU Referendum was blatantly a populist move, the result being that half the country thinks that the other half is stupid, but it was Democratic

 

[fudge]

Like it or not "populism" is not at odds with democracy. If a so called populist then tampers with constitutions etc. then they become dictators, I don't think Trump is proposing any constitutional changes.

 

[Ashtree]

For me populism in today's context is a dark art practiced by putative dictators, despots and thugs, where simplistic solutions to deep and complex socioeconomic problems are packaged and marketed in sloganeering one line phrases.

 

[baabaa]

i rather like wikipedias take
Populism is a political style of action that mobilizes a large alienated element of population against a government seen as controlled by an out-of-touch closed elite that acts on behalf of its own interests. The underlying ideology of Populists can be left, right, or middle.

 

[Ashtree]

i rather like wikipedias take
Populism is a political style of action that mobilizes a large alienated element of population against a government seen as controlled by an out-of-touch closed elite that acts on behalf of its own interests. The underlying ideology of Populists can be left, right, or middle.

Gosh..... do they read Wiki in the royal household

 

[baabaa]

Gosh..... do they read Wiki in the royal household

and the vatican?

 

[Ashtree]

and the vatican?

But he sort of gets elected every so often.
By an electoral college ..... may not have the popular vote but the establishment of cardinals rule the roost!
Do you see a parallel with USA?

 

[baabaa]

But he sort of gets elected every so often.
By an electoral college ..... may not have the popular vote but the establishment of cardinals rule the roost!
Do you see a parallel with USA?

no
and who appointed the cardinals?

 

[RobFZS]

For me populism in today's context is a dark art practiced by putative dictators, despots and thugs, where simplistic solutions to deep and complex socioeconomic problems are packaged and marketed in sloganeering one line phrases.

''Long term economic plan''

''mansion tax'' ''bankers bonus tax''

etc etc, they're all the same

one for the dems is 'invest in the middle classes' both used by clinton and Al Gore in 2000

Nothing ever gets done

 

[Henarar]

just think if he had got his dream job of eu president

it could be argued that good old Tony started us on the road to Brexit

 

[Old McDonald]

it could be argued that good old Tony started us on the road to Brexit

Never thought of that. Maybe he did something useful after all.

 

[fudge]

it could be argued that good old Tony started us on the road to Brexit

This is Philip Hammonds line. Getting his excuses in early me thinks. It will also play well in Europe, the tide of refugees from the Middle East has been in part created by what Mrs Merkel euphemistically called interventionist western foreign policy i.e. Blair and Bush's criminal wars.