Brexit

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'Populism' is first of all a strategy and implies several of the following points to be met:

(1) claiming to speak for the people (advocacy)

(2) incriminating an idea, a system, people or a group of people (scapegoating)

(3) creating a feedback system around overly simple ideas (propagation)

(4) 'convincing' people by tapping into sentiments (emotionalism)

(5) consciously misrepresenting facts and information with the aim of 'proving' a point (twisted logic)

(6) a lack of self-citicism (obstinacy)

(7) selling a hidden agenda (black box, pig in a poke)


There are many example of this in real life.

- Advertisement shows aspects of (3) and (4), so not enought to be called populist as such.

- Anti-whatever campaigns (be it anti-smoking or Occupy Wall Street) usually show at least three of the above aspects and would already qualify as populism in my books. But we usually still understand that it is only a means to an end, so we see it as legitimate cos we can easily fill in the gaps with common sense.

However, talking to an orthodox Jewish settler sure covers points (2) to (6) and can easily be called populist. And although it does not imply (7), it doesn't need to, simply because the agenda here has never been hidden right from the start.

Anyway, the winner of them all is "Mein Kampf", which gives us all seven. It is a recommended read, cos there is not a single page in it without at least four of the above aspects. Quite a training.

-----------

Now, how much of anything related to the 'B' word in Britain and especially the personnel involved has been and still is populism... that everyone needs to decide for themselves. 

But one sure indicator of populism being at work is when proponents, instead of arguing, epecially when confronted with facts that contradict or disprove their ideas, first quickly deflect and then resort to quoting the same overly simple ideas again -- with quasi-religious fervor (aspect 8 ).

Personally, I think anyone can 'believe' what they want. But when it comes to hidden agendas I get sceptical.
 
abbey road d enfer said:
But it's the other way around. Populists tell people what they want to hear (line of least resistance) in order to get elected. Then, they end up doing what they want for their own interests, not for the good of the people who voted for them.
Which is exactly what the elite do so we are buggered either way.

Cheers

Ian
 
Yes, overall less conservative and less social democratic. Less of the classics.

Instead more nationalists, more populists, more liberals and more green.
 
I think politicians have always attempted to tap in to popular notions ,
As were seeing social media and politics are like a head on trainwreck waiting to happen , its the most convincing liar that wins out in the end  ,

We saw a big swing on the green party vote here in the european elections , there gladly taking the extra limelight , even though really it was by default ,or a more global trend towards the idea of  sustainabillity in how we live that gave them the extra votes .

Brexit's like a blackhole everyones trying to back pedal on , the mess has been pushed down the road again now .

 
What I can't understand is that there are so many hopefuls jockeying for May's job......................it's a poison chalice if ever there was one.

I voted Green for the first time after Ireland and the UK  declared a climate emergency.

DaveP
 
New PM BoJo said ' no ifs, no buts'. Getting interesting again.

Now let's see what he and his team are being made of.  He really wants to prove it...

No matter the outcome, this should be cathartic for everyone  ;)
 
Politics is the one area humans are the most backwards in...in most other areas of life we have evolved except when it comes to our tribal inclinations...

Rene Girard opened my eyes to mimetic rivalry (especially in religion) and how we are unconsciously driven to desire things others desire...in the realm of politics mimetic rivalry is like an opamp with no feedback controlling it, it simply grows to as large as the crowds energy supplies...whatever the size of the crowd is directly responsible for the output...and we call it democracy...

Its an insane system...we can do better, we've put actual human feet in boots on the moon, but all of our creative energy in even THAT was driven by rivalry (Space race anyone?)...

Humanity will not survive without learning to install control feedback systems into our corporate tribal circuits...

Sometimes the best thing to do is expose the fact that we are doomed and maybe trigger our creativity to survive...
 
Script said:
New PM BoJo said ' no ifs, no buts'. Getting interesting again.

Now let's see what he and his team are being made of.  He really wants to prove it...

No matter the outcome, this should be cathartic for everyone  ;)

He reminds me of Thatcher with balls.

Cheers

Ian
 
ruffrecords said:
He reminds me of Thatcher with balls.

Cheers

Ian
The iron lady had honorary balls....  8)

I thought BoJo was a bit of a clown while mayor of London, but political reportage across the ocean is not very comprehensive and I may be confusing him with a later London mayor.  I haven't been paying close attention to UK politics.

Good luck,,,  The new question du jour is will a no-deal Brexit be bad for UK or bad for EU...?  (I really do not know). The international trade/economy situation has changed in the brief time this deal has been on the stove percolating. 

JR
 
Most if not further right-leaning cabinet since Thatcher indeed.

Apart from that, so far, only the haircut has changed.
 
Economics is one thing but I think the question du jour is how he believes he can pull the Irish stunt.
 
Script said:
Economics is one thing but I think the question du jour is how he believes he can pull the Irish stunt.

As I understand it the choice is the EU removes the backstop or we leave with no deal.

Cheers

Ian
 
ruffrecords said:
As I understand it the choice is the EU removes the backstop or we leave with no deal.
The only reason why the EU would remove the backstop is disguising the horrible truth of UK actually hard-divorcing the EU. Is it worth enough to bend down? Actually, that's what the EU has done a number of times, with all the derogations, so it may happen.
One of the most significant derogations has been non adherence to €uro, resulting in drastic amputated purchasing power for Joe Public.
 
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