Current Events > is ''populist'' ever anything else other than a euphemism for "communist''?

(+) Yeah! (+)

i haven't heard that word used in any other context than to describe communism advocate, or at best, socialist advocate.
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Really?

In Europe, it means "anyone who doesn't completely love open borders immigration"
Usually the word "Nazi" quickly follows

People here call Trump a populist. Do they not in America?
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I always just took it to mean "appealing to the masses"

not sure how accurate that is
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go read Bridgewater's piece on populism
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It is strange how people keep talking about how great democracy is but then populism is bad since it is appealing to the masses.
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StarsOfCCTV posted...

It is strange how people keep talking about how great democracy is but then populism is bad since it is appealing to the masses.

american brand of democracy is not the same as classical democracy or actual rule by people
in fact, populist/mob rule was one of the things the founding fathers specifically did not want

second, appealing to the masses =/= controlled by the masses. You can be told whats good for you, agree with it, and not be in power.
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ROBANN_88 posted...

People here call Trump a populist. Do they not in America?

no. in polite terms he is described as a nationalist.

populist is what american news outlets call the leaders of failing socialist hispanic nations in middle and south america. they don't want to outright claim they're socialist or communist because that smears they're own leftist, socialist beliefs.
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There's right-wing and left-wing populism. It sounds like you're just making up your own definition of the word and applying it to everything.
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All the time. E.g. the various "right wing populists" (anti-immigration, anti-EU, etc.) here in Europe.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=europe%20right%20wing%20populism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-wing_populism

It's not just used for the likes of Jeremy Corbyn or Bernie Sanders. It may even be used for the right more (here in Europe at least).

UnholyMudcrab posted...

There's right-wing and left-wing populism. It sounds like you're just making up your own definition of the word and applying it to everything.

im describing and observing how the word is used in common connotations in america. news reporters calling those failing lefty nations populists are the ones fucking up the definition.
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I've seen numerous articles referring to figures like Marine Le Pen and Viktor Orbn as populists, and they're decidedly not left-wing politicians
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This is a bad topic and you should feel bad. Trump ran on a populist platform.
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Kineth posted...

This is a bad topic and you should feel bad. Trump ran on a populist platform.

trump ran on a platform of actively harming the majority of people in the country. even if he had a lot of support, that's the opposite of populism
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averagejoel posted...

Kineth posted...

This is a bad topic and you should feel bad. Trump ran on a populist platform.

trump ran on a platform of actively harming the majority of people in the country. even if he had a lot of support, that's the opposite of populism

What you feel a word should mean doesnt change what it means. Stay in school.
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myzz7 posted...

UnholyMudcrab posted...

There's right-wing and left-wing populism. It sounds like you're just making up your own definition of the word and applying it to everything.

im describing and observing how the word is used in common connotations in america. news reporters calling those failing lefty nations populists are the ones fucking up the definition.

Not really, it seems like you're just confused by what populism is and just wanted to make a topic shit talking the media and socialism in general. Why cant you just be honest about your intentions?
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pebblethefleet posted...

averagejoel posted...

Kineth posted...

This is a bad topic and you should feel bad. Trump ran on a populist platform.

trump ran on a platform of actively harming the majority of people in the country. even if he had a lot of support, that's the opposite of populism

What you feel a word should mean doesnt change what it means. Stay in school.

"support for the concerns of ordinary people"

wasting tax money on a giant wall, cutting taxes for the wealthy, gutting social programs, scapegoating muslims and immigrants

those are not supportive of the concerns of ordinary people
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really, populism means true democracy. socialism is inherently more democratic than capitalism. so yes, populism is a left wing thing
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Here in Canada I only hear populist used to describe alt right candidates like Trump and La Pen. The media never uses it for anyone on the left. Its also just a media thing. I have never heard anyone using the word outside the media.
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averagejoel posted...

Kineth posted...

This is a bad topic and you should feel bad. Trump ran on a populist platform.

trump ran on a platform of actively harming the majority of people in the country. even if he had a lot of support, that's the opposite of populism

I don't disagree on his platform being harmful, but he appealed to the lowest common denominator and that is populism in itself.
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it's debatable to call trump a populist, but characterizing populism the way averagejoel is defining it is hugely inaccurate, as there have been many non-left populists/fascists (including Mussolini, Franco, Hitler, Charles Coughlin, Mosley, Poujade)
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"Populism" as used by the media in this era, is a term that enables them to apply the same label to left wingers who support universal healthcare as right wingers who support mass deportations. This article is pretty good about it: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-johnson-populism-20170518-story.html#
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Its used for when people vote for something thats to the right of the establishment. Democracy is seen as good as long as we vote for the establishment (ie open borders and 3rd world immigration).
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i think probably the simplest way to define populism is as "a rebellion of the common man against the elites and, to some extent, against the system"
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tennisdude818 posted...

Democracy is seen as good as long as we vote for the establishment (ie open borders and 3rd world immigration).

How do you reconcile your belief that the establishment is for open borders with the regular claim that Trump's more noxious immigration policies in fact originated with his predecessors? Or the ways in which both McCain and Hillary supported border fencing?
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Populist is a meaningless buzzword these days, and it's used far more (though not entirely) by the left.
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Antifar posted...

tennisdude818 posted...

Democracy is seen as good as long as we vote for the establishment (ie open borders and 3rd world immigration).

How do you reconcile your belief that the establishment is for open borders with the regular claim that Trump's more noxious immigration policies in fact originated with his predecessors? Or the ways in which both McCain and Hillary supported border fencing?

Based on actual massive 3rd world immigration into America and Europe.
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open borders are extremely non-populist to be sure

in general, populists are exclusive rather than inclusive, and confrontational rather than collaborative
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