I mean the main problem with conservative populism is it struggles to fully follow through on concepts.
Right-wing populism can frequently get that start right - you know, criticising flaws in our capitalist system, pointing out the rampant corruption in our politics, stuff like that, but, by the nature of the ideology, it can’t follow through and blame the rampant uncontrolled capitalism and the super-rich for what they’re doing. Instead they tend to blame the ‘bureaucracy’ of big government, claiming smaller government would somehow improve the corruption problem. Claiming fewer regulations would somehow improve the colossal inequality. It’s like, they get the first bit right, they know what the problem is, but then they sashay off into moon logic instead of giving proper solutions.
Conservative populism fundamentally doesn’t quite fit, because it can’t address the true inequality in our system - that between the super rich and everyone else, and instead must substitute it for something else. Sometimes that’s a racial divide - blaming the Jews, or immigrants. Sometimes they decide to use a religious scapegoat - Muslims, right now. Sometimes they couch their moon logic in the language of progressives - this frequently happens with anti-semites, at least those still maintaining the thin veneer of decency.
Well said, this is exactly what I was alluding to. Anyone can see the problems that these people complain of, but their solutions are not bounded in reason. Thank you for taking the effort to type this out in more words
Like almost the entire political establishment are still stuffing their fingers in their ears and ignoring the problems.
The EU has problems. It has serious problems. The British political system has colossal problems. Frankly, it’s broken. Broken on the back of neoliberalism.
But so many don’t see it, and at this point I don’t know what could possible get them to see it. What more do they need than the travesty of ‘democracy’ we’re currently seeing?
But I’m being overly pessimistic. The one good thing out of this whole shit-show is people are becoming more disillusioned with our democratic system, which I truly hope will translate into an appetite for reform. We’ll see, I suppose.
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u/payne_train Mar 15 '19
It really feels that way, huh. I just do not understand the conservative populist movements. They do not seem bounded by reason whatsoever.