"Populism
is a conservative ideology currently reigning contemporary political
discourse. Its strategy is to draw attention away from the real problem
and shift it onto a false enemy or intruder whose purging will bring
renewed harmony.
In the process, the reigning power is depicted
as the resistance, appearing sympathetic towards “the people” against an
imagined elite.
In contrast, democratic socialists like Bernie
Sanders or Jeremy Corbyn, described as “left populists,” oppose the
prevailing neoliberal capitalism. They assign blame to the
contradictions within the system, rather than some enemy or intruder who
disrupted the harmony of the system. “Left populism” is, therefore, a
misnomer.
Populism is the strategy of the right in the Trump era.
Whether it is the “fake media,” political correctness or migrant
labour, Trumpian politics always locates some enemy or intruder. This is
the populist strategy of reproducing dominance in the guise of
resistance.
This is what is truly troubling about the “It’s okay
to be white” campaign. It creates the confusing myth that the ruling
ideology is the resistance.The Conversation"
