Thread by @sunnshiiny

Let’s talk about POPULISM.

What is it?

Who is using it?

How does it impact politics?

Is it dangerous?

Why are some using populist strategies?

How does populism impact democracy?

First let’s define representative democracy.

The vast majority of modern democracies use representative democracy.

The government is chosen by the people. The electorate chooses who governs by casting a vote. The winners then govern for all people, not just a subset.

Populism is inherently divisive. While it claims to be democratic, “The People” populism represents is a much narrower subset of the population. Populists mean the “good” people. Everyone else is an elite or an enemy.

Nuance ceases to exist. There is only black and white.

We have several populist politicians in Canadian politics. Left and right. They use anti-establishment “branding” presented as the “ordinary candidate.” Jagmeet Singh, Erin O’Toole, Annamie Paul, Elizabeth May, Charlie Angus, Jody Wilson Raybould, Jason Kenney & Doug Ford.

Their appeal is to specific segments of the population; the poor, the wealthy, whites, Christians, indigenous, the working class, BIPOC & LGBTQ, youth (18-35 year olds). They ignore and vilify everyone else. Only their “people” matter, only their people’s issues are important.

Populists emphasize how persecuted & victimized by the enemy their “people” are. Victimhood and immediate emancipation from oppression is the false promise made by populists.

Only socialism can save you. Only conservatism will fix the problems. False assurance & phoney concern.

The promise of utopia is alluring.

Politicians don’t promise utopia, they promise progress incrementally. Because that’s realistic.

Populists promise perfection, telling their followers what they want to hear; the enemy blocks your utopian fantasy from being realized.

Unsurprisingly, populist parties don’t garner large support. Because they’re geared towards a specific subset of the population. Resulting in claims of rigged electoral systems and illegitimate results.

In Canada every vote is counted in free & fair elections in a FPTP system.

Representatives are tasked with governing on behalf of every person in their riding, which encourages cooperation & compromise.

But not populists. They demand others cooperate & compromise. They shouldn’t need to.

And if they lie about opposition, it’s for a “greater good.”

Reason and logic are abandoned by populists. A levelling of all opinions means armchair critics have as much sway as educated experts. It’s ideology & loyalty, not facts and truth that matter.

Contempt and derisive griping about “Jurisdiction” or “Liberty” overrule reality.

It’s “common sense” that matters to the populist. Except logic and reason isn’t common in our current political environment.

Truth is relative and defined by “the People.”

Challenge a bad idea and you’re accused of being elitist, racist, sexist, homophobic. Labelled a bigot.

“Ruthlessly attacking the enemy in bad faith.”

That must be THE most populist strategy. Every populist is adept at false accusations, projection of their corrupt actions, smearing and character assassination.

It’s nauseating so many believe this gaslighting and grift.

Populists who have been elected and have the power of governance demonstrate with zero room for doubt how destructive putting trust in a populist is.

And that’s on both ends of the political spectrum. It’s not just far right populism that is destructive, divisive and fails miserably at the expense of “the people” who elected them. The centrist and far left populists are just as terrible, corrupt and ineffective as leaders.

And that’s the kicker. Those who fall for populists are way too excited about instant relief from misery or fear to bother determining whether populists are pandering. They just lap up the fantasy and adopt a new alternate reality. Where facts and truth no longer matter.

These people are the same ones who fall for “get rich quick” schemes, outlandish conspiracy theories, and lotto tickets.

Promise jobs, cheap housing or free education, immediate O&G end or boom, or instant poverty relief & zero wait times for healthcare. Hook, line and sinker.

Are these people dumb or lazy? No!

They’re fearful, desperate, angry, apathetic and anti-intellectual, & maybe a bit greedy.

But mostly, they’re emotionally agitated, cynical, and self righteous. They believe they deserve their just rewards.

Roughly, it’s about 20-25% of the electorate on either side of the political spectrum that are easily susceptible to populism and populist rhetoric.

Convinced that authoritarian means justify their desires ends.

So caught up in their new found political agency, relevance and power, they willingly sacrifice democracy, rule of law, national security, and every institution that provides and protects their rights and freedoms, for a quick fix.

Happily practicing cancel culture in mobs that provide security in numbers and affirmation that their beliefs and values are absolutely superior, righteous and excuse all their behaviours.

So. What’s the solution?

We “cancel” populist behaviour and call out populist rhetoric; on both sides of the political spectrum.

Because if we don’t, democracy is done.

Demagoguery is populism; the appeal to emotionally fuelled desires and prejudices threatens us all.

But we don’t shame or blame people for being afraid, disgusted, apathetic, demoralized, traumatized, desperate, or poor. They’ve been manipulated by populists. And their emotional state is what keeps their support for populist leaders.

We cancel the populists. We expose their grift. Ignoring those who have fallen under their spell.

We target their lies, their false promises, their gaslighting, their disinformation.

We make it obvious to all who still possess their critical thinking skills who populists are.

We become the campaign team that brags about accomplishments of democracy in action. We ratio utopian fantasies offered by populists with realism, not ad hominem attacks.

We drop animosity. Emotional turmoil is what populists count on. Deep wedges & divisive identity politics.

Welcome inquiry, access to research & expertise, truth, facts & rational discourse.

Democracy works. We have 70 years of democratic peaceful coexistence to prove it. Populists destroy democracy.

Don’t permit populists to cancel democracy. Let’s cancel the populists instead.

@threadreaderapp please compile