The New Definition of Popularist

The word doesn’t sound scary or evil.  Popularist;  sounds like a person or group which wants to be popular or holds the most popular opinions.

If I were to ask random people, what the words popularist or populism  means they would probably answer in pleasant tones.

If the word ever meant something pleasant, that was a long time ago, for today, in our twisted tongue ‘political correctness’. a popularist is a racist who is xenophobic and in touching distance of fascism.

A popularist is someone who wants to bar immigration, isolate his country from other, renege on agreements,  curse anything resembling ‘globalisation’.   A popularist says, “Me First.”

Years ago, a person who espoused such positions as closing borders and breaking trade agreements, would be shunned, not ‘popular’.

Years ago, racism, and Antisemitism were faults, and would have those who propounded such views, shunned.

Not popular.

Today, the person who stands on the soap box and curses Muslims, talks about deportations, ending emigration, and locking borders and limiting trade is called a ‘Popularist’ because those views are now popular.

It is ‘popular’ to despise ‘them’, whomever them is in your country.   It is popular to shun refugees and lock them out.

The Far Right of many nations, those who were once ‘fringe’ and were more amusement than candidate are now gaining popular support.

One can sound very educated and urbane discussing Brexit, that is Great Britain’s departure from the European Union, but the fact is, the reason is migrants.  Being forced to take migrants.   Great Britain will not accept batches of people from whatever camp in Turkey or Greece or Italy.   And demanding that every nation take X number is sufficient to point to the Exit.

Trump was elected because of his racism.   People can talk about various policies and practices, but Trump was elected to Make America White Again.   And if you don’t know that is what he means when he said ‘Great’ then you will learn.

In Germany the open borders has led to Merkel’s fall in popularity, and although shrewd politician that she is can about face at the drop of a poll, many Germans are not going to support her nor her Party.

In France, people are taking the Far Right seriously, and votes will be cast.

Even in the Netherlands there are those who are anti-migrant and will stand for election.

One can debate the errors of open borders, or try to lessen the impact of migration, but the public, the angry racist public has enough of the ‘liberal’ rhetoric.

The public wants their country walled up and locked down, and foreign produced goods left on the wharfs.  They don’t want to pander to those who dress differently, pray differently, think differently.

And these views are popular.