Right-wing “populism” is a joke: Poor-bashing, immigrant-hating and a revolting agenda

[DonViejo]

From Sarah Palin to Pat Buchanan, here's what it really means when they speak to "the American worker"

HEATHER DIGBY PARTON

Writer John Judis presciently published an important book about American politics about a decade before its time called “The Paradox of American Democracy: Elites, Special Interests, and the Betrayal of the Public Trust” in which he accurately observed the seeds of discontent among the American public and its mistrust of political institutions. He saw the Tea Party coming before it was born. In the wake of David Brat’s recent win over Eric Cantor he analyzed the race and helpfully defined the right-wing populism that drove it:

American populism is rooted in middle class resentment of those who are seen as enjoying the benefits of the goods and services the middle class produces without having earned them through work. Its ideology is what historians call “producerism.” It first appears in the Jacksonian Workingmen’s Parties and then in the Populists of the late nineteenth century. But it takes a leftwing and a rightwing form.

Facing an ailing economy, leftwing populists from Huey Long to Paul Wellstone primarily blame Wall Street, big business and the politicians whom they fund. Rightwing populists from George Wallace to Pat Buchanan also blame Wall Street, but put equal if not greater blame on the poor, the unemployed, the immigrant, and the minorities, who, like the coupon-clipper on Wall Street, are seen as economic parasites.

We see the two strains of populism springing up in both political parties with more and more energy. On the left the Elizabeth Warren wing is gaining steam. Her rousing cri de guerre from the last campaign — “you didn’t build that” — speaks directly to these middle-class anxieties in the language of common good that left-wing populists like to hear. Indeed, she’s been speaking and writing books about it for more than a decade.

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http://www.salon.com/2014/07/10/right_wing_populism_is_a_joke_poor_bashing_immigrant_hating_and_a_revolting_agenda/

[Sunlei]

1. There is no 'Warren wing'. R media will fail with

fail with their attempts to divide the Democratic Party.

[Cosmocat]

2. The fater and more affluent we are, the most the "republican populism" reigns

Fater, figuratively and literally ...

The more we overall live a life of comfort, the less what this piece considers to be liberal populism has any pull. People are OK, they aren't starving, they live a fairly comfortable life. There just is not any real jeopardy for most.

Meanwhile, the hate the poor thing bites for most people know, sadly.

It isn't going to get any better any time soon, unless things take a really bad turn.

[joshcryer]

3. Right wing populism is fascism.

Full stop.