Populism - Right, Left and Trump
You’d have to be living on Mars not to be aware of the
continuing political polarization of the country. Many people blame Trump’s election in 2016 as
being responsible for this rift, and our cultural and political wars have taken
on anti-Trump and “pro-Trump” characteristics.
Truth be told, left and right were in strong opposition long before
Trump, and what Trump did was exacerbated the division by applying his own
brand of populism, narcissism and crass NY real estate stamp on it.
Forgetting Trump, (hard to do because of our media), the two
hard bound positions in politics and culture are, and have been, as follows:
Hard right – Unrelenting socially and fiscally conservative
– lower taxes – smaller federal government - individual responsibility -
America first – strongly patriotic/nationalistic - strong borders with restricted immigration –
evangelical Christian – religious, not secular - inerrancy of the bible on
homosexuality and other ethical/moral issues - remnant undertones of racism,
homophobia, misogyny – rural and generally less educated/sophisticated –
opposed by preponderance of mainstream media and coastal elites.
Hard left – Democratic socialism bordering on communism –
increased taxes and social amenities – social justice – identity politics –
diversity – secular, non-religious – pro “black live matter” – pro “antifa” - open
borders – illegal alien voting rights – minor voting rights - sanctuary cities
– government responsibility for citizens’ welfare – government support for most
societal and cultural activities – university speech restrictions – cry rooms –
urban”elitist” - backed by preponderance of the mainstream media, Hollywood,
comedic voices.
These are some of the extremes. But these extremes are the starting points
for more moderate views on both sides. Gallup
in 2017 estimates that American voters are 36% conservative, 25% liberal and
34% moderate. http://news.gallup.com/poll/201152/conservative-liberal-gap-continues-narrow-tuesday.aspx.
So political hegemony in this mix in any election cycle
depends on how many of the “moderates” or “independents” or “uncommitted”
voters (in the swing states) a party can bring to their side. Obama swung these voters left with his
mellifluous rhetoric and ostensibly clean-cut message of peace and hope. Trump swung them to the right with his
showmanship, bluster, vulgarity and America first message. Generally speaking there is only a relatively
thin margin one way or the other in any given election cycle.
This brings us to Trump and his unremitting populism and
nationalism. Trump has become the
symbolic conservative piñata for the liberal left and their mainstream media
and Hollywood cohorts. Opposition and
“resistance” by the liberal left take the form of ad hominem attacks on Trump
and his family and backers, rather than on the substance of executive and
legislative efforts. Trump’s response is
straight from his megalomania and narcissism, but limited by the constitution –
“I know what’s best, and will apply it”.
He is undoing Obama’s executive orders that never went to congress, both
foreign and domestic. He is applying his
business acumen and “art of the deal” to international trade, Korea
denuclearization and a raft of other issues, many times seemingly without the
trappings of detailed government work, and with his Queens construction background
bluster.
All to the howls of the liberal left and MSM, who
consider Trump a dangerous, vulgar buffoon, and to the cheers of “middle
America”, who considers this billionaire New York real estate mogul and media
star, the champion of their economic, patriotic and religious values. The right-left rift was acerbic enough
without Trump, but it has become downright strident and sometimes violent. Again, the roughly one third of uncommitted
voters watch and wait and evaluate and draw their own conclusions at election
time.
And we are becoming more tribal. From identity politics on the left, which
elevates societal groups to special privilege, to populism on the right, which
fosters forms of exclusivity, our march toward tribalism continues. It mirrors
Europe’s and the developed world’s similar political movement, such as Brexit,
and right and left wing populism in many countries. It seems that the honeymoon of the “new world
order” is over, and humanity is once again looking inward toward nativism
rather than accommodating and accepting unlimited outsiders in the form of
immigrants. “Peace and love” seem subrogated to populism, nationalism and
tribalism.
It does not take too close an examination of the past to analogize
the deleterious nature of unrestrained populism. The “our tribe first” mentality has resulted
in the “isms” of the 19th and 20th centuries encompassing totalitarian
communism, fascism and nazism. One can only hope that the current populist phenomenon
serves as a reset and reminder, once again, that humanity will not accept the professed
theoretical altruism of the liberal/progressive movement. Some scope must be
left for the innate self-sufficiency of human nature.
Ray Gruszecki
June 12, 2018
