Left wing “populism” cannot avoid having a more reasoned and reasonable approach to complex economic and social issues. Imo, it needs to lower the level of nonsense “culture war” hyperbole, embrace a tough social-democratic program toward social inequality created by Wall Street capitalism and corporate corruption, put forward radical demands for economic transparency, taxation, electoral reform — and separate itself out from the DNC leadership.
Bernie Sanders showed the way (more or less) but he was just one old guy. A radical populism of the left must also be carefully articulated, especially in opposing U.S. imperialism and in distinguishing the differences between corporate globalism and genuine internationalism. Likewise, progressives need to get realistic about resolving border immigration issues.
The right populists have no real ideas but negative ones — returning to bygone America is impossible. But if the crisis of U.S. world-dominating capitalism gets serious, or even if global decoupling occurs & world trade collapses due to war (over Taiwan for example) the right may very well throw up a new wave of fierce popular demagogues … and win future elections. Then right authoritarian candidates will likely also win the support of Wall Street and the “security state.”
This was basically a good article. However the prospects for the growth of a mass left populist and social-democratic movement here are not very good, given the nature of present American society, the lack of a significant organized working class, and the real privileges Americans have gotten used to owing to the worldwide reign of the U.S. dollar.
jacobin.com
