Right Wing Populism

There is something in the air world wide: Right Wing Populism

Globalist consensus: Free Trade, Free Enterprise, World Peace.

In the aftermath of World War Two right wing populism was discredited, being associated with Hitler and Mussolini.  A new political consensus grew among the class of governing elites, emphasizing global trade, multi-national military alliances, and the UN and other international organizations.  

The era of global internationalism was enhanced by the reliance of the industrial countries on Middle East oil, by the sharp reduction in shipping costs brought by containerization, by use of the US dollar as a reserve currency, and in the past fifteen years by the international connectivity of the internet.  The US and Europe saw a resurgence of immigration, with the numbers of US immigrants as a percentage of the population at 13%, which approaches the levels of America saw during the early 20th Century era of mass European immigration.

Internationalism brought problems, and then a political backlash.

The immigrants in the next neighborhood not only do are poor at speaking they often have darker skin. They may not understand well or respect your culture, at least not yet.  In France and Germany immigrants have assimilated poorly.  In America the 9-11 attack and subsequent terror incidents changed the focus of fear for many white Americans, replacing Willie Horton and black males with Muslim jihadi terrorists.   Meanwhile, liberal and business elites said that immigration was good for business, that it was a moral duty to the poor and to political refugees, and that it was overall very good for the economy.   Average citizens experienced immigration differently, as cultural friction and job competition.

Global trade and globalist business practices changed the relationship between businesses and the American worker.   In the 1930s Charlie Wilson could say that what is good for General Motors is good for America.  At that time it made sense both to economic elites and to the general public.  Now there is a divide between the opinion of business, media, and academic elites and the perception of workers.  The elites see the rise of international supply chains as a net benefit for everyone; the workers see direct competition with foreign workers in low wage and low regulation countries.

The United Nations.  Policy leaders interpreted the absence of world war as a priceless benefit of the international order.   Conflicts between the great powers were carried out in proxy wars that were sometimes tragic for the participants in Korea, in Vietnam, in Kosovo, and currently in the Middle East and Ukraine, but in the greater scheme of the wars of the first half the 20th Century this as been an era of big power peace.   Bi-partisan elite policymakers supported the tradeoffs and accommodations, but a great many citizens longed for expressions of robust national pride and in America expressions of American superiority.  Americans witnessed the Clintons, the Bushes, and then Barrack Obama talking of accommodation and cooperation, but they wanted a stronger advocate for American exceptionalism.  America First and Make America Great sounded good.  

Right Wing Populism is a response to those big forces.   Donald Trump spoke to that populism.

Plain talk that sounds right.

Trump critics misunderstand and underestimate Trump's appeal.  In their call for Trump to "act presidential" they were urging him to undermine his own credibility and appeal.  Acting presidential meant speaking with the measured, informed, balanced language of the policy elites who right wing populist voters simply reject.  

Trump speaks un-presidential plain language.  It is not a bug.  It is a big part of his appeal.  He voices the instincts and prejudices of citizens who are frustrated and resentful of the bipartisan elite consensus.  Trump said and continues to say what a great many people feel deep down: Muslims are frightening, there are too many immigrants who aren't assimilating, and governments are in cahoots with big businesses to make profits for the businesses at the expense of regular people.

Trump voices the reaction against the bipartisan globalist worldview.   He is a right wing populist.

Educated bipartisan leaders might talk of tolerance to immigrants. Trump said some of them are bad dudes and we should keep them out.  He voices what many people thought.

Educated bipartisan leaders might talk of the value of global trade and the big picture.  Trump says America first, no compromise, no apology.

George Bush, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 voiced the bi-partisan consensus on Muslims that was continued by Obama and Hillary Clinton.  "We respect your faith.  It's practiced freely by many millions of Americans and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends.  Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah."

This was said by Bush, not Obama.   It reflected the educated and elite view of a complex world.   It was the bipartisan view.  However, it did not reflect the emotional experience of many Americans.   

Americans heard this, but it didn't reflect how they felt.

Trump says "radical Islamic terrorists," voicing the language many people want said: the bad guys are Muslims. That is their religion and they can be identified by their religion, not their actions.  It is war, not criminality.  If Muslims around the world don't like it, too bad.   If national security advisors, including Trump's own, think it is counterproductive, too bad.  Trump will say it and people like hearing it from him.



Educated bipartisan leaders read and respect the cadre of journalists and academics who report on the world.  Expert opinion lost credibility because they present a professional, curated, bipartisan consensus world view that doesn't reflect their experience and world view of many people.  The NY Times and WS Journal tell you that unemployment numbers are down.   A Facebook friend or a forwarded email says that unemployment is 35% and the economy is an utter disaster.  A great many people believe the chain email.  They know people out of work.

A mistake gets re-tweeted then goes viral

I receive directly many email chains, some from highly educated and sophisticated people.  They would not buy a supermarket tabloid nor believe its story of two-headed Martians, and they certainly would not clip the story and send it to 30 friends.  Yet they routinely receive information from the same sources and find it credible enough to forward by email or re-post on Facebook.  

This is a curious phenomenon.

It is explained perhaps by the mismatch between the content of expert opinion and the world view of many Americans open to right wing populism.   George Bush's measured and respectful comments on Muslims simply do not "feel right" to a great many people.  It does not reflect their emotional experience.   What "feels right" is that the religion spawns and encourages murdering jihadists and we should stop them dead in their tracks.    

Right wing populism reflects nationalism and rejection of the nuanced and weak-appearing opinions of elites in favor of the robust full-throated expression of American greatness.  Donald Trump was the vehicle for this.  He says what people feel.