Populism - Scourge or Nothing

Populism it seems can be a label levelled at anyone – far-right populists, left-wing populists; there can even be centralist populists. Of late, in the mainstream media, the term is wielded with all the effectiveness of a lightsaber. I only began examining the term because someone called me a populist for pointing out, that while the protestors in Ottawa needed to be made to stop impeding the general population, they had valid points. Having been labelled a populist I thought I should attempt to understand the semantics of the term, I discovered it is a nearly impossible task. I can say, it is readily used by sycophants eager to curry favour with the establishment – merely because populists often are anti-establishment. I do observe that the term is readily used of late by people who expound upon progressive values only to trample them for political interests.

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If living through the cold war years, worried about the nuclear holocaust and then, feeling the euphoria of seeing the Fall of the Wall, and then again, having to fear for humanity, then making observations and criticisms of the “establishment” that allowed it to happen means I am a “populist”, I guess I am. If watching governments make the same mistakes over and over again, and then making observations, criticisms and suggestions to the “establishment” to correct said mistakes, makes me a “populist”, then I guess I am. If speaking truth to power to correct massive distortions in the public’s map of reality makes me a “populist”, then I guess I am. If an undying commitment to the cause of freedom, civil rights and the rule of law makes me a “populist”, I guess I am. If pointing out, that the post-Bretton Woods world order, despite the “establishment’s foibles”, effected the greatest advancement for humanity GENERALLY in human history makes me a populist, I guess I am.  If by pointing out that bad capitalism caused the blight this is destroying the prosperity a market economy in concert with compassionate governance can give, makes me a “populist”, I guess I am.

I read an article once that said we overrate character and underrate the environment. We are all a product of our environment and at times, no matter our will, no matter our intent, no matter character – environment wins – events dear boy, events. The challenge we are facing now is that we have 100-year problems and 4-year leaderships. Challenges of the nature of Afghanistan are 100 hundred-year challenges. We have left a mess in Afghanistan; we have abandoned courageous who people who fought and died for the cause of freedom. The mere glimpse of an opportunity to have our way of life and they risked everything for it, we left them the very tyrants that attacked us and have propagated a multitude of affronts to humanity – worse, we left the tyrants better armed and stronger. Was this Joe Biden’s fault, no, George Bush’s fault, no, the good men and women that risked their lives for the cause of freedom, no. The thing that has wrought our efforts is systemic, everyone is willing to use anything to differentiate themselves every four years. The polls erode resolve, we fold – this pattern has brought us to where we are.

You can speak to any informed person anywhere on the political spectrum and explain the destabilizing effect of inequity in society, you can point to a thousand historical examples where inequality has caused calamitous outcomes – they will see the problem. Why then does inequity exist, because, never in human history has someone found a source of prosperity and avoided wanting to build a monopoly. The way this propensity merges with democracy – success generates resources, resources influence the acquisition of power – creates regulatory capture, regulatory capture impairs disruption / creative destruction, stifles innovation, generates red tape and creates barriers to entry for non-incumbent actors. This all feeds inequity, the affected parties become disgruntled and seek other solutions; by failing to effectively address this issue, the prosperity of the most successful is endangered, as is the elevated standard of living we all enjoy is threatened.

The single biggest element in our democracy that allows systemic failure is the absence of proper accountability functions in government. The second element is the incapacity to generate long-term policy; this is exacerbated by the nature of modern discourse and division. The first is fixed by making government accountability functionality a priority and transparent to the electorate – this way facts rule, metrics rule, clearly stated outcome is achieved or not and spin looses traction. The second is mitigated by adherence to first principles as expressed in our constitution and expressing in clear terms the source of our good fortune.  If working toward making democracy work so it improves the lot of all and effects a generalized state of prosperity makes me a “populist”, I guess I am.