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The Menace of Right "Populism"
http://solidarity-us.org/atc/198/right-populism/Date Written: 2019-01-01 Publisher: Against the Current Year Published: 2019 Resource Type: Article Cx Number: CX23462 Editorial about Trump and right-wing regimes world-wide and the opportunities for left-wing organizing. Abstract: -- Excerpt: Can it all really be Donald Trump's fault? Do the antics of the worst, most malicious and willfully ignorant president in modern U.S. history serve to explain the spread of authoritarian regimes, racist and anti-immigrant parties, and rightwing fake-populism across much of the planet? In some cases, to be sure, Trump is a direct enabler. The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on orders from Saudi Arabia's "reform" ruler and Jared Kushner's great friend, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was followed by a coverup so absurd that no one - except Trump - pretends to believe it, even while the U.S.-backed "Saudi-led coalition" war in Yemen assumes genocidal proportions. But there are widespread and chilling examples of authoritarian rule from above supported by a popular rightwing base, attacking the most vulnerable groups in society.... Of course, asking whether Trump is responsible for all this is only half-serious. But there are deeper substantive issues to be addressed about this reactionary pattern. What are the underlying causes of the surge in rightwing pseudo-populism, including in U.S. politics — this alliance of the wealthiest and most privileged elites with an angry popular and working-class base? What are the counter-trends, and what are the prospects and responsibilities of the radical and socialist left in this turbulent period? Subject Headings |