Finally, an intelligent book on National Populism that sets it far apart from National Socialism and Fascism. Written by Roger Eatwell, Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Bath who has expertise in fascism, and Matthew Goodwin, Professor of Politics at the University of Kent.
The book dispels many of the myths commonly associated with political smears of Populism – that it is a racist ideology, that it is for ‘old white men’, that it is xenophobic, transphobic etc. Far from any of that, the authors analyse the origins of national populism and show how it is linked to Four Ds – Distrust of the current political settlement, where we vote in politicians who often fail to represent the public’s view; Destruction of culture through unfettered immigration; Deprivation through governments appearing more concerned with the well being of recently arrived migrants that that of the native population; and De-alignment, where the electorate are less loyal to traditional parties, who often appear concerned with lofty goals instead of what matters to the ordinary voter.
The rise in populism is poorly understood by the elites who run government, many of whom are university graduates devoid of actual life experience that matches that of the working class. The Populist movement has grown because of the abject failures of Liberalism to remain of local relevance, preferring instead to set its sight on globalist agendas. Globalism leads to what David Goodhart has called the ‘Anywheres’, whilst Populism prefers the ‘Somewheres’ stance. Many populists are simply people who feel left behind and ignored by the political class. Populists are people who are rooted in community, culture and customs. They voted Brexit in the UK primarily because they wanted the UK to become sovereign with its own laws, borders and regain its rights to fishing and to be self-determining. Most populists want a better form of democracy, many preferring a Direct Democracy system such as that practised in Switzerland, to Parliamentary democracy which is seen as failing. They want more democracy not less.
The authors invite political commentators to rethink Populism’s threat to liberal democracy. It is not a movement that is going away anytime soon. It is a reaction to elitist, aloof politicians - politicians who fail to understand that it is not simply a passing phase. Instead, it is based more on preserving culture than on economics, more on common sense than fancy ideologies and a reminder that the soul of communities matters more than the pursuit of policies that do not command popular conviction.
A provocative book that I highly recommend.
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Reviews with images
BRILLIANT!
This is a masterpiece. Well structured and argued, packed with factual evidence and prone to leave the reader feeling that their inner thoughts have been read. If any book should be read to help open the dialogue needed on the social topics of our time it is this one.
Top reviews from other countries
David Lindsay
Good Explanation of Populism
Reviewed in the United States on 19 February 2019
Amazon Customer
Very well written and accessible for the layperson trying to understand today's political events
Reviewed in Canada on 25 January 2019
