I have written about this before, but I have to come back to it because I am increasingly irritated by the constant abuse and misuse of this simple word ‘populist.’
On his visit to the UK a little while back Antony Albanese dismissed the need to meet with Nigel Farage on the grounds that Farage was just a ‘populist.’
And I have heard the MAGA movement in America dismissed as being politically insignificant on the grounds that it is just a ’populist’ movement.
The definition of ‘populist’ offered by the Oxford English Dictionary is simplicity itself: ‘A person who seeks to represent or appeal to the interests of ordinary people.’
But according to Anthony Albanese, and others of his ilk, anyone who does this is beneath contempt.
It seems to me that ‘populist’ really just means ‘democratic.’
As you probably know ‘democracy’ comes from two Greek roots— ‘demos’ (meaning ‘the people’) and ‘kratia’ (meaning ‘power or rule’).
So ‘democracy’ is rule by the people.
Or as Abraham Lincoln put it: ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people.’
And the word ‘populist’ says much the same, using a word from a Latin root rather than a Greek root, but much the same none the less.
Populist’ is based on the Latin source word populāris meaning ‘belonging to the people.’
We should be alarmed when our political leaders dismiss any movement that ‘belongs to the people’ as being misguided and deserving only of being ignored.
In fact, I will go one step further, and say that, (linguistically) to speak of ‘populist’ is to speak of ‘democracy.’
Anyone who slags of ‘populist’ is (whether they know or not) slagging off democracy.
Rejecting ‘populism’ is rejecting democracy.
This suggests that we have a ruling elite who despise (and fear) the will of the people.
They inherit a long tradition of opposing democracy on the grounds that democracy means ‘mob rule.’
That is clear from what the enemies of ‘populism’ are saying today—we mustn’t let the common people, the common heard, the ‘great unwashed’ (as they sneeringly call them) call the shots.
If most of the people want an end to excessive mass migration this can be dismissed by those who have no respect for democracy—no regard for the will of the people.
So be prepared to defend the word ‘populist’ because in doing so you will be defending democracy itself.
Tonight I will be a panellist on 'The Sunday Showdown' on Sky News (8pm AEDT)
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