Is Hitler the only racist left?

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

By the most basic definition - not those of the political flunkies decrying it - populism is precisely as Furunculus defines it. In essence, therefore, populism is the cornerstone of our democracy. Every party does it to an extent, which accounts for HoreTore's post, though some parties more than others. These parties are the ones deemed "no-good uneducated misguided populists" and are thrown aside by the "political class." Ironically, this effectively proves the "populist" argument.

[HoreTore]

By the most basic definition - not those of the political flunkies decrying it - populism is precisely as Furunculus defines it. In essence, therefore, populism is the cornerstone of our democracy. Every party does it to an extent, which accounts for HoreTore's post, though some parties more than others. These parties are the ones deemed "no-good uneducated misguided populists" and are thrown aside by the "political class." Ironically, this effectively proves the "populist" argument.

Please, do explain why populist parties are at best fringe parties.

If they supposedly hold the views of the majority of the population, the common man, then surely they would have the majority of the votes, right?

Or....Perhaps "the common man" actually favours something else...? Election results says he does.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Please, do explain why populist parties are at best fringe parties.

If they supposedly hold the views of the majority of the population, the common man, then surely they would have the majority of the votes, right?

Or....Perhaps "the common man" actually favours something else...? Election results says he does.

Because mainstream parties try to portray them as dangerous fringe parties, because the people don't think that the populist parties will get elected, and because when the populist parties latch on to a big issue that threatens to displace the top few ruling parties those parties immediately take hold of that issue and begin to half-heartedly use it in their campaigns to prevent the populist parties from taking their votes.

[HoreTore]

Because mainstream parties try to portray them as dangerous fringe parties, because the people don't think that the populist parties will get elected, and because when the populist parties latch on to a big issue that threatens to displace the top few ruling parties those parties immediately take hold of that issue and begin to half-heartedly use it in their campaigns to prevent the populist parties from taking their votes.

So..... It's all an elaborate elitist conspiracy to confuse and betray the common man...?

I'd say that the theory "the populist parties actually don't represent the views of the common man" is a lot easier and makes much more sense.

Time to face the facts; Europe's populist parties only reflect the views of a small portion of the population. Thankfully.

EDIT: Funnily enough, that's the very same conspiracy theory the communist who calls for a dictatorship of the proletariat uses.....

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

So..... It's all an elaborate elitist conspiracy to confuse and betray the common man...?

It isn't a conspiracy theory. It's politics. Political parties adopt and push policies they think people want. That's just how the system works, which is why I see populist parties as an important pressure bloc to force major parties to adopt policies that they need to adopt, but not as parties that will realistically gain power, for better or for worse.

EDIT: You contradict yourself. If a party was populist then it wouldn't represent the views of only a small portion of the voters.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

EDIT: You contradict yourself. If a party was populist then it wouldn't represent the views of only a small portion of the voters.

It's like how in the usa the green party is the only one with environmentalist goals

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

It's like how in the usa the green party is the only one with environmentalist goals

I didn't say anything like that.

[HoreTore]

It isn't a conspiracy theory. It's politics. Political parties adopt and push policies they think people want. That's just how the system works, which is why I see populist parties as an important pressure bloc to force major parties to adopt policies that they need to adopt, but not as parties that will realistically gain power, for better or for worse.

EDIT: You contradict yourself. If a party was populist then it wouldn't represent the views of only a small portion of the voters.

Populists claims they represent the "common man". In reality, they only represent a small portion, as every single election result has shown. The majority in this country, for example, vastly favour social democracy. Lower taxes, less government and no immigration simply isn't what the majority of this country wants, only some 20% of us want that.