A real threat
Populism is a way to go back to the preoccupation to go back to tradition for instance. It is reflecting the need of many people to go back to the concept of nation, of national culture… Those factors can be understandable, if they don’t fall into racism or discrimination.
The question is that, in my opinion, this populism is reflecting a decrease of economic power. Sartre already told about the fact anti-semitism stemmed from finding a scape-goat to the empoverishement of the « small bourgeoisie ». It is what is happening today with the rise of communautarism. The rise of extreme right and reactionnary movements reflect the lose of purchase power of many people from the campaigns or suburbs. That is the reason why there is a certain logic populism is spreading there : from the campaigns came the Brexit, the election of Donald Trump or a great deal of electors of Marine le Pen in France.
Those problems have spread a great deal. Paul Krugman told that the biggest losers of globalization would be the less qualified people of developped country, who wouldn’t sustain competition against the developped countries workers. It is what is happening now. In France resentment against the European Union is very strong in many places, which doesn’t look to take into consideration the needs of citizens. The feeling of loss of power, due to the transfer of monetary power to central banks, is an example of this trend. Those factors, added with a globalization that is mainly favoring the elites, favor populism.
Some solutions can be initiated
To tackle this dangerous trend, some solutions can be advocated. First, in the long run, we need to invest a great deal in education. That is one of the main reasons why the Chinese government succeeded in 40 years to put 800 million people out of poverty. However this focus is not made enough at all : in France there is a detrimental lack of teachers, due to their daily insecurity, their lack of recognition… However it is one of the most important jobs in society. Moreover the political class looks to be more preoccupied by their position than people’s preoccupations. Political carriers should be limited.
But populism is expressing other ways. For instance the rise of radical religions is spreading. For instance evangelism (at least its most radical trends) are progressing in a detrimental way to « classical » protestants around the worlds. This trends is the same among the Catholics, the Jews or the Muslims. Moderate religions look to be too isolated and not energetic enough. Anyway it is thanks to dialogue this rise of radicalism can be fought. As Kant says, religion has to rely more on faith, not on pretention to become a sort of truth. Progress has to come to science, and religion should many try to explain the « why » of things. Theologians like Hans Kung or Eugene Drewermann should be heard more, as their voices are too much silent. Those moderate approaches of religion could allow more the gay marriage (which is in my opinion a real progress of society), the French reformed churched blessed.
Populism reflects a disease of society, which is scared of its future. Giving more prospects, being more involved for politicians to build real prospects is detrimental. Even artificial intelligence and new technologies, which are destroying so many jobs, can give opportunities. Populism is a classical way to express people despair. It is giving prospects (thanks to education…) that this danger can be fought.
The observer 