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Remember, Donald Trump was elected because people want change. Most people are aware at this point that the system is rigged, and are looking to change it. It's

Remember, Donald Trump was elected because people want change. Most people are aware at this point that the system is rigged, and are looking to change it. It's unclear currently whether populism or socialism will win in the long run, but don't lose hope yet.

ch4s3 10y ago
Socialism and populism are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Quite often socialism takes the form of populist socialism (think Bernie Sanders or Chavez). Also, I think anyone who voted Trump to generate populist change, are likely getting a raw deal. The administration is loaded with Billionaires and business leaders, the opposite of populism. And, they've already set about enacting changes that negatively affect average people, like rolling back privacy protections, and pushing for health reforms that would cause 20 million people to lose insurance coverage, while according to the CBO raising costs.
- TheAdamAndChe 10y ago
  Thank you, I wasn't aware of that. I thought they were completely different. How would Trump's direction be described, then? Nationalism? Also, I agree that electing Trump was a raw deal. But between the two presidential candidates, Trump was the Change candidate and Clinton was the Status Quo candidate. From what I understand, a lot of studies show that Sanders would have won the election if he wasn't suppressed on the Democratic side. Most people don't feel like the country is going in the right direction, and they want change.
  - ch4s3 10y ago
    Trump is more or less a (far-ish)right populist and economic nationalist. Not to rehash the election unnecessarily, but I seriously doubt Sanders had any chance nationally. The US has a political center that is center right to right wing on an absolute scale, meaning the average American Democrat would fit comfortable in most moderate/centrist conservative parties in the rest of the developed world. No judgement there, it's just a historical fact and likely the result of some political realignments in the 20th century due to the Cold War. That is to say that someone as far left of center as Sanders would have no chance in most swing states where the election is decided.
  - guelo 10y ago
    I would say Trump is a traditional pro-big-business conservative, all about deregulation and cutting taxes, tough on crime, etc. mixed with an extra dose of xenophobia.
- dredmorbius 10y ago
  "Demagoguic populism" vs. "Progressivist populism" might be a more useful axis. The socialism vs. market capitalism division has been dominant since the 19th century, but isn't the only such division. I found the introductory chapter of A.H.M. Jones, Augustus, to be a particularly telling parallel of the interests and divisions of politics, this being Rome, ~40 BCE, and the optimates vs. the populares, the former being the propertied oligarchs, and hangers-on, the latter the larger (and generally disenfranchised) population. (I've posted exerpts at G+ and Ello, search under my handles there.) The Chartist movement and general populist reforms of 19th century Europe (especially in the Year of Revolutions, 1848) are also telling. Increased electoral franchsie, judicial reform, and a number of other rights were key among issues raised. Unionisation as well.

ch4s3 10y ago

Socialism and populism are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Quite often socialism takes the form of populist socialism (think Bernie Sanders or Chavez). Also, I think anyone who voted Trump to generate populist change, are likely getting a raw deal. The administration is loaded with Billionaires and business leaders, the opposite of populism. And, they've already set about enacting changes that negatively affect average people, like rolling back privacy protections, and pushing for health reforms that would cause 20 million people to lose insurance coverage, while according to the CBO raising costs.

TheAdamAndChe 10y ago
Thank you, I wasn't aware of that. I thought they were completely different. How would Trump's direction be described, then? Nationalism? Also, I agree that electing Trump was a raw deal. But between the two presidential candidates, Trump was the Change candidate and Clinton was the Status Quo candidate. From what I understand, a lot of studies show that Sanders would have won the election if he wasn't suppressed on the Democratic side. Most people don't feel like the country is going in the right direction, and they want change.
- ch4s3 10y ago
  Trump is more or less a (far-ish)right populist and economic nationalist. Not to rehash the election unnecessarily, but I seriously doubt Sanders had any chance nationally. The US has a political center that is center right to right wing on an absolute scale, meaning the average American Democrat would fit comfortable in most moderate/centrist conservative parties in the rest of the developed world. No judgement there, it's just a historical fact and likely the result of some political realignments in the 20th century due to the Cold War. That is to say that someone as far left of center as Sanders would have no chance in most swing states where the election is decided.
- guelo 10y ago
  I would say Trump is a traditional pro-big-business conservative, all about deregulation and cutting taxes, tough on crime, etc. mixed with an extra dose of xenophobia.
dredmorbius 10y ago
"Demagoguic populism" vs. "Progressivist populism" might be a more useful axis. The socialism vs. market capitalism division has been dominant since the 19th century, but isn't the only such division. I found the introductory chapter of A.H.M. Jones, Augustus, to be a particularly telling parallel of the interests and divisions of politics, this being Rome, ~40 BCE, and the optimates vs. the populares, the former being the propertied oligarchs, and hangers-on, the latter the larger (and generally disenfranchised) population. (I've posted exerpts at G+ and Ello, search under my handles there.) The Chartist movement and general populist reforms of 19th century Europe (especially in the Year of Revolutions, 1848) are also telling. Increased electoral franchsie, judicial reform, and a number of other rights were key among issues raised. Unionisation as well.