What is Populism

Populism is intolerance. It comes in left-wing and right-wing forms. There's a fair bit of it about at the moment.

Yes, it would have been nice to have kept this thread ( which is only musings after all) to being civil. Perhaps from now on it could be an insult free zone.This is not really a heated politics one.
Iwontholdmybreath#

very succinct

An illustration of the fear of the effects of trying to placate populism?

This is not the job of civil servants.

Civil servants have been warned that they must make the patriotic case for Brexit amid concerns it is increasingly viewed as a “risk” by the public.

A Cabinet Office paper said that evidence from focus groups highlighted the need to “change the language” around Brexit in a bid to build public trust.

The paper, discussed by senior civil servants in early December, raised concerns that the public are increasingly “nervous” about the prospect of Britain leaving the European Union.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/07/civil-servants-told-make-patriotic-case-brexit/?WT.mc_id=tmgliveapp_androidshare_AnLl6VS7T4pp

Do keep posting Mair this thread ( and every other thread) is for all to contribute to.

Succinct is my middle name .

And of course, thatbags

I don't see why not ( civil servants) if they can and presumably do always help to keep The UK from 'nervousness' which may cause panic ( which may arise from all sorts of things.)

One important feature of populism is the appeal to emotion rather than reason. Negative emotions are particularly powerful.

Nationalist and ultra-right politicians foster a sense of grievance, divide people into them and us then point to the outsiders- them- as to blame for all that goes wrong. This blaming fosters hatred and is fuelled by newspapers with headlines like "the enemies of the people"

Interesting the language used. But the civil service will advise and carry out as ever.

The is utterly characteristic of populist movements. Look at the way Farage has pitted one group against another I.e. "Ordinary folk v the elite" "British v immigrants."

Trump , very similar rhetoric.

Le Pen again the same.

But if we look at what these terms "ordinary folk or elite means, it is very difficult to define them in a sensible way. On the face of it it looks obvious and beguiling, but it if we just look at the concept " ordinary people" and think about it we soon realise that it tells us absolutely nothing or covers such an enormous area as to be useless.

Because, roses civil servants, whatever their personal views, should be non-political. It is their job to give honest, informed and impartial advice when it is asked for and to implement policy whether or not they personally agree with it.It is not their job to put political 'spin' on government policies. That is for politicians and their advisors to do.

If people are nervous about the implications of Brexit I think that many would become even more 'nervous' if they thought that government institutions such as the civil service and the judiciary were merely yes men and cheerleaders for the executive. That is the way that authoritarian regimes maintain their hold.

Does that mean you think that the civil service, who advise Ministers have never advised them to play down something which may cause unrest/worry in the general population? I am sure that from time to time that would happen.

Roses, you are right, civil servants do advise politicians but based on their knowledge and research, not their political beliefs. I share Maizie's concern that now, they are being asked to control public opinion ( if this is true) by putting a spin on what information is distributed. That goes beyond their brief as non-political advisors and is frankly scary.

Yes it does and should be cause for concern. It is the politicians job to sell us Brexit not the civil servants.

They should only advise and produce reports etc, but definitely not from any one particular political standpoint. Using language like patriotic should arouse alarm bells.

Agreed, but that is not testing their political beliefs is it? The referendum has been and gone, and is now a matter of managing things to the country's best interest.You could say that trying to calm fears comes into that category.

I can't see anything about a political standpoint in it at all.

Selling Brexit is not going on, that was last Summer.It will happen, there is no choosing again on the agenda.

Rinouchka
Roses, you are right, civil servants do advise politicians but based on their knowledge and research, not their political beliefs

In an ideal world that would be true. However since civil servants have their political beliefs just like everyone else. I am afraid the idea that they behave like neutral automatons in reality is far from accurate. Indeed many have chosen a career in Whitehall precisely because they are strongly interested in politics and hold strong views and hope to gain power and influence.

Whitehall is unfortunately very strongly pro remain and I fear this is a huge problem for May (giving her the benefit of the doubt and assuming she now supports Brexit).

If would feel concern if there was any politicisation of the civil service. What they discuss should be from an informed view and in private with their ministers. The idea that they are being told the tenor they should use smacks of Newspeak to me.

varian I agree with your post (Sat 07-Jan-17 11:58:01) but you only mention 'Nationalist and ultra-right politicians' and I feel it applies to the left too for example both the French Revolution and Communism started as populist uprisings.

Re posts not being answered - it happens. Sometimes the same thing is said more than once (people typing but not know what will be posted as they post) sometimes people choose not to reply or don't think they have anything to add. It's a little precious to complain - mostly nothing is meant by it.

We have one of the best and most apolitical civil services in the world in my view and because of this it has worked with changes of government for centuries giving us a great deal of continuity into change.

This is not about one political event but about the way we are governed.

i think the next thing in our look at what poplulism means and how it operates is to look at the various language and concepts it employs in its pursuit of power. So perhaps those with which we are most familiar are Farage and Trump. I'll begin to bring together some of this evidence and get back asap, well in between lunch and stuff and actually Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1

I am afraid that the picture you describe of the civil service is entirely inaccurate mair

But it has nothing to do with this thread whatsoever.

I have been working through your OP whitewave and have reached nationalism.

I certainly agree that right wing populists jump on the nationalist band wagon but wonder if left wing ones do. Is a fight for 'the people' nationalist? In either case the point is lost in their rhetoric that 'nationalism' and 'the people' means different things to different people. The populist movement narrowly defines both loyalty and patriotism and, in the left-wing case, the definition of what constitutes 'the people' is narrowed too.

If these movement gain control these narrow definitions are not only seen as preferred but have ended up in the past with people going to jail or worse if they express anything outside them.

Taken on board gg will get back only Professor Umbridge is taking my attention at the moment.