The core problem afflicting the right — and to a great degree, the country — is the elite surrender to populism. Definitions of populism vary, but for our purposes it’s best understood as the politics of the mob. AdvertisementConservatives deserve special criticism for fomenting populism because conservatism is supposed to be temperamentally skeptical of excessive political passion. Certainly, on paper, intellectual progressivism provides as much permission for indulging populism as conservatism does. The surrender to populism was greased by what Marxists call “material conditions.” Institutions of all stripes — the media, organized religion, education, etc.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 01, 2021 10:07 UTC