Populism

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"The power of the people is greater than the people in power."

Populism is a non-quadrant ideology used to represent generic populism, without left or right connotations.

It focuses on appealing to a large amount of people and their sensibilities, believing that what the masses want must be what the masses get. This will lead to society's prosperity and the well-being of all being raised as the people guide themselves.

It can take on many forms, as its only requirement is that it represents a movement by the people for the people. This causes it to have no real political affiliation. Though often populism is associated with democracies due to its reliance on popular support.

Variants

Fusion Populism

Fusion Populism is simply a synthesis of the talking points and policies of Right-Wing Populism and Left-Wing Populism. This usually results in it taking the economic positions of the left, such as Economic Democracy and Welfarism, and combining them with the social policies of the right, such as Limited Immigration and Social Conservatism.

Techno-Populism

Techno-Populism is a synthesis of Technocracy and populism. It describes a political situation where the government makes efforts to appeal to ordinary people through the scientific method and a powerful bureaucracy. So while it is populist aesthetically, it is outcome-driven (similar to Utilitarianism) and is often accused of elitist tendencies. Examples of this ideology include the "La République En Marche!" in France, Georgian Dream in Georgia, and the Five Star Movement in Italy.

History

Populism has been an ever-present force throughout history. Whenever the masses of a nation couldn't fulfil their needs, or otherwise got upset with the current state of affairs they rise up. Typically populism is within their movement, even if not the front and center ideology. Today we see its influence primarily in politicians and their rhetoric. Appeals to the sensibilities and morals of a large group in society, as well as the creation of programs or works demanded by large groups in society, are hallmarks of a populist politician.

From the Grain Dole in Rome, the many Peasant Revolts in Europe, American Independence, The Rise of Napoleon, the October Revolution in Russia, and the Fall of the Berlin Wall populism has stood throughout history. Its people-driven nature ensures that as long as there are societies in need, it will proceed onwards.

Myanmar

  • Aung San Suu Kyi is the youngest daughter of Aung San, Father of the Nation of modern-day Myanmar, and Khin Kyi, and would live to become the figurehead of her country's pro-democracy movement against Tatmadaw, Myanmar's Military Junta which has ruled the country since the 1960s. Aung San Suu Kyi lived and studied in the UK in the 1960s and 1970s where she met and married British historian Michael Aris in 1972, with whom she had two children.

Coincidentally, when Aung San Suu Kyi returned to Burma in 1988, the long-time military leader of Burma and head of the ruling party, General Ne Win, stepped down after nearly 30 years of dictatorial military rule. Mass demonstrations for democracy followed that event on 8 August 1988, which were violently suppressed in what came to be known as the 8888 Uprising. The 8888 Uprising led to Aung San Suu Kyi's rise to prominence as she addressed half a million people at a mass rally in front of the Shwedagon Pagoda in the capital, calling for the transition to liberal democracy. However, in September 1988, a new military junta took power.

Aung San Suu Kyi became the General Secretary of the National League of Democracy, NLD, which she had newly formed with the help of several retired and defected army officials. Unfortunately, in 1989, she was put under house arrest by the Tatmadaw. Former Prime Minister U Nu attempted initiated to form an interim government made up of opposition leaders, with the support of the Indian government under Rajiv Gandhi. However, Aung San Suu Kyi, rejected U Nu's plan as she resonated that change had to come within Burma by the Burmese people.

In 1990, the military junta called a general election, in which the National League for Democracy (NLD) received 59% of the votes, guaranteeing NLD 80% of the parliament seats. However, the results were nullified as the military refused to hand over power to civilian rule, resulting in an international outcry and Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest at her home in Rangoon. During her time under house arrest she would achieve worldwide fame and admiration similar to other famous democracy activists such as Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Vaclav Havel and was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990, and the Nobel Peace Prize one year later.

Her house arrest would last for nearly two decades and finally in 2010 with the help of the Obama Administration, she was released and planned to run for the presidency in Myanmar's 2015 elections. The NLD won the 2015 elections, however, as the 2008 Constitution states anyone married to a person who was not a citizen of Myanmar would be barred from running for the office of president, a new office was created for Aung San Suu Kyi, the "State Counsellor" to circumvent this inconvenience set up by the military. As State Counsellor of Myanmar would Aung San Suu Kyi would free and grant amnesty to many political prisoners that had been detained under the Tatmadaw regime.

However, the Tatmadaw had not given up on power since the 2008 Consitution referendum, and maintained a high degree of influence over Burmese politics, thus preventing any true transition to liberal democracy. Aung San Suu Kyi was forced to concede to appease the Tatmadaw which made her time as State Counselor a disappointing one for international observers and many of her past supporters who had expected her to solve Myanmar's problems and internal conflicts. Freedom of the press didn't improve under her watch and Myanmar remained a dangerous place for journalists.

Aung San Suu Kyi became notorious for her silence and lack of effort in stopping the persecution and genocide of Rohingya people in Myanmar, carried out by the Tatmadaw and Buddhist extremist monks.

On 1 February 2021, Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested and deposed by the Myanmar military led by General Min Aung Hlaing, along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, after the Myanmar military declared the November 2020 general election results fraudulent.

Thailand

WIP

Italy

Logo of Five Star Movement

The Five Star Movement is an Italian political party. It has been the largest political party in government since 2018. They are a big-tent populist movement, having been both labeled as far-left and far-right by various media outlets because while they are generally pro-welfare including Universal Basic Income and very environmentalist, they are also moderately Euroskeptic and anti-immigration, though it was a member of the generally Right-Wing Populist EU parliament group "Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy" which was led by Nigel Farage.

Russia

Alexei Navalny

  • Alexei Navalny was an anti-Putin activist and the leader, as well as co-founder of Russia of the Future party. They have expressed support for economic liberalization, privatization of state enterprises, prohibition of state-owned media outlets, ending censorship, right to posses firearms, legalisation of same-sex marriage and abolition of military conscription, but also anti-immigrant, anti-Islamic, anti-georgian[11] and ukrainophobic stances[12], with him justifying Russia's intervention in Georgia and the annexation of Crimea.

However, Navalny has condemned the recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics by the Russian government, and the subsequent invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces.[13]

Ukraine

Servant of the People is a Ukrainian political party, which is holding the most seats in the Ukrainian parliament since 2019. It is characterized as radical centrist, social liberal and at first libertarian and liberal socialist. Overall, the party eventually settled on Centrism, but remains populist at its core.

SotP's former leader, Oleksandr Korniyenko said:

We are patriots and even nationalists when it comes to protecting the borders of our country. We are humanists when it comes to protecting human rights. We are libertarians when we open markets for land, alcohol, amber with transparent rights for all. We are statesmen when it comes to tax discipline. We are liberals when we defend human property and economic freedom. We are socialists when it comes to protecting and providing for pensioners, veterans, everyone who needs it.

Some of the members have even expressed pro-Russian views, but were either expelled from the party, changed their minds or immigrated to Russia after the 2022 invasion.

Personality

Populism is a bit of an Everyman, acting humble ordinary to appeal to people. However, he is actually very cunning and manipulative. Often rants about how other ideologies are neglecting the needs of the people.

How To Draw

Flag of Populism
  1. Draw a ball
  2. Fill it with white
  3. Draw a fist in black
  4. Add the eyes and you're done
Color Name HEX RGB
White #FFFFFF 255, 255, 255
Black #141414 20, 20, 20


Relationships

The People

Frenemies

  • Democracy - Similar to me, but often results in corruption that I end up having to clear out.
  • Big Tent Liberalism - Good direction. But you still give a platform to established politicians who don't really care about the people...
  • Ochlocracy - Calm down will you? Do you have any sense of respect? Also, you need to elect me to help the people rather than people helping themselves.
  • Autocracy - Tyrant! Abuser of power! But I sometimes become you during my fight against the elite, and me having absolute power is preferable to obstructionist collective leaders.
  • Kakistocracy - An useful idiot to manipulate.

The Elite

  • Kleptocracy - You steal people's money for your own personal gain! (What do you mean I helped you get into power?)
  • Oligarchy - You are killing us! (Wait, I helped you too?! Oh god what have I done...)
  • Putinism - Hands off Ukraine! Both my Sons kinda like you tho
  • Technocracy - If the people can't be trust than no one can!

Gallery

Portraits

Alternative designs

Comics and Artwork

Further Information

Wikipedia

Parties

This list is for populist parties that present themselves as neither left- or right-wing in nature. RightPop and LeftPop parties are on their respective pages only.

YouTube

Notes

  1. Presented himself as an economically liberal/socially libertarian conservative while Mayor of London, endorsed Same-Sex marriages and became pro-choice, moved towards National Populism during the Brexit era, before implementing Authoritarian/Paternalistic Conservative policies as Prime Minister. Was also accused of only endorsing Brexit in order to further his own career.
  2. Duntsova prefers to call the war in Ukraine a "special military operation," which is why she refused to comment on the fate of the annexed territories in a potential peace deal with Ukraine. Duntsova also said that "collective responsibility" of Russians is undesirable and that she "can understand" Russians who volunteered for the war in Ukraine.
  3. As a native Russian speaker himself, Zelenskyy has sought to be inclusive of ethnic/linguistic Russians within the Ukrainian nation, while at the same time ‘de-colonising’ Ukraine of Russian/Soviet topography etc.
  4. Russian state media (as well as other opponents of Zelensky) have depicted the president to be incompetent, fickle and addicted to drugs, in both satirical and serious contexts.

Citations

  1. https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/britains-new-gaullists
  2. https://www.ft.com/content/3de68e8a-b9d7-11e9-8a88-aa6628ac896c
  3. https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2022/10/05/sicilia-il-governo-ombra-di-cateno-de-luca-a-ogni-assessore-di-schifani-ne-nominiamo-uno-anche-noi-e-avvia-le-candidature-online/6828718/
  4. https://www.agi.it/politica/chi_cateno_de_luca_il_deputato_regionale_siciliano_arrestato_che_si_difende_su_facebook_-2603016/news/2017-11-08/
  5. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.messinatoday.it/politica/facebook-sospeso-profilo-sindaco-cateno-deluca-sorbello-.html
  6. https://youtu.be/yCaDuj3twWk
  7. https://www.bbc.co.uk/russian/russia/2014/10/141016_tr_navalny_crimea
  8. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/rfk-jr-antisemitism-covid-conspiracy-theory-b2375942.html
  9. https://twitter.com/stclairashley/status/1703147993401098358
  10. https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/book-of-the-day/2024/01/showman-volodymyr-zelensky-stalemate?
  11. He also supported Russia in its war against Georgia in August 2008, using a derogatory term for Georgians in some of his blog posts and calling for all Georgians to be expelled from Russia.
  12. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/russias-navalny-protests-provoke-mixed-emotions-in-ukraine/
  13. The Moscow Times (February 24 2022), "Reactions to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine"; “I am against this war. This war will cause a great number of casualties, destroy lives and will further impoverish Russian citizens.”

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