Swinging away from the center. Or when the time for healthy centrism will finally come.

A year ago, Trump promised to "bring back greatness." Today, leftists in New York promise to "bring back justice.".

See also
Why populism is the dark but inevitable side of democracy

Both are extreme points, convenient for campaigns, but fatal for society. Because the proposal lies in the plane of pure populism.

The former laws of democracy now work on the principle of emotional swings. This is the demand of the times: in the pursuit of spotlight and likes, it is not ideas that come first, but "psychological hooks" that come first. And the main motivation of the voter is to "punish the wrong people.".

Only 20% of Americans today trust the government, a record low. Democrats have devalued the word "values" and Republicans have devalued "traditions." And the moderate center, as always, is caught between two promises to "do things differently.".

This virus has long since spread to Europe. Italy is looking for a "strong hand" again. France dreams of the state forgiving everything and providing everything. Germany is arguing with itself: who to fear more – the right or heating bills.

The continent that once invented "balance" is now practicing political cross-fit. Populism has become the universal language of democracies.

The main thing is to speak loudly, preferably with pathos, and not to go into too much detail.

We also went through this in 2019. But after the war, a wounded and exhausted society will again want simple solutions and quick results.

The only question is who will be the first to realize this: the smart ones to warn or the cunning ones to take advantage?

Original

opinion.informer.text
Articles published in the "Opinions" section reflect the point of view of the author and may not reflect the position of the LIGA.net editors