Until the misinformation machine is stopped, countries will fall like dominos.

Careful Europe that third is your MAGA.

I never get entirely how populism in itself is bad. Like, obviously there is bad populism, but the defining traits of e.g. being anti-establishment? How is it bad or untrue to say something like “there are some elites who unjustly influence our society”? That’s true, but can be used in a conspiracy or racist/antisemitic/hate kind of way.

Or like “our society doesn’t work as good anymore, because the rich stole from you”. Very populistic, it condenses a multitude of problems into one “easy solution”, so it is a populistic trait…but sometimes there are easy explanations for complex problems, that being one of them.

So, long story short: authoritarianism is always bad, but populism is sometimes good or even right.

I mean, look at it this way: 2/3 of Europeans don’t support populists.

Furthermore, since most European countries do not have a two-party system, this means that European countries can govern with a 2/3 sane majority, and try to ignore the populists’ 1/3 in the Parliament.

It’s hard to take such articles and papers seriously:

The Index has been classifying populist parties since 2016, defining them as groups where representing the people above the elite is “a central organising principle of their political worldview,” the author says.

So if you aren’t pro status quo you’re populist? Then the article first talks about authoritarian as if it’s the same thing. So just take the literal definition, but then group it with the usual pejorative definition of demagogy and anti democracy.

In France, they explicitly mention LFI as populist like it’s the same as the Nazis from the RN…

In Belgium, they talk about PTB as if it’s once again the same as Vlaams Belang which is a literal fascist party. But fail to mention the incredible drift of the traditionally progressive Right wing MR to populist conservative nearly far right (they literally absorbed a minor far right party’s politicians)

Everybody wants to bash Americans, but the reality is that, as we see time and time again, 1/3rd of any given population is unrepentantly stupid and would throw everyone (including themselves) under the bus just so they can feel good about their “team” winning

1/3rd of people will support anything, no matter how horrific. No matter the consequences. No matter the lack of any underlying logic.

It must be human nature to some extent, otherwise the worst things wouldnt always bottom out at exactly 33% support

Lessons need to be taken from recent elections in Brazil, otherwise it will keep rising

Ban proprietary attention algos on social media. IMO, with shit like this, it’s easy to game the system. Also, maybe Meta/Facebook and TikTok are in on it.

This indicates Europeans are becoming as stupid as Americans.

Thinking is too difficult these days. Better to vote a liar who give us some innocent minority group to blame for everything and promise to fix it all. Afterall, what could go wrong?

How very American