Dick Armey

[Max Sawicky]

>
> No, Armey's "anti big government" rhetoric is not populism, if you accept
> the notion that government (whatever its size) is, or can be, one of the
> major organized forces that can stand in opposition to the imperatives of
> transnational corporate capital. It is this opposition to capital by
> government that Armey fights, and he does so by using standard
> "free market" rhetoric.  To the extent government plays such a role, e.g.,
setting a
> minimum wage, you can expect Armey to object. Those are not the
> actions of a populist.

Unfortunately opposition to big government and the national
government has become a populist theme, whether we like
it or not.  This was not the case for populist movements of
the 1930's and before then.

On the other hand, the only trace of any sort of populism in
Armey in particular is anti-government.  By contrast,
somebody like Buchanan latches onto somewhat more
of the populist arsenal (e.g., trade protectionism).


> He is against "big business' . . .

I've never ever heard Armey say a bad word about
business, big or little.

mbs