[lbo-talk] Main street populism

B. docile_body at yahoo.com
Thu Feb 11 08:00:52 PST 2010


Like "democracy," "socialism," "libertarian socialism," "libertarian," "communism," etc., "populism" is a term that can mean many things in different contexts. Doug seems to dislike the term.

Myself, I think a "good" sort of populism is possible [i.e. <http://www.populist.com/>]; I don't think it is a priori, hardwired as some sort of reactionary response, just by its very nature.

The "New Way Forward" [see <http://www.anewwayforward.org/>] group is what I would call, roughly, an anti-banking, yet left, "populist," activist group. They tried to hold a rally in Austin, yet a few Tea Party-ers showed up w/ video cameras, to video tape them as being "clueless," and posted the rather small demo on YouTube, to shame them for wanting banks to be put into receivership and under some sort of public control.

In a better world, A New Way Forward would be where where the Tea Party types would go to. But the tea parties are such a big tent for a lot of racism and ugliness that it could very well be lost on them.

--B.

brad bauerly wrote:

"Basically I am asking what people here think is wrong with anti-banking populism or why can't we use it? (Just to be overly clear, I am not taking a position)"



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