The New Age of Populism

In recent years, anti-establishment, anti-immigration and far right views have been brewing across western nations, festering in areas rife with poverty and unemployment, loitering in the background, like the ever patient predator, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

That moment was the 9^th of November 2016. The election of Donald Trump as the President of the United States.

However, like a snake rattling its tail, there have been warnings of the fatal strike to come. Britain’s vote to leave the EU and the rise of anti-immigration populist parties across much of continental Europe like NPD and PEGIDA was evidence of the mounting threat of far right extremism and white populism.

Denmark, for instance, is 88 percent white Danish today — hardly a majority in jeopardy. But a generation ago, in 1980, it was 97 percent white. The anti-immigrant Danish People’s Party is now the second-largest party in the Danish Parliament. In Germany, where the foreign-born population shot up by approximately 75 percent between 2011 and 2015, the anti-immigrant, populist Alternative for Germany party is now drawing record support.  Marine Le Pen, a far right politician is also gaining momentum in her bid for the French presidency.

President elect Donald Trump noticed this trend and cleverly captivated on it, using it to become the most powerful man in the world. He recognised that a significant amount of the American people had minimal trust in the Government, who they believed favoured the elite and no one else. I must also clarify that my reference to ‘white’ populism is not only directed at the Caucasian population, but the majority group who have always enjoyed the privileges society has to offer.

A group Mr Trump has been a part of his entire life, yet he still managed to convince a large majority of the American people, he was one of them - a man of the people, who has come to unleash America from the clutches of corruption. How you may ask incredulously?

He preyed on their desperation for change. He appealed to a significant amount of Americans, who were undergoing a ‘white’ identity crisis. These individuals want to go back to the past, when America was ‘great’ and being white gave you an advantage.

These individuals long to return to a time filled with Crime, Injustice and Corruption. A time in which white supremacy was rife and dominated America and Mr Trump gave them hope of returning to that past.

So what next?

The wave of far right extremism that has jumped from nation to nation doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon.

Is this the new age of Politics we live in? Only time will tell.

One thing is for certain, if we do not halt this onslaught of far right extremist politics, the world will be taking a major step back and as we know, those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat its mistakes.