Populism is a Superpower
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the Veto Campaign, the home of what is probably the best idea in the world.
This week’s topic may be abstract, but it is extremely important, so please read on.
Keep the cartoon in mind. It mocks populism as chaos, with a passenger demanding to fly a plane because pilots are “out of touch”. This essay will define populism, demonstrate its effectiveness in governance, and refute the notion that it leads to disorder.
Populism has a wide range of interpretations. Populism is often vilified, associated with demagoguery or the erosion of institutional checks. The negative depiction of populism, despite its effectiveness in organising and governing any society, is deeply ill-informed, so we would like to tackle this idea.
Populism, at its core, is the governance of society without a privileged elite class. It is fundamentally anti-elitist, seeking to dismantle structures that allow a select group to dominate decision-making for their own benefit. Elites, in this context, are those who hold disproportionate power, enabling them to override the will of others. Currently, the elite consists of politicians who make decisions and create new laws on our behalf without the majority’s consent, as well as those who have the power to influence these politicians, especially those that impose restrictions on individual liberty. North Korea is an extreme example of out-of-control elitism.
Modern elitism, at its core, places subjective decisions in the hands of a small group of people. Consider a centrally planned economy.
Why is populism the best approach to governing and organising societies? This is due to its ability to ensure that every aspect of society focuses on maximising the public’s welfare.
The following three examples illustrate how populist principles drive effective systems of organisation.
A truly democratic system requires that elected representatives reflect the majority’s will while respecting individual rights. Therefore, contrary to the usual critique applied to it, populism contains within itself the limits of the power it can bestow. If a government represents the will of the people and is unable to discriminate between individuals or impose restrictions on their freedoms, its actions tend to maximise the common good; and will correct mistakes that may occur along the way.
The scientific method embodies populist principles by subjecting all hypotheses to equal scrutiny, regardless of their source. Truth is determined by evidence, not authority. Additionally, if there is no elite class, and the power structure is democratic, then the proposed hypotheses will generally focus on maximising societal benefit; in other words, optimisation serves as the driving force. There will be no elite to impose their influence.
In such a system, those who rise to leadership are those who demonstrate the greatest ability to contribute to society. We all benefit when the most capable rise to the top of their chosen fields.
This brings us back to the cartoon. It mistakenly equates populism with incompetence and chaos. In fact, incompetence is the hallmark of elitism. The reason why populism is a superpower is because the only thing that now matters is competence. The public demands competence above all else, as they must live with the consequences of their own decisions.
In populism, the pilot will fly the plane, but the passengers will choose the destination. And if the passengers chose the wrong destination, the pilot will have the best chance to take off from that sticky spot and let the passengers try another one.
Under elitism, the pilot chooses the destination. In that case, some passengers will try to influence the pilot’s destination using their proximity to the pilot, making the pilot’s ability less significant than the pilot’s loyalty to them. And if the elite make a mistake, the less competent pilot is less likely to be able to get out of a jam, and the jet may crash and burn. It is elitism that can go out of control, not populism. Critiques of populism emphasise its potential to go out of control; however, it is elitism that has this tendency, not actual populism.
Populism is the solution, and elitism is the problem. It has been that way since the dawn of civilisation. Let us reject elitism and rely on populism to guide us.
Bear in mind there are no truly populist societies, but those that emphasise the use of populist concepts such as the scientific method, meritocracy, and limiting the power of the state are the most prosperous and stable. Unfortunately, western countries are currently backsliding from populist ideals, gradually strangling individual rights and stripping power from voters, which has deleterious effects on society.
I don’t think anyone can deny that western countries are collectively entering a period of decline and stagnation. We contend that the cause of the decline is a move away from populism and towards elitism. This is why the veto option is so important; it halts the march of elitism and guards against it.
Strangely, people blame populism for precisely what elitism is causing; however, this is precisely what occurs in an elitist society, where the truth is concealed and even viewed as a taboo word.
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