Don't let Trump fool you: rightwing populism is the new normal →

Xenophobic behaviour of rightwing populism is on display this year. History will mark this time as some of the worst in American political history. The Guardian has an interesting take on its global influence:

[Trump’s] ascent is part of a rise in rightwing populism throyghout the western woruld simply articulated in an American voice and tailored to an American audience. Most western nations have their own Trump: a racist, xenophobic, Islamaphobic demagogue appealing to a mix of nationalist nostalgia, patriotic myth, class grievance, and economic insecurity.

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When people lose their jobs or homes, or see wages stagnate, they look for someone to blame. They can’t get their hands on the bankers and financiers with the real power. … Trump, Le Pen, and populists target easily-identifiable scapegoats–Roma, immigrants, refugees, muslims–and blame them for both the economic crisis and national insecurity.

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It’s not low-paid migrants who were bailed out from public funds to the tune of billions and are now back to collecting huge bonuses. And it’s not Syrian refugees who slashed funding for libraries, education, youth services, welfare and tax credits. When it comes to rightwing populism, race, religion, and ethnicity all too often describe the protagonists. But it’s global economics that shapes the narrative.