News from Around the World

Populism is often internally inconsistent: it’s perfectly possible to mount a populist critique of multinationals without, say, supporting multiculturalism. Moreover, the line between left-wing populism and right-wing populism is very blurry. Think of the Hansonites: recruiting around racism and bigotry but fervently opposed to privatisation. Or the examples Thomas Franks gives of the populist support for George W. Bush — the blue-collar Americans who support Bush because he stands up for the values of the little guy against know-it-all academics and East Coast intellectuals.