What 'populist' means: There's more to the label, associated with leaders like Donald Trump, than meets the eye
Perhaps one reason that the word “populist” becomes useless is because it describes a wide variety of political actors, spanning the ideological spectrum.
Samrat
January 20, 2021 15:08:48 IST
Donald Trump. Reuters/File Photo
Joining the Dots is a fortnightly column by author and journalist Samrat in which he connects events to ideas, often through analysis, but occasionally through satire.
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One of the most fractious electoral processes in the history of what is still the world’s most powerful country is scheduled to end in a few hours with the inauguration of Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President of the US. Donald Trump will, at long last, leave the White House after an incendiary campaign to overturn the election results that culminated in an insane attack by a mob of his followers on America’s parliament, the Capitol. His departure will hopefully mark the beginning of the end for others of his ilk ruling countries around the world, who are loosely called “populists”.