Demagoonery

If demagoguery plays to our prejudices and fears, then demagoonery adds our gullibility and a dearth of honest information to the mix. Here’s an example:

During Obama’s second term the stock market did a little 50 point dipsy doodle. One side blasted out, “Market Tumbles in Response to Obama Economic Disaster.” The other side said, “Small Market Correction Shows Economy is Healthy”.

When the same thing happened two years later under a different administration, the people who thought the first 50 point dip was a healthy sign now proclaimed it a harbinger of doom. The other side who hinted we were headed for a crash now claimed it was the sign of a robust economy. Nothing but demagoonery.

Demagoonery is now helping us understand Populism vs. Globalism.

I am still trying to figure out what populism means exactly. Obviously, it has been wrenched out of the word popular. Which in turn was pulled from the Latin populus meaning ’people’. An etymology search traced populism to 1892 and the US Populism Party who claimed to represent farmers and workers. They got their asses whupped and limped home. I wish they had taken the word populism with them. But, they didn’t. They left it behind for us to wrestle with.

Merriam Webster has three definitions for the word popular. Two of them use the word majority and one simply says commonly liked or approved. So, with no head scratching or extended book learning required populism simply means what most of the people want. Then isn’t Populism the engine of democracy? If so, then by extension anyone who is against populism is against democracy? No, just demagoonery.

I feel the same about Globalism. The best I can muster is a one world economy, with everything being controlled from one central place with seats of lesser power distributed around the globe. And as sinister as that sounds, it’s the operation and planning of economic and foreign policy on a global basis by a select group of people. It’s the One People One World dream. But unless everyone is sufficiently doped up and catatonic I just don’t see it happening.

Demagoonery has us thinking that Populism vs. Globalism is the struggle between two titanic forces pitted against each other. Two giant crabs fighting with pinchers up. Snapping, advancing and retreating. I’m still trying to wading through Academia vs. Reality and Perfection vs. Human Nature.

Demagoonery wants us to believe all Populists are racists and all Globalists are Marxists. And Populists are anti-progress while Globalists are progress personified. And then adds Populists are realists and Globalists are dangerous dreamers. So, which is it? Demagoonery has no fucking idea. And as if we need more reasons to stray further from the sensibility line, demagoonery has declared Populists camp on the right and Globalists squat on the left.

So that means NO Populist has compassion and NO Globalist common sense. ALL Populists are jingoistic maniacs and ALL Globalists are haters of democracy.

Demagoonery is an all or nothing proposition. If you don’t buy into all of what your side is peddling then you are out of the club. That’s not true. Don’t choose sides. Take what you like from one and add it to what you like about the other. Don’t fall for demagoonery. Its dangerous.

Sensibility seems to be the least popular stance these days. Maybe because it’s no fun? Or not crazy enough?

Author: Tom Skulldaney