Populism or Technocracy

Populist

A believer in the rights, wisdom, or virtues of the common people
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Technocracy

government by technicians
specifically : management of society by technical experts.

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In the later part of the last decade populism took hold of the world, with Brexit, the election of Donald Trump, and European countries increasingly rejecting their technocratic governments.

In 2016, the focus was on "how economies were struggling against disflationary pressures," but this year the goalposts have shifted massively, and one theme dominates the report: populism.

From Britain's historic decision to leave the European Union, to Austria coming close to electing a far-right president, and of course to the shocking US presidential victory of Donald Trump, 2016 was dominated by populist and nationalistic politics.

With Trump making his first policy moves as leader of the free world, Brexit talks set to begin within weeks, and populist far-right politicians like Marine Le Pen of France and Geert Wilders of the Netherlands set to win big vote shares in coming elections, populism continues to be crucial in 2017.

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However following the start of the Covid crisis the technocrats have gained back much of the ground they lost and likely gained even more.

During this time of crisis, the role of independent experts has been at the centre of the political response in nations around the world. Governments have leaned on scientific expertise, such as the prominent role of Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in the US response to the pandemic, or Boris Johnson’s repeated assurances that the British response plan was based on scientific evidence and expert advice.

Citizens also want to see and hear from experts in times of crisis. In many cases people would rather see independent experts taking decisions directly, by-passing partisan politicians. Many who would otherwise accept the importance of pluralist views in political debate and the “inefficiencies” of democratic politics, argue that during times of crisis, the rules of the democratic game can change.

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If I was a conspiracy theorist I might conclude that the elite, made up increasingly of technocrats, invented or exploited the covid crisis to gain back the power they lost and to try to solidify that power.

But whether that fantasy is true or not is irrelevant to the fact that the Technocratic form of governance is on the rises and that populism is on the decline.

I might even argue that our current political stiff falls along this fault line rather than the traditional liberal vs conservative.

Big tech companies vs the small guys who are increasingly being silenced.

Those that refuse to ware a mask during a global pandemic vs the scientific community desperately trying to get people to vaccinate.

Journalists that only report on what they think is relevant vs political commentators who seek to stroke emotions.

Parents and school boards fighting each other like children.

The list goes on.

I don't know which is better, a technocrat or a populist, they both have their virtues and failings. But it does seem increasingly apparent that each faction is fighting for dominance and the stakes are getting higher and higher.

Where will it end? Which will win? What will our future look like?

a reply to: dandandat2

I think this is an accomplished observation on the present state of the world.
While populism has been on the rise, and I see this as a good thing, it is paramount we understand that populism has one major weakness.
A critical weakness that can prove fatal to it as a social platform.

That weakness is the great potential to be co-opted by wild-card, charismatic con-artists who have learned the right words of rebellion to be used against that technology, gleaning the support of that very populist movement they are conning.

This was the sucker-punch to the conservative populist movement in 2016

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

I agree; that is a flaw in populism. And if it was exploited in the later part of the last decade its exposure has pushed us to embrace the elite technicians in society. Unfortunately their mentality also has a flaw; a propensity for order over freedom.

a reply to: dandandat2

If you ask me the future will be different but much the same, just more to an extreme of what we have now in the wealth gap, there may even be parts of the world that become "unexplored again" from certain perspectives, while small tribal like factions and such barely manage there. It will just be too hot for mass human population w/o technology and when scarcity takes hold after the huge refugee crisis.
people are gonna transform collectively differently, some will be out of desperation while others will be out societal or sheer luck, but the vast majority will have dog # and be working for water and their place in a less habitable world where it is looking like even oxygen might become a problem if fires are everywhere in teh long summers until there is nothing left to burn in a smaller heavily populated, overwhelmed society where they will most likely have to find new island paradises.

I hear NZ has some nice post apocolyptic real estate.... Because really that is what you should be searching for.

originally posted by: dandandat2
a reply to: TerryMcGuire

I agree; that is a flaw in populism. And if it was exploited in the later part of the last decade its exposure has pushed us to embrace the elite technicians in society. Unfortunately their mentality also has a flaw; a propensity for order over freedom.

But populism has definitely taken root in the current political environment. For all the talk that Biden would had run away from Trump most populist policies he hasn’t!! Trade deals have not made a comeback. He kept Trump initiative from pulling out from Afghanistan. He has align with populist policies in regards to wealth inequality.

It might not be Trump/Bernie type populism maybe a more subtle version of it but it is there.

a reply to: dandandat2

NEITHER !

Just small government, low taxes, low spending, no big deficit , no big debt, NO delusions of grandeur projects..


But most importantly:
Our national government and appointed & elected officials are there to *SERVE* and REPRESENT US and US ALONE.

a reply to: dandandat2

If you get your political understanding from a dictionary, you're already heading in the wrong direction; you are arguing semantics, not politics.

originally posted by: Bunch

originally posted by: dandandat2
a reply to: TerryMcGuire

I agree; that is a flaw in populism. And if it was exploited in the later part of the last decade its exposure has pushed us to embrace the elite technicians in society. Unfortunately their mentality also has a flaw; a propensity for order over freedom.

But populism has definitely taken root in the current political environment. For all the talk that Biden would had run away from Trump most populist policies he hasn’t!! Trade deals have not made a comeback. He kept Trump initiative from pulling out from Afghanistan. He has align with populist policies in regards to wealth inequality.

It might not be Trump/Bernie type populism maybe a more subtle version of it but it is there.

Populism has taken root in a section of the American public; Biden can't reverse some of those even if he wanted too at the risk of losing votes. But I would argue that Biden represents technocrats first and foremost. He has the backing of the big banks;? big businesses, and large institutions. He is not the president for the majority of the little guys no mater their left/right politics.

To be clear because its obligatory to categorize Trump when talking about Biden... Trump clearly taped into the populist movement and framed himself as the people's president... whether he was being sincere is up to personal opinion.