In a remarkable confluence of events, the right-wing national leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel find themselves, at least for a brief historical moment, besieged by criticism and stark political dangers. In the US, President Donald Trump is facing a more serious...
In academia, we seem to have a fondness for the trope of the “wave” and “wave theory.” Samuel Huntington gave us the waves of democratization — a process of global, though asymmetrical, shift from authoritarian and oligarchic to democratic forms of government and state institutions....
Unlike radical right-wing populism in Western Europe, Australia’s "Hansonism" is largely a one-woman show, almost completely dependent on Pauline Hanson's personality and appeal. She has been called a "mischievous troublemaker, an "embarrassment" to the country, and just a plain racist. The...
Judging by the success of populist parties around the world, their demagoguery works. In thinking about the rise of populism against centrist politics today, it is interesting to remind ourselves that similar divisions occurred in Ancient Greek philosophy. Aristotle, who lived in the 3rd...
Islamic extremism gets all the press, but Trump is just one of a growing number of Christian extremists in positions of political power. If Donald Trump goes to church regularly, he’s kept it a pretty good secret. He and his wife have made sure to alert the press on the few times he does...
Framing far-right populist parties as just an unpopular minority downplays the actual impact the rise of far-right populism has already had on European societies. Images of violent far-right groups marching the streets in Germany and the strong performance of the populist far-right Sweden...
From Washington to Rome, so-called "populist" politicians are hacking away at a genuinely broken status quo. But their alternatives are either uninspired or terrifying. Imagine a trio of tech-savvy and entrepreneurial souls on the prowl for the next killer app. They’re staying up late in their...
In this fairy tale from 2050, the invisible monster of climate change continues to ravage the land. Once upon a time, long, long ago, I testified before the great assembly of our land. When I describe this event to children today, it really does sound to them like a fairy tale. Once upon a...
South Asian diaspora in the West is often trapped by the idea of homeland, turning socially regressive, culturally reactionary and politically right-wing. A phenomenon rooted in the ancient past has acquired new complexion in modern times. It pertains to immigrants who, for all practical...
Amid the rise of populism, citizens should stand up to authoritarian threats but be aware of their own actions. In a way, this is just another airy op-ed ubiquitous in today’s media industry about the dangers of populism in the age of Donald Trump. Yes, our media landscape is more and more...
