We used to be an open, friendly caring nation. Not anymore. The populist mantra has unleashed a tide of fear. They tapped into the age-old fear of foreigners with all its insecurity. Xenophobia and racism have always been fertile ground for right-wingers. The terror of 9/11 and the subsequent wave of terrorism from ISIS precipitated two unjust wars and the wave of immigration following the economic fallout, political instability and climate change. The world is in a mess and Trump and the other populists are busy stirring the pot.
Populists thrive on division.
They focus on genuine problems and worries, provide ridiculous causes, escalate the fears and season with simplistic black and white solutions – draining swamps and building walls.
We’ve been led down the garden path.
I think it’s going to take a long while to recover!
