6 - Democracy Diseased

Summary

While populism is understood in this book in an institutional rather than rhetorical way, populist rhetoric is nevertheless important because it creates and strengthens polarization - a populists' favorite habitat. Populist rhetoric is imbued with paranoia, understood in a political sense (Hofstadter), leading to exaggerations, wild accusations, and conspiracy theories. These conspiracy theories are exemplified by a "Smolensk theory" (Poland) or seeing George Soros lurking around every corner (Hungary). In all political regimes, the "enemies of the people" are identified, and blamed with various offenses against the people. Populists often use lies, not so much to deceive the population but to create bases for mobilization and identification. When communicating directly with their electorates, usually through social media, populist leaders present themselves as simultaneously heroic and simple, insiders and outsiders. Their rhetoric aims at placing their opponents beyond the pale of the community.