Why We Listen To Populists: Episode 2, Pat Buchanan

By Matthew Clark

Throughout the globe, yet particularly in the Western World, populist politicians and social commentators have placed the Neo-Liberal geopolitical order under attack. Widespread government dystopia, caused by such factors as excessive public and private debt, mass immigration, seemingly endless wars, just to name a few, has made the globalist Neo-Liberal political order an easy target.

Abrasive political figures such as Donald Trump in the United States, Nigel Farage in Great Britain, Marine Le Pen of France, etc. call out the political establishment in their own nations for repeatedly sacrificing the interests of the citzenry, in order to both enhance the lives of their political allies and themselves. Conversely the political establishment, including the mainstream legacy media, warn the voting public on the fallibilities of the populists. On a daily basis populist political leaders are assaulted verbally, as well as in print, by a political elite which sees them (quite rightly) as an existential threat to the contemporary political order. Despite these warnings the governed continue to flock to the populists in ever increasing numbers. This is evidenced by the success populists are increasingly enjoying at the voting polls, with President Donald Trump being the most pbvious example. To understand the present appeal of the new political rabble rousers it helps to look back at some of the first populists of the Post WWII era.

Pat Buchanan was born on November 2, 1938 in Washington D.C., United States. His family ethnicity was Irish Roman Catholic. A lifelong practicing Roman Catholic, Pat Buchanan nevertheless had a deep admiration for both the spirituality and ethics of Protestant America. Later in his life the Vatican II Council would cause him much vexation. Buchanan acquired an A.B. degree in English from Georgetown University and an M.S. degree from the school of journalism at Columbia University.

As he ventured through life and matured Pat Buchanan became a man of strong opinions, strongly held. He became a diehard critic of feminist and homosexual rights movements, as well as being strongly opposed to abortion. In order to effect the course of events the journalist became involved in politics. Aligning himself with the United States Republican Party, Buchanan served in the administrations of United States Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Under President Ronald Reagan Buchanan became Director of Communications.

While holding these positions within the Federal Government the Irish American became very concerned with what he saw transpiring in American society and culture. In his opinion the American way of life, rooted in hard work, strong personnel freedom, fairness and accountability, exemplified by the vast Middle Class, was being overwhelmed. This was ominious because, again in his opinion, U.S. strength was centred in the Middle Class. Weakening the Middle Class meant America was being weakened. Therefore government focus should be on the well being of the Middle Class. Yet to Buchanan the opposite was occurring! It appeared to him that government was waging a campaign of destruction against the Middle Class. This was most Pronounced with what he saw as attacks against the family, the most important component of the Middle Class. Easy divorce, easy abortion, public financing of unmarried births, etc., all shrunk the importance of the family, assaulted spiritual belief, while also enhancing turmoil within society.

Pat Buchanan also came to believe excessive immigration was undermining the values and prosperity of Americans. Immigrants flooded the employment market, thus lowering the cost of labour, and with it the wages of United States citizens. These immigrants also challenged, in his view, the traditional values of America. Christians from Latin America did not adhere to the Protestant work ethic, or the conservatism of traditional Roman Catholic in the States. Instead they subscribed to a religious practice which placed politics, usually left wing politics, at the centre of religious belief. Other immigrants to the United States troubled Buchanan even further. Few came from Europe anymore. Rather large numbers now came from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Most were not Christians! Pat Buchanan saw these people as being resentful of their new land. This put them in conflict with the citizens of the United States.

Free trade and Israel's undue influence on U.S. foreign policy also vexed the politician/ journalist. Free trade savaged the manufacturing sector in North America while Israel's influence on American foreign undermined, in Buchanan's opinion, it's geopolitical power.

When George H.W. Bush (the senior Bush) became U.S. President in 1988 the former Director of Communication became a harsh critic of the political leader. He was particularly critical of Bush's attempts to move the Republican Party to the middle of the political spectrum, a cause which the conservative Buchanan viewed as futile.

Upon President Bush's decision to run for President once again in 1992 Pat Buchanan challenged the incumbent for the Presidential Republican nomination. Curbing free trade treaties, a monatorium on immigration, moving to eliminate abortion, removing excessive Israel influence on United States foreign policy, abandoning U.S. attempts to broker peace in the world, as well as curbing the influence of feminist and homosexual rights movements in the political culture, were just some of the controversial aspects of Pat Buchanan's presidential platform.

George H.W. Bush won the 1992 Presidential Republican nomination. Undiscouraged Pat Buchanan ran for the Republican Presidential nominationn in 1996, and in the year 2000, losing on each occasion. Defeat did not cause the the battling Irishman to cower. To this day the feisty populist opinions freely, and boisterously, on the deterioration he observes in his beloved United States.

Egregious social positions adopted by feminist and homosexual rights movements, genocidal abortion, suffocating mass immigration, counter productive seemingly endless wars, undue Israeli influence on American foreign policy, endless denigration of the family unit, all are consuming factors in contemporary times. This state of affairs is not just in the United States but throughout the Western World. Faced with these existential threats many politicians have awoke to finally give voice to the ill governed. Their Neo-Liberal political opponents wonder why the common man and common woman listen to these contrarians. The Answer: The common man and woman remember when Pat Buchanan gave them prior warning, and was ignored!