In The Name Of The People: How Populism Is Rewiring The World by Tendali Biti et al others (Picador Africa, R320)
After an introduction with a definition of populism, its causes, stages that create it, and questioning whether it can be reversed, the main body of this book studies three styles of populism. These are: old style in Argentina, the Philippines, Africa's military, and Chile; liberation-movement style in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda and South Africa; and new-order style in most of South America and Hungary. It also covers ‘populism across borders’.
The phenomenon of populism can be monocausal or a combination of malignant factors, the authors suggest: from weak democracies resulting in disillusionment and economic inequality, to those age-old, apocalyptic horsemen – revenge, anger, resentment and exclusiveness.
The book is a…
