"populism".

[Khandro]

Is it what is traditionally considered to be a Left or a Right wing movement?
I have to say I'm rather confused.

[woofgang]

No idea. what is it?

[Old_Geezer]

Traditionally is either dependent on which side is trying to avoid their democratic duty and pour scorn on those demanding what the majority want.

[Zacs-Master]

Seems to be a bit more left than right to me based on the basic premise that it seeks to pit ‘the people’ against ‘the elite’. It would seem that ‘the elite’ can be defined as whoever is in power. The term is mostly used pejoratively by those who feel they are part of the downtrodden masses being ridden over by their masters cartwheels.

[steg]

Neither, or a bit of both I would imagine

[Khandro]

I watched last night, Steve Bannon's address to the Oxford Student Union. I wont give a link, because it will come up on screen, If you want to see it, simply google; 'youtube, steve bannon, oxford union'

In an excellent delivery he attacks the bankers for wreaking a havoc which has to be paid for not by them, but by those afflicted (sounds 'Left' to me). How millions of Americans and the poorer people of other countries too, are only 2 pay cheques away from penury, (Left again) and how mass illegal immigration, profits the rich at the expense of the lowest paid, and how Donald Trump is addressing the exportation of jobs to China. Plus much more.

In the Q & A at the end, some rather unpleasant (sez me) students(?) attack him by upholding what purports to be a left-wing narrative, but if they are against what he says, I can only see them espousing a right-wing stance.
What do these people want?

[ichkeria]

Dictionary definition: “appealing to the interests or prejudices of ordinary people” to which I’d add “or what are perceived to be ...”
Closely linked to a belief that such interests and/or prejudices are common to a large majority of the population. That last means it’s often unfortunately not more than a step away from totalitarianism or autocracy and such movements can be exploited by more sinister elements. A lot of so called “Donetsk Peoples Republic” flags have cropped up at yellow vest demos in France for example. Can be left or right wing and often both together. Often there’s precious little difference between the two anyway

[jim360]

Why does it have to be one or the other?

[Old_Geezer]

The "(sounds left)" bits sound more like (sounds like genuine grievances) to me.

[Khandro]

I've just re-visited the video for clarification on something and ended up watching the whole thing again. I think the populist movement in general is neither left nor right, but opposing the extremes of both.
Worth a look, I think that man has the juice!

[ichkeria]

Why do you think there is one “populist movement”?
Plainly there is not.

The trouble with so called “populism” is really that no two people have the same idea of what’s popular. So the confusion is intrinsic. And applying labels like “left” and “right” from the outside only makes it more confusing.

[naomi24]

We seem to be told what is popular – but much of it doesn’t seem too popular to me.

[Khandro]

[youngmafbog]

OG pretty much has it.

Used by the minority "Global elite" to look down on the masses who cannot possibly be right.

In reality it is neither left nor right.

[ichkeria]

In reality it is both far right and far left. Plainly it has little to do with what is “popular” or the “majority” - - or else Hillary Clinton for example would be the “populist” in the US having outpolled Trump, many of whose policies and promises speak to his core vote but hardly a majority of Americans. Not that that makes them bad per se of course.
That really is the conceit of so-called populists. That their truth is better because it speaks for “the people”. I’m always wary of that because as I said above people who try to do that tend not to be all that democratic, ironically. And there are probably potentially as many brands of populism as there are people, tho only a few survive :-)