Elites Miss the Point

For John, BLUF:  This is not a desirable outcome, but it is a logical outcome.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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In Sweden, the Elite Lost Touch with the People

From National Review, by Reporter John Fund, 9 September 2018 .

Here is how Mr John Fund winds up:

You’d think that elites would see a pattern when looking at Trump supporters, Brexiteers, or Europeans skeptical of mass migration; you’d think that the lesson would sink in by now.  But instead, in country after country roiled by populist uprisings, elites steadfastly are refusing to grapple with the legitimate sentiments of working-class voters, dissidents from politically correct identity politics, or workers unsettled by industry that has shut down.

Instead, the elites are continuing to roughly follow the example of candidate Barack Obama, who in 2012 famously tried to explain the attitudes of such people at what he thought was an off-the-record fundraiser:

They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.

Of course, there are elements in the ranks of Brexit supporters, Trump backers, and the Swedish Democrats that are nasty and retrograde.  But so long as elites continue to ignore the legitimate fears and grievances of ordinary voters, they will be both inhibiting a genuine public debate over solutions and encouraging even more of a backlash.

Leaders world-wide should be paying attention, but they aren't.  They are pressing on like it is Versailles in the early 1780s.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff