They’re Not Listening: How The Elites Created the National Populist Revolution

by Ryan James Girdusky, Harlan Hill

Cosmopolitan elites across the globe are ignoring the will of the people—pushing disgruntled voters into the arms of national-populist parties and politicians.

As seen on Fox News's Tucker Carlson Tonight!

The election of Donald Trump in America and the referendum on European Union membership in the United Kingdom, otherwise known as Brexit, sent shockwaves throughout the world. Cosmopolitan elites across the globe never saw this populist uprising coming and still do not understand it.

People across the globe have been increasingly voting for national-populist politicians over the last twenty years. The current nationalist-populist revolt started long before Donald Trump came down his golden escalator, and even before Prime Minister David Cameron agreed to hold a referendum vote on the EU. It wasn’t isolated to rundown towns in Northern England or the Midwest, and it wasn’t solely because of demographic changes, ignorance, intolerance, or a “whitelash.” It was occurring because the elites chose to ignore voters’ concerns when it came to globalism and neoliberalism. Issues like mass immigration, war, economic inequality, and national sovereignty were sacrosanct to neoliberals, and ultimately, their unwillingness to concede on these issues built discontent among millions of people.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Audiobook

235 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2020

Reviews

[To'A · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank God I didn't pay to read this. If you are a far-right privileged narcissistic ego maniac then u will enjoy this and possibly relate to this rubbish. People like Ryan is the reason why you have White teenage boys shooting black people and then gets acquitted of all charges from a white jury. I read this purely on the basis that MAYBE I would be able to understand the perspective of the right. I WAS WRONG! This only fuels the fire of why we cannot allow the Ryan's of this world mislead you in thinking that "black people breed more and this is why they cause more crime". Ryan is a defensive spoilt little child who is angry that trump was "robbed" of the election and has too much time on his hands so has decided to projectile vomit his frustration in the form of a book.

[Renee King · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the upper deck, this title presents a very understandable, digestible take on the rise of populism, why it’s happening and what shapes it has taken across the globe in the last couple of decades. No surprise that it has a slight pro-Trump vibe, as one of the co-author’s was on Trump’s re-election campaign, although to be clear, so much of the text is dedicated to EU’s populist movements, which is a nice compare/contrast to the movements in North America. And enlightening.

For the average American who’s ever expressed concern about stagnant wages, disappearing jobs, legal and/or illegal immigration, the chipping away at the 1st and 2nd amendments and various other things that concern folks just trying to make a life and provide for a family, only to be called a backwards, Bible-clinging, fly-over country, redneck racist, this book will at least help you understand why you are called these things. And it is important to understand that you are in the company of so many good people who are not racists or uneducated dummies at all.

It’s no secret that a neoliberal political class rules the globe at this point. And that might actually be ok and appropriate, IF they listen to the voices of the people, address their concerns and accordingly adjust policy before it is rolled out. But that never has happened, and still does not happen. A globalist agenda has been pushed out – steamrolled, in fact – whether the average person likes it or not. And the average person is, of course, usually powerless to stop it. Until the push goes too far and someone like an Orbán or a Johnson or a Trump is elected. And then the elites wring their hands, pretending to not understand it, knowing full well that there’s a common playbook in employ.

Military intervention (constant war to bring about constant “peace and democracy”) to keep a constant feed of the conglomerates that monetarily benefit from said intervention is in play. Nothing makes money and keeps people distracted from the till like a war. Political elites know this and use it to their advantage. Migration/immigration/refugee crises fully manufactured by these military dalliances have spurred all kinds of difficult situations for host countries.

Cheap Labor is the love language of neolibs and neocons alike. It’s payback to large corporate donors. Where do you think the saying, “Immigrants do the jobs Americans won’t do” comes from? It certainly wasn’t from out of work Americans willing to do those jobs. At the same time, middle class, blue collar jobs are disappearing at an alarming rate to overseas cheap, non-unionized labor. And how galling is it that an overeducated coastal elitist can tell someone who has worked 30 years in the coal industry to “learn to code”?

Terrorist groups (foreign and domestic) created, armed and funded by CIA and the likes of intelligence agencies of allies have put into place a nebulous, perpetually-feared enemy, at which any moment can be trotted out to drum up a strange form of patriotism (not to be confused with xenophobic nationalism, certainly not!). Things dear to most folks like some kind of common culture, borders, and language get intentionally thrown in the conversation by agitators. The problem is that the government never addresses the concerns or allays any fears that citizens have.

I could go on, but it’s better to read the book. It’s an easy, quick read. I appreciate the last chapter discussion on the future of populism, but it falls short in two areas, in my opinion: 1) it could make a stronger case that populism doesn't have to be if we had governments that actually represented the will of the people; and 2) assuming the political establishment continues to ignore the voice of the people, what happens if/when we find ourselves facing stronger populism that slides right into authoritarianism.

[Jarret · Rating 1 out of 5]

Feels like a companion piece to Dave Rubin's "Don't Burn This Book," which is to say that it's insufferably dumb, and both the language and syntax are something that wouldn't pass muster with a rural community college teacher.
Written by a member of the class of relatively young neocons who're all pretty clearly desperate in their angling for a spot in the Newsmax rotation, as they pump these rote, poorly written screeds into their echo chamber at such a fierce clip you imagine they all have their mitts perpetually in their idol Trump's infamous drawer full of UK-brand Sudafed/amphetamine.
I'd only read this if, like me, you get a kick out of seeing how mayo-brained the "thinkers" of the far-right white nationalist "movement" can be. Plenty of the clunkiest sentences you'll find this side of the conservative/QAnon social media ecosystem.

[Cary B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, clear and accessible

This is the first book on political populism that I've read that doesn't have an underlying academic-style, barely hidden contempt for those who vote for populist politicians. I found the book refreshingly neutral and informative. Most other books try to appear neutral but have concealed left-wing leaning narratives because these are somehow regarded as the norm in academic circles. This book dissects the normally accepted narratives and often exposes them as false.

There are many chapters of careful statistical analysis of subjects such as immigration and race which are often explosively controversial and riven with factionalism in normal discourse, but here they are treated in a calm analysis of the issues. This is very refreshing and makes the book far more useful than many others that I've read on the subject. It clear-sightedly examines issues of cultural disruption that many academics fear to examine.

It is also refreshingly sound on Brexit and its causes. Another interesting focus draws in some insights on populism in Central and South America which is so often neglected. It covers the harms of Neo-Liberalism and links the prevailing problems of the opioid epidemic to their failings whilst shipping jobs to other countries and removing hope. The last chapter, Ch 9 The National Populist Future is excellent as it offers a way forward and some warnings to the elites if they don't listen and respond.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It's well researched with copious notes and sources and speaks with an accessible clear voice. I listened to the Amazon Audible version and that was pretty good.

[Richard · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book reads like it was written by a man child who has no idea how the real world works. Surely he wouldn’t be dumb enough to tells a brown man on CNN he hopes he’s killed by a bomb on a pager. Ryan needs to meet a brick to his face or gonads repeatedly.

[James Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good primer for the average person that wants to understand the success of Trump, Brexit and other national populism movements across Europe and Central and South America.

[Mike O'Beirne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit heavy on statistics but a fantastic read anyway. I learned a lot and began to understand more completely why the US is in the mess we're in. And how we must react in order to save this country.

[JustEvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to understand the Trump phenomenon. Why his partisans are so loyal. Why he won and then lost. And why that loss is really, really, really bad.

[Debbie Sonneman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would agree that this book is a good primer for anyone who wants to understand why so many people were drawn to Trump and his populist "revolution ".

[Bjarni · Rating 2 out of 5]

While written in an ok language and more or less giving the expression of a thouroghly researched work, the basis of the theory is highly flawed. Referring to “the sovereign state”
and “the native population” as well established consepts throughout the world, while attacking democratic institutions and its checks and balances when it comes to measuring the success of populist parties during their mostly short and recent stint in power is the most glaring conflict. Most people, fortunately, want more from their politicians than the single subject resolutions so desperately sought after by this author.

[Sebastian Campos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent primer on the populist movement that came to head in the mid-to-late 2010s.

[Kita Huerta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Deserves zero stars

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to one of the authors on a recent appearance, so checked out this book. And I thought that the first half of this book was pretty solid, especially when it came to the general ignoring and dismissal of large swaths of the electorate by elites. But starting at what I found to be an unpleasant racially rooted tone of the chapter on legal immigration, and the “glory” of the old national origins quotation system and then the chapter on terrorism that seems to not really seem to grasp how statistics and economics work, I was less enamored.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boo this man.

[Shannon Khatib · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible book by a horrible person if I can give it a zero star, I would do not buy this book

[Kevin B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book starts off good but then throws too much statistics in your face. 70% of the book is just reciting stats instead of telling a story or providing policies to move forward the right wing nationalist movement.

[Jason Coleman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish. Just seemed like someone being mad at rich people for not sharing their wealth. What do you expect from rich people?