It Could Be Deja Vu All Over Again

I just read an excellent article in The Washington Post. It was titled, "In Venezuela, we couldn't stop Chavez. Don't make the same mistakes we did." The author, Andres Miguel Rondon, talks about the struggle the Venezuelan people have had over the last two decades with their leader, Hugo Chavez.

The author does a great job boiling down populism to one paragraph. It's a beautiful compendium.

"The recipe for populism is universal. Find a wound common to many, find someone to blame for it, and make up a good story to tell. Mix it all together. Tell the wounded you know how they feel. That you found the bad guys. Label them: the minorities, the politicians, the businessmen. Caricature them. As vermin, evil masterminds, haters and losers, you name it. Then paint yourself as the savior. Capture the people's imagination. Forget about policies and plans, just enrapture them with a tale. One that starts with anger and ends in vengeance. A vengeance they can participate in."

His advice on dealing with America's populist is the following:

1. Don't forget who the enemy is.
2. Show no contempt.
3. Don't try to force him out.
4. Find a counterargument.

In another post I'll flesh these four points out.