Populism, like so many things, is inherently neither good
nor bad. It can easily be a force for
good, creating a drive towards liberty and equality, such as we saw during the
Civil Rights movement. It can also be a
force for evil, such as the wave of populism that brought Adolf Hitler to
power. It is the way in which it is used
that determines whether it is benign or malevolent. Unfortunately, history shows that it is often
used as a means to an end for authoritarians to seize power. With Trump, history has clearly repeated
itself.
