John Chuckman
COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE BY LARRY ELLIOTT IN THE GUARDIAN
"It's easy to see why populists do well in an age of insecurity'
I think the author has used the wrong word.
There is of course insecurity, but I think other qualities dominate.
This is an age of government deception as I've never seen in my lifetime.
Almost nothing national governments tell us is true anymore.
I do think people get very tired of the idea that they are almost never being told the truth. They may not all understand in detail but a sense of the state of things manages to get through.
In addition, governments in Europe, from Britain to Germany, give any observer the impression almost of incompetence, and that I believe is more than a mere impression.
Is there a leader in Europe who seems able to deal with the problems facing his or her country, especially the major ones?
Not that I can see.
In most cases, they are unable even to admit what the basic problems are.
And, then, going back to the first point, they lie about it.
