During a discussion hosted by the Edmund Burke Foundation a couple of years ago in Rome, Viktor Orbán was asked if he considered himself a populist. A populist, he replied, is someone who promises the people everything and delivers on nothing. When someone runs on a platform and implements it? That’s just democracy.
I’ve noted before that the term “populist” has become a pejorative that progressives attach to anyone they dislike. This is, first and foremost, politicians with socially conservative views. This is not reserved only for the right wing, either. In Malta, for example, political parties of all stripes identify as pro-life. The same is true in many African and South American countries. There was once a basic consensus on life and family, while economic issues were up for debate.
But the terms of the debate have changed since the West was swept by the LGBT revolution, and now even staunch left-wingers can be smeared if they are not on board with every new manifestation of the sexual revolution. As evidenced by the marriage of big business and the gay lobby, economic leftism and a focus on workers has been exchanged for Pride floats with furries and leather gays sponsored by Coca-Cola. Progressivism is now all about sex, all the time.
Consider, for example, how a resurgence of left-wing social conservative politicians in Latin America was covered recently by the Americas Quarterly:
It’s no secret that the Latin American left has a strongman problem. From Havana to Caracas to Managua, self-proclaimed socialists are notorious for taking office only to never step down. But while left-wing autocrats and their human rights abuses garner much media attention, an emerging crop of leftist politicians in Latin America poses a more insidious threat: they’re embracing regressive social values. If they continue to fail in elevating the causes of equality, diversity and individual freedom, the new leaders on the left will leave the region’s most vulnerable and underrepresented communities at great risk.
