> Why conflate this with populism? This is the result of poor economic policies.
The poor policies resulted from first an elite ignoring the poor and then the poor deciding they wanted majority rule. Majority rule devolved into anti-intellectualism and reduced respect for property rights, which in turn led to falling production. Populism isn't the root cause, but it's damn close.
(This story rhymes with the fall of the Roman Republic.)
Is it populism or disrespect for property rights? What company would make a major investment after nationalization of industry? It seems you could be 'populist' by promoting education and investments to bring up the poor without destroying a country.
The poor policies resulted from first an elite ignoring the poor and then the poor deciding they wanted majority rule. Majority rule devolved into anti-intellectualism and reduced respect for property rights, which in turn led to falling production. Populism isn't the root cause, but it's damn close.
(This story rhymes with the fall of the Roman Republic.)