Criticism Of Populism In Contemporary China From The Perspective Of Marxism

Populism originated in Eastern Europe and North America in the middle and late 19th century.It has been active all over the world since its birth.Populism develops rapidly during the period of social transition,appealing to the lower classes in the society,opposing and criticizing elitism and elites,advocating direct democracy,and usually applying irrational or even extreme methods to express appeals and willingness.The emergence of Populism in contemporary China is based on three factors:at first,injustices in social transformation,such as the widening gap between the rich and the poor,and the uneven distribution of resources.At the same time,in the contemporary society,there is the phenomena of elites and authoritative forces to seek private,corrupt and degenerate powers,catalyzing the opposition or even hatred of the masses to the elites,which in turn leads to the confrontation between the lower classes of people and elites in our society.Difficulties in reconciling have intensified the intensification of social contradictions and threatened the stability and harmony of society.Second,the need to improve democratic politics and the imperfect communication channels have made it impossible for the middle and lower levels to express their opinions and demands,and to make them be listened,focused and solved by the relevant government departments and the whole society.Third,the advancement of modern information technology,such as the Internet,has brought freedom and convenience of expression and broadened the channels of communication and expression,but it has weakened the sense of responsibility and became a hotbed of Populism.Populism has four basic characteristics:grassroots,irrational,critical and extreme.Populism advocates relying on the middle and lower classes of the people,full of critical and rebellious spirit,opposing representative democracy and criticizing the elite.It emphasizes political simplification and advocates direct political participation and action.However,ordinary people lack overall consciousness,and do not have the ability to make rational decisions that affect society.Therefore,when expressing their demands and seeking solutions of contradictions,Populism will resort to irrational and extreme methods.Populism can guide the attention to the interests of vulnerable groups,promote supervision to the elite,and guide the people's demands for fairness and justice.However,it will also lead to the weakening of the credibility of the party and the government,aggravate the opposition of social classes,endanger social stability,and disrupt judicial justice.In order to ease and govern Populism to evade its negative effects,we should first correctly understand the relationship between the people and the elite in theory.The two are not completely opposite,but can realize consultation and cooperation and jointly protect the interests of the broad masses of the people.And then realize social fairness and justice.From the practical aspect,firstly,the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era should be regarded as the guiding ideology,guiding the radicalization of Populism.Secondly,adhere to the rule of law and regulate the reasonable expression of public opinion.In addition,applying socialist consultative democracy to guarantee practice of democracy.Finally,attach importance to the strategic position of education,cultivate rational citizens through educational means,foster a sense of cooperation,to avoid the limitations of Populism,and to achieve the guidance and governance of Populism.