Mao would've loved the West's populist revolt

A half century after the Cultural Revolution in China, Chairman Mao would have loved to see the swelling populist insurrection in the West, now blown into the open with Brexit, the continued rise of right-wing nationalists elsewhere in Europe, and of course the Donald Trump phenomenon.

That's because these all indicate that polarizing class and race warfare are alive and well in 2016. This renders the Marxist-Leninist and Maoist worldviews - and their right-wing fascist cousins - effectively still valid after a long period of apparent hiatus.

Much like the periods of intense populism in the last century, we have the spectacle of a mass uprising against the perceived abuse of a tiny elite that has concentrated too much wealth and influence in its own hands. While still in its early stages, its contours are very, very familiar for students of modern history.

For a society like the US or UK, the nasty shock is that the age-old demons of classist and racist envy and resentment have begun to break down all semblance of reason and logic. That's because it's far, far deeper and more primeval than any set of economic statistics or public opinion polls can possibly capture. This is fundamentally a matter of, "F**k you, it's time for you to suffer because you've had it too good for too long compared to the rest of us."

As of this juncture, the ruling establishment - with its well-paid surrogates in the corporate media - has scarcely a clue that the more it tries to reason with the mob, the more it agitates its lynching instincts and passions. Brexit has shown us that the very notion of "expertise" and "experience" in the political and economic status quo is becoming a lightning rod of deep populist hatred. And the fact that the defenders of this status quo are only doubling down further on their logical or scientific arguments and explanations as their main defense shows just how badly out of touch with reality they've become.

There comes a time in history when niceties and rationale go out the window and it's time for some real bloodletting, if not physical then at least economic and financial. The public wants the ruling class to feel and suffer real loss and pain. In this environment, the only thing that will satisfy it is surrender - to Hell with more negotiating and bargaining!

Alas, that's what the elites still completely misunderstand. This is no longer about relieving the suffering of the masses - this is about turning their victimizers into the victims.

Yes, Mao would've been very happy to see the world in 2016, indeed.