The vast majority of people identify with no bullshit, honest-to-God populism. They don't identify with ivory tower intellectual movements-that makes people feel condescended to, talked down to, used. And they are right about it-the intellectuals use them.

Think of how both major US political parties-the Democrats and the Republicans-started. Jackson used populism. Lincoln used populism. Of course, they were soon co-opted by the business interests, turned into vessels of elitism for the right-wing establishment.

By its nature, populism, when used for the betterment of the people, is inherently left-wing. But populism that is right-wing-nationalistic fascism-is very dangerous indeed.

The Tea Party in the US is an example of right-wing populism, and this is what happens when the Left is crushed systematically for years. If the entire "spectrum"is right-wing by design, and the right-wingers own and control the debate, then the populism is inevitably right-wing, as long as it is framed in terms of personal belief system, rather than analysis of real existing conditions.

This is why we-the left-wing intellectuals-have failed. We haven't spoken the language of the people. We need to talk about community, about family, about existing conditions. The people won't come to us. We need to go to the people.