Selective Protection and the Roots of Populism in Capitalism

In this episode, I explore the rise of hard-right populist parties and the paradox at their core: voters under economic strain accept short-term benefits while surrendering long-term rights and opportunities. We trace how capitalism generates inequality, how inequality fuels populism, and how populism reshapes democracy into a system of selective protection. The essay examines Poland, Hungary, and France as case studies, and considers the broader structural loop: capitalism → inequality → populism → authoritarian drift.

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