Prehistory of populist constitutionalism: Difference between revisions

How different is a present-day right-wing populist from Cleon, “''the most violent man at Athens''”,<ref>Thuc.Thucydides, ''Histories'', 3.36.6 = Thucydides, ''The Peloponnesian War'', London: J. M. Dent, 1910.</ref> who “''was the first person to use bawling and abuse on the platform, and to gird up his cloak before making a public speech, all other persons speaking in orderly fashion''”?<ref>Aristot.Aristotle, Const.''Constitution Ath.of the Athenians'', 28.3 = Aristotle in 23 Volumes, Vol. 20, translated by H. Rackham, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1952.)</ref> And can we not trace contemporary left-wing “inclusionary” populist support for marginalized groups (including immigrants) and cultural pluralism back to the ancient demagogues who, “''with a view to [...] making the people powerful''”, admitted “''to citizenship not only the legitimate children of citizens but also the base-born and those of citizen-birth on one side''”, employed “''every device''” to make “''all the people as much as possible intermingled with one another, and to break up the previously existing groups of associates''” and promoted “''licence among slaves [...] and among women and children, and indulgence to live as one likes''”? <ref>Aristot.Aristotle, Pol.''Politics'', 6.1319b = Aristotle in 23 Volumes, Vol. 21, translated by H. Rackham, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1944.</ref>