As Christmas beckons we arent out of the Covid woods. But as the crisis has worn on weve gone from dismissal, to (in my case, at least) existential fear and dread, then something human kicked in and we made the abnormal, normal.
The summer came and infections dropped, we gave thanks for the alleviation after lockdown. In September we finally got the kids back to school (and if you are a parent you will know just how important this has been to their wellbeing).
As John Gray writes in the New Statesman 2020 was a year of the Great Humblingand a revelation of the fragility that lies at the bottom of our way of life. The idea of human supremacy, he argues, was alway as dangerous illusion.
In Irish politics, this is most obviously seen in the inevitability myth perpetuated by fundamentalist believers of various political faiths. But who thought at the beginning of 2020 that Robin Swann would be our top politician by year end?
Further, who thought a politician could become popular by telling people hard news that they didnt particularly want to hear? I doubt Robin has anything like the huge harvest of Facebook likes or RTs on Twitter of his more popular rivals.
Populism lost its sheen. Covid showed up its lack of competence (and compassion) that lurks underneath. Trump lost after just one term in the Whitehouse. The hysterical reflex of the liberal media finally rested after four years of hyperactivity.
With Brexit almost done, gradually a no deal shifted throughout the years so it wasnt the same as it might have looked last January or March. I suspect the reality of Brexit Britain will prove to be a disappointment to both sides of that internal argument.
But it also holds that a mild neighbourly deal may deny that abject surrender note from unionism that so many republicans so confidently predicted for much of the last four years. In the Digital Age the half life of any strategy is vanishingly small.
Michel Martin slowly emerged as a pragmatic, technocratic Taoiseach confounding populist rivals on either side of him.His government emerged from the political ruck with a credible approach (and money) for N/S relations. For now.
Slugger managed to wrangle its way through often by ignoring much of the froth of the day to day and bringing on new writers like Terry Wright to find fresh perspectives on many familiar questions. Nice guest slot from the Dissenter too.
We have the gifted cartoonist, Fergus Boylan(you can find him elsewhere as @infiniteguff). Weve also had AnnemarieandLisas informative missives from rural Co Down haven, and Natasha on the front line with the bees (and against Neonics).
[PS, people who keep bees are doers and well worth a read, or a vote if you ever get a chance to express such a preference.]
We love finding new talent regardless of their political background. One established commentator is the Irish News columnist (and my own personal mentor when it comes to understanding the intricacies of US Baseball), Chris Donnelly.
So it is good to see that 2020 has seen our ownSarah Creightonstepping forward in other media and fora as an intelligent forward looking unionist voice within the mainstream. Nice to see them spark off each other in our year end review.
In a year which was challenging for many, Slugger did better than many of us perhaps expected. As Brian has already noted we had 1.7 million readers who read over 5 million pages of content. Thats 948 posts so far with over 125,000 comments.
Which reminds me that thanks are due to our growing band of moderators who operate often throughout the day and night to remind our community of the rules that bind them to a pluralist approach to debate and discussion.
Our comment zone and our play the ball not the man rule has been highlighted over the years in papers as politically diverse as the Times of London and the Irish Times for the way we bring together people of different perspectives.
Despite what some may suggest, we have a politically diverse group of moderators doing largely thankless job with a devotion Im deeply grateful for, and who are committed to keep learning the trade as they go. We can always use more!
One big successes of the year has beenthe Slugger TV project, driven by David and Alan. This year they discovered The Accidental Theatre (above what used to be more familiar to us oldies as the Northern Bank in Shaftesbury Square).
My personal favourite was the culmination of our Reset project with Ulster Bank with their Chief Economist Richard Ramsey and the CBIs Angela McGowan
The real delight of the Slugger TV project is our partnership with Northern VisionsNVTV which means that this content goes out on Community TV in Belfast and not just to the wild hoards of the Internet.
For me personally 2020 has been a year in which I have probably pulled back more than in previous years. Family and friends have come to matter more to me than the reductive world of party politics, particularly those touched by COVID.
There was more time for reading and much that was useful to read on important shifts in the wider world, like Lonergan and BlythsAngrynomics, Collier and KaysGreed is Deadand Jaron Lanier on how social media makes politics impossible.
Thanks to a core team that as editor I tend to manage though neglect than in any direct way (none of them are particularly open to direction anyway). For me, this independence of thought is key to Slugger distributed approach.
As we come up end stage Brexit Id also like to thank Brian Walker (and in previous years, my good and steadfast friend Pete Baker) for keeping us in the loop with intelligence and patience. And Claire Mitchell for her support and sage advice.
And theres the amazing Brian ONeill, whose tech and business nous has transformed us into a slick and well resourced operation. Its hard to think of a part of the operation Brian has not had a hand in in improving in some way or another.
Brian has helped establish productive relationships with a range of third level education institutions, not least at Ulster University and the Public Engagement Team at Queens University, Belfast.
Most importantly, he has shown how it is possible to establish an independent relationship with our readers that has helped us to develop and grow as a challenging online political forum with thought provoking articles.
Our growing base of regular donors is a welcome development. It helps secure Sluggers independence, allows us to plan ahead and take on new projects with confidence. So thanks for the crack, your kind support, and those end of year pints.
So over Christmas do consider whether in the next year you might join that happy band of Friends of Slugger who do so much in keeping us solvent and going. In the meantime, enjoy your Christmas as best you can. And see you next year!
Photo by Wokandapix is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
Read more:
- Winston Marshall: Populism Is The Voice Of The Voiceless, The Real Threat To Democracy Is From The Elites - RealClearPolitics - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- The Political Economy of Populism in Italy - ProMarket - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Mandryk: Sask. Party populism may be harder to sell than it used to be - Regina Leader Post - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Untangling the complex relationship between anxiety and right-wing populism - PsyPost - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Europe Day: rise of populism and shifting dynamics ahead of crucial elections - Modern Ghana - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Scholz warns of the rise of right-wing populists ahead of EU elections - Euronews - April 8th, 2024 [April 8th, 2024]
- An ex-GOP congressman blasts the 'populist wave' that he says has corroded conservatism: 'Now we're impeaching ... - Yahoo Canada - April 8th, 2024 [April 8th, 2024]
- Thinking About A Truly Populist Party - Above the Law - April 8th, 2024 [April 8th, 2024]
- The Polish response to the WCK incident exposes the dangers of populism - Ynetnews - April 8th, 2024 [April 8th, 2024]
- Greatest threat facing EU is populism, Mitsotakis tells ND faithful - Kathimerini English Edition - April 8th, 2024 [April 8th, 2024]
- Polish pro-EU wing wants local vote to end 'age of populism' - EURACTIV - April 8th, 2024 [April 8th, 2024]
- US election: how populists encourage blind mistrust and how to push back - The Conversation - December 19th, 2023 [December 19th, 2023]
- Lessons from the Netherlands on the rise of the populist radical right - UK in a Changing Europe - December 19th, 2023 [December 19th, 2023]
- Opinion | From Jacobites to Populists - The New York Times - August 2nd, 2023 [August 2nd, 2023]
- Why Right Wing Populism Is Unable To Address the Climate Crisis - Impakter - August 2nd, 2023 [August 2nd, 2023]
- In our debased world, a new, benign Manhattan Project is ... - The New European - August 2nd, 2023 [August 2nd, 2023]
- Populism has given the elites more power than ever - Financial Times - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Starmer should beware a Left-wing insurgency - UnHerd - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- The French Far-Right Tsunami Is Coming - The Media Line - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Can Spain hold back the right? - The New European - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Populism, authoritarianism and agrarian struggles - Transnational Institute - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Mainstream Conservatives Are On The Run in Europe, Too - POLITICO - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Opinion: The Perils Of Populism - Hingham Anchor - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- In the global struggle with populism, elections are a salve - Frederick News Post - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Column: The push me-pull you of political populism - Omaha World-Herald - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Why the World Is on the Brink of Great Disorder - TIME - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Europe's liberals should take a page or two out of the populist movement's book - Euronews - June 2nd, 2023 [June 2nd, 2023]
- Smith, Trump and the Paranoid Populist Assault on Democracy - TheTyee.ca - June 2nd, 2023 [June 2nd, 2023]
- Other GOP candidates still pave the way for Trump's vile populism - National Catholic Reporter - June 2nd, 2023 [June 2nd, 2023]
- Terrorism and voting: The rise of right-wing populism in Germany - CEPR - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- From Donald Trump to Danielle Smith: 4 ways populists are ... - The Conversation - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Pluralism vs. Ultra-Nationalism: The Real Cleavage Behind Turkey's ... - E-International Relations - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- The Erdogan era lives on, as does the power of populism - asianews.network - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Democratic backsliding in Mexico: Lessons for opponents of ... - Wilson Center - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Can Ron DeSantis Out-Populist Donald Trump to Win the GOP ... - Boston University - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Danger of populism - Daily Pioneer - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Algeria: A populist leader challenging our notions of what is possible in the Middle East - Middle East Monitor - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- How Imran Khan's populism has divided Pakistan and put it on a knife's edge - The Conversation - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Slovakia to Get 'Expert' Government But Return to Populism Looms - Balkan Insight - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Portuguese president: empowering youth will be the death of populism - EURACTIV - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- LETTER TO THE EDITOR: The anti-intellectualism of conservative ... - Winnipeg Free Press - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- The populism of Matthew Goodwinand its many problems - Prospect Magazine - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- The Business Nightmare of Dealing with Government - The New York Times - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Ciarn Fitzgerald: Focus on food prices is mere populism - Agriland - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Populism in the United States - Wikipedia - February 26th, 2023 [February 26th, 2023]
- What is Populism? | Political Science - Stanford University - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Why Populism Is Rising And How To Combat It - Forbes - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Mexicos Dying Democracy: AMLO and the Toll of Authoritarian Populism - December 28th, 2022 [December 28th, 2022]
- Trump, Brexit, and the Rise of Populism: Economic Have-Nots and ... - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Pope lunches with poor, denounces sirens of populism - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- 3 steps forward, but 2.5 back for populism - bangkokpost.com - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Pence warns of 'unprincipled populism,' 'Putin apologists' - Fox 34 - October 21st, 2022 [October 21st, 2022]
- London lesson: The 44-day govt in Britain is a reminder to our politicians to give up fiscal populism - Times of India - October 21st, 2022 [October 21st, 2022]
- Left-wing populism - Wikipedia - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Populism on the rise in Canada as unelectable Pierre Poilievre sweeps ... - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The Left Is Demonizing PopulistsFor Pushing What the Left Once ... - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- DAILY | Poilievre vs. Media Party; Trudeau on populism, disinfo; Mayor ... - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Globalization is fueling the populism surging across the Western world - The Hill - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Smith rides high on populist wave Winnipeg Free Press - Winnipeg Free Press - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- J. D. Vance and the Collapse of Dignity - The Atlantic - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- 7 non-fiction book releases to add to your TBR - The Daily Vox - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Ian Bremmer: How crises opened the way for some positive change in Europe - New Zealand Herald - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- From OPRF to Poland with a focus on Ukraine - Wednesday Journal - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Florida's DeSantis takes conservative populism to the Rust Belt - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Journalism and the Threat of Neo-Populism - Geopoliticalmonitor.com - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- History As It Happens: The 'fake' populists - Washington Times - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- European populist parties vote share on the rise, especially on right - Pew Research Center - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- DYER: Progress and decline of populism Red Deer Advocate - Red Deer Advocate - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- The Populist Pugilist Vying to Replace Conor Lamb - The American Prospect - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Understanding Europes shift to the right - POLITICO Europe - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Trump still "king" and "kingmaker" to some in Pennsylvania - CBS News - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Investigation reveals Poilievre, populist and pro-natural gas groups spread fertilizer disinformation to whip up outrage against Trudeau - Canada's... - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Citizens or consumers | The Times - The Wellington Times - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- The Challenges of Epistemic Communities in Shaping Policy in the Age of Post-Truth - E-International Relations - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- The EU, not Meloni, is the threat to democracy - Arab News - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Bulgaria's elections could threaten NATO and EU unity on Ukraine - Washington Examiner - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- I'm not optimistic about the future of the global economy and I don't expect the next 10 years to be particularly good - CTech - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Brazil's election: The rise and impact of populism - University of Michigan News - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Opinion | Right-Wing Populism May Rise in the U.S. - The Wall Street Journal - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Survey: Right-wing populism ex pat Estonians' main negative image of home - ERR News - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]