Further to diagonalism and well beyond

This chapter moves the discussion from the diagonalism exemplified in the analysis of Russell Brand in Chapter 5, back to the far-right authoritarian populism that is progressively taking over political discourse worldwide in the post-truth era. The chief aim is to provide the reader with further food for thought as the book concludes. To this end, it takes on some of the bigger issues arising from the content covered in Chapters 1 to 5, issues that have to do with the state of political communication and politics more generally in the world today. As so often occurs in such discussions, Donald Trump provides many of the examples introduced. This is because he is – by now, and especially in his second presidency which began in January 2025 – a trendsetter, followed by an increasing number of politicians worldwide who are adopting his modus operandi. All of this with an endgame that is hard to fathom. The chapter closes with some thoughts on possible actions and ways forward in the face of the increasing dominance of far-right authoritarian populism worldwide.