A new revolt of the masses

Some of the attitudes criticized by Ortega y Gasset for his mass man could be easily transposed to the current situation. Among them are:
Indeed, in the actual present context, all these attitudes and beliefs have fuelled the electoral success of populist groups in many countries.
Ortega y Gasset’s analysis was certainly insightful, but his response was disconcerting. He was annoyed by the fact that the “uneducated” claimed some of the privileges of the elites. He was displeased that theaters and cafés started to be populated by the masses. In the shadows, he seemed worried that the multitude wanted to have the material privileges that were for so long reserved to the upper class. He blamed the crowds for no longer trusting the elites, rather than criticizing the elites for failing to assert their leadership. Some of the contemporary comments on the populist upsurge seem to be written by a reincarnated Ortega \citep*{blair}, as if the multitude is wrong in claiming some of the benefits enjoyed by elites. We do not have to repeat Ortega’s mistake: even if the populist response is wrong, we need to listen and respond to their claims.