Populism thrives not only on the right side but also the left. Hate-the-rich rhetoric is pure populism. It helps nobody, and is frequently used as rabble-rousing emotional bait for a clever orator to segue into a rant about financial injustice. It suggests, without saying as much, that the wealthy have stolen from you. Victim-villain storytelling too, is a favorite ploy for left wing populists. This is not illegal, immoral, or in any way wrong. It's our personal responsibility to filter out the rhetoric that we identify as populist, not fact-based, or not serving a worthy cause.