The rage at liberal democracy—at the seeming disinterest of contemporary representative democracy to take an interest in the public and support them—we set out here as also a product of the economic devastation wrought by global neo-liberalism. This anger, shared by both the working class and the super-rich, was effectively harnessed by the populist right, who targeted liberal-progressivism's emphasis on identity politics and the perceived failures of globalisation. The resulting nativist backlash focused on immigration, multiculturalism and foreign intervention, scapegoating these issues as symptoms of a deeper malaise. We conclude that ultimately this rage is a direct consequence of decades of neo-liberal policies that have created highly-unequal societies, leaving the majority feeling abandoned and powerless.