The rise of the far right

[Hitchington]

Italy now have a far right head of state. In Sweden a neo nazi party are now in mainstream politics. Marine Le Pen is topping the polls in France. Fascism is well established in the USA (trump's republicans) and Russia (Putin has gone beyond being an autocrat and promotes white Russian nationalism). The vote to dispose Bolsonaro in Brazil is on a knife edge. Modi in India is stoking up nationalism and nationalists openly march in Jerusalem and the occupied territories shouting for Arabs and Palestinians to be put into camps and have their land taken. We have a conservative party and government under the thrall of the ERG and hard right of the party who are trying to (undemocratically) bring back a previously disgraced populist leader. I'm sure there are more examples of the far right tightening their grip on our communities, societies and countries.

Fascism won't come goose stepping down the high street or groups of steel toe capped skinheads smashing corner shop windows.

Fascism comes with a grinning wax jacketed ex city trader pretending to be your mate, or a failed ex actor pretending to care about equality by constantly tweeting "all lives matter."

But mostly fascism comes after a mess of a political party, which used to claim to be the party of stability, order and responsibility, undemocratically re-elects a criminal, populist liar to run the country again. It's no coincidence that the MPs calling for his return are those who are the most vocal supporters of flights to Rwanda, Royal Navy ramming dinghies, the UK abolishing human rights and other laws to protect citizens...

Fascism (at least the enabler) comes dressed in an ill fitting scruffy suit with a child's haircut.

Where's the farking hope in all this madness?

 

[C R]

It does indeed feel uncomfortably similar to the late 1920s doesn't it?

 

[Beebo]

I have no words for the shoot storm we currently see.
It’s just all terribly sad.

 

[Hitchington]

It does indeed feel uncomfortably similar to the late 1920s doesn't it?

Yep. The warnings are there, in 100 metre high letters, painted in bright red with flashing lights and loud horns. But it seems there are vast sways of the population who can't see it, or choose to ignore.

 

[mudsticks]

Italy now have a far right head of state. In Sweden a neo nazi party are now in mainstream politics. Marine Le Pen is topping the polls in France. Fascism is well established in the USA (trump's republicans) and Russia (Putin has gone beyond being an autocrat and promotes white Russian nationalism). The vote to dispose Bolsonaro in Brazil is on a knife edge. Modi in India is stoking up nationalism and nationalists openly march in Jerusalem and the occupied territories shouting for Arabs and Palestinians to be put into camps and have their land taken. We have a conservative party and government under the thrall of the ERG and hard right of the party who are trying to (undemocratically) bring back a previously disgraced populist leader. I'm sure there are more examples of the far right tightening their grip on our communities, societies and countries.

Fascism won't come goose stepping down the high street or groups of steel toe capped skinheads smashing corner shop windows.

Fascism comes with a grinning wax jacketed ex city trader pretending to be your mate, or a failed ex actor pretending to care about equality by constantly tweeting "all lives matter."

But mostly fascism comes after a mess of a political party, which used to claim to be the party of stability, order and responsibility, undemocratically re-elects a criminal, populist liar to run the country again. It's no coincidence that the MPs calling for his return are those who are the most vocal supporters of flights to Rwanda, Royal Navy ramming dinghies, the UK abolishing human rights and other laws to protect citizens...

Fascism (at least the enabler) comes dressed in an ill fitting scruffy suit with a child's haircut.

Where's the farking hope in all this madness?

The hope lies in resisting these forces.
Exposing their lies, thinking and acting differently.

Not giving in to apathy, or complacency.

These forces of hatred never go away.
They have their resurgence in response to ignorance, fear, and all the other negative human traits which can exist in all of us.

-t'internet has made some of that worse, but it can also be a force for positive action.

We need to keep paying attention, and keep up the struggle.

Many of the youth give me hope.
I try to give them my support, and act alongside them where I can.

 

[Hitchington]

Thank you mudders.

I just feel a bit hopeless at the moment.

 

[albion]

Brexit had its Watermelon smiles and piccaninnies.

Opportunism with repercussions.

 

[mudsticks]

Thank you mudders.

I just feel a bit hopeless at the moment.

I hear you .

Have felt that many times before too..

But giving into 'oh nothing ever changes for the better' cynicism, is just what 'they' want you to do..
Hoping you'll go away, and just give up resisting them.


But us slightly older folks can see that even in our lifetimes there have been changes for the better, it's not always consistent, and there is backsliding, but it is there, we need to recognise that ..

I've 'burnt out' a couple of times trying to do too much, got 'hopeless'

But now I realise I've got to measure out my energies on various fronts more 'sustainably'
Sometimes just cheerleading, or being an amplifier for others in their actions, is all we can manage, but it does make a difference.

Don't give into despair, again that's what 'they' want you to do - why give them that satisfaction..??

tl;dr

If you get tired, don't quit, just have a rest for a bit.👍🏼

 

[Rusty Nails]

The World is a big place and "we" as a country cannot do much about that other than manage our own affairs properly and with care.

As far as that is concerned I am not as worried about it in this country as the OP. Yes, we cannot afford to take things for granted and must speak up against those who plan the things like weaponising immigration, but the best way to do that is not to assume that the only way to fight an extreme ideology is with the opposite extreme ideology.

I am and always have been hopeful that the young of this country will influence the way it is going, but that has always been so and we are still where we are. We were the young once.

I am pleased that the Tories are in disarray and hope that this is more than just a temporary blip but a chance for them to see the damage to their prospects a group like the ERG can do, and to help dispel the myth, that many people seem to swallow, that the Tories are the sensible party for grown-ups.

What does continue to worry me is the polarisation that is worsened by our FPTP system giving us a permanent duopoly of government and a silencing of the voices of the millions who may not like what they offer, or worse still people feeling that they have to vote either Tory or Labour to have any real impact.

 

[presta]

There was a commentator on Radio 4 recently who had an interesting argument.

At the end of the war it was realised that people turn to extremist demagogues with easy answers when they're afraid and insecure, and the way to prevent this ocurring is to put in place support systems that protect people from the worst of life's disasters. This is why the likes of the welfare state and healthcare for all were created so that people feel more secure in the knowledge that they're less likely to become unable to work, feed & clothe the family, pay the rent etc.

Once several generations had grown up with that kind of security, they forgot the value of it, and allowed it to become eroded.

 

[Xipe Totec]

Once several generations had grown up with that kind of security, they forgot the value of it, and allowed it to become eroded.

...By precisely the people it had been put in place to protect them from.

 

[All uphill]

I agree with the value of taking time out to rest and avoid getting swept up into the psychodrama. In our home we turn off the TV, stop talking about those politicians who have a talent for chaos and attention, and get out on the bikes for a few hours.

We remind ourselves of all the decent people out there, rather than focusing on the hatred and anxiety that a few want to stir up.

We don't have to play their game.

 

[Deleted member 28]

piccaninnies.

Love that word.

 

[Ian H]

Love that word.

 

[theclaud]

Love that word.

How normal.