AIBU to be worried about the normalisation of far right politics?

[Apileofballyhoo]

Just that really. I'm interested in what people consider to be far right and what people think causes it and what should be done about it.

I think it's caused by inequality and people feeling hopeless.

Auti

Yeah thanks for posting that again after no one engaged the first time. I will now.

The Democrats in America flip between being centrists and a little left of centre. Americans still lack many of the basic rights that, whilst left wing in genesis, are now accepted across the political spectrum in Europe. Things like universal healthcare, paid maternity leave, paid vacation, affordable access to education, etc. Most Democrats want to make some progress in those areas, but modest progress compared to what we all take for granted. The Democrats are not ‘far left’ and usually have more in common with our Conservatives than our Labour Party.

It’s telling that, in a thread about people’s concerns about the rise of Nazi ideology, you’re attacking a party that are, at the very most, centre-left.

As for the contents of the video, some points have a degree or truth and the rest is somewhat of a Gish Gallop that would take an essay to addresss. To engage a couple of points thought, of course there are topics on which ‘SJWs’ are vocal and dogmatic and prefer to shout down rather than engage, but that does not represent the entirety of the left or the Democratic Party. We’re obviously living in an age where vocal minority groups have access to powerful platforms and have to be mindful of that.

But as for his comments that the Democrats will do nothing for you, I think it’s astounding that he can say that as a gay man in America. Just under the last administration, gay marriage was legalized, same sex partners were given an entitlement to benefits previously reserved for straight couples, legislation was passed to require facilities to grant visitation and medical decision-making rights to same-sex partners, a regulation issued to prohibit LGBT discrimination in federally-assisted housing programs, the definition of hate crimes expanded to include attacks based on sexual orientation, ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ eliminated, etc.

But yeah, let’s ignore all of that and abondon any policy is that is even slightly
left leaning because left wing university students can be aggressively fervent on issues of social justice.

And you seriously think the alternative to the Dems, the Trump Administration, represents Love and Hope? Really??

Another tedious example of the poisonous ideology which has infected America thanks Auti.

I've spent some time in the US recently and was dismayed at the way anyone who is not a Trump supporter is referred to as a socialist. Sloppy and totally incorrect in most cases.

I think society has become more polarized with extremes of tolerance and intolerance. I think the new Sacha Baron Cohen series shows that quite well.

Agree Moussemoose. Democratic socialists are still relatively fringe in the democratic party and even then half the things they’re asking for are things we would take for granted, even under a right wing government.

And yet some in this thread seem to think them worse than neo-nazis.

I’m really really worried at the slow privatisation of the NHS.

I’m worried about huge budget cuts in schools.

I’m worried about the havoc universal credit is wreaking on poor communities.

I’m worried about huge cuts in central government grants to local councils.

This is all part of a right wing agenda to shrink the state which is happening under people’s noses.

And 10 minutes on Twitter will reveal the astonishing levels of aggressive anti-Muslim feeling there is among some sectors of the U.K.

It all really concerns me.

I think the cuts to disability benefits is awful. Far right, perhaps not, but certainly on the far side of centre right. Electorate haven’t complained much.

@minifingerz, agree with all you said.

I also agree with everything minifingers said but, save for the islamaphobia, it’s not really relevant to whether we ought to be concerned about the far right. I’d hope that most of those who espouse the policies that minifingers listed would also be willing to condem far-right ideology.

Not at all OP, I think our perception of what ‘far right’ is has changed, it evolves over time, just as our perception of what racism is or sexism etc. I’m not sure why people are bringing Brexit into it considering Corbyn was a Eurosceptic and is very far left. Besides I think if anyone was racist they wouldn’t vote to separate themselves from other white Europeans would they? Honestly I’m more concerned with the normalisation of far left politics, considering its rife in one of our main parties. If history has taught us anything it should be that totalitarianism, which is essential in far left politics, is never going to end well.

I really need to do some further reading, but the bit I have read says Corbyn’s policies are akin to the policies of the social democrats in Scandinavian countries - and are not far left.

@pinook they’re also close to hitler’s economic policies.

@Mariatequila no they absolutely are not ffs. In many ways they’re the opposite.

Mariatequila - from the man himself. "The basic feature of our economic theory is that we have no theory at all."

Nino, may be the case NOW but johnson et al aren't hanging out with Bannon for fun. Marie I'm sure the whole of Scandinavia will be delighted by your assessment of their political system, well done for your acute observations and comparisons.

Sometimes you just want to bang your head onthefloor.

One of the first things Hitler did as chancellor was privatize public industries, the reverse of perhaps Corbyn’s signature policy.

longwayoff - yes I hear your fears, but to me that’s all the more reason to try to reach out to moderates, so that if the UK does take a far-right turn they will stand against it (as American conservatives tried and failed with Trump).

I hope you're right. I'd like to believe that our politicians are more honourable than some of them appear to be but its hard to. I recall all the times I heard that the 'checks and balances' of the US system would prevent Trump. Then they would restrain Trump. Unbelievably, we have Trump and wont get him out without a shovel. We cant afford to have something similar here. I hope its impossible.

Most Republican politicians were against Trump, as were other educated republicans. Part of the problem was that right vs left was so entrenched (a division that Trump exploited and continues to exploit) he was able to get the masses on side. Us vs. Them mentality is a powerful tool that, I believe, we need to try to disarm.

@Nino86 & nationalised others, embarked on huge public projects, banned unearned wages & much more. Both their economic policies are Keynesian & they are (a long with the anti- semitism) very similar.
@alongwayoff (apt) I think it was clear I was talking about Corbyn & Hitler....

Thank you marie your clarity is as impressive as your knowledge.

Yes Nino that great divide is ripe for exploitation and is exacerbated by the continual drip of disinformation and distortion that the right utilises well. Goebbels? I think said if u tell a lie often enough it will become a truth and these pages show the effort theyre prepared to put into it. Its working well.

@Mariatequila - and massively increased military spending, abolished trade unions and lowered wages.

Frankly you could draw parallels between Hitler’s economic policies and select views of most major parties in western democracies.

Hitler did whatever he felt like doing, economically and every other way. As I said above, he had no economic policy, he said it himself.