To worry about the right wing?

[Swingstotheleftslidetotheright]

I'm politically homeless at the moment in terms of who to vote for but morally I sit firmly centre/centre left. I'm very British with that it would seem.

I've seen over the last few years a very hard push left across social media and among the "chattering" classes which has seemingly come with a desire to shut down discussion, debate and conversation if it involves even the mildest of challenge to their way of thinking. What seems to be happening as a result of this shutting down and refusal to engage in a debate is a rise in harder line opposition, whereas before the two sides would have a somewhat heated and healthy discourse about an issue and come away mindful of each others views and with a solution in sight.

I'm noticing the louder the left shout the harder the, previously moderate, right push back and vice versa. Both sides appear to be getting more vocal and more extreme. I'm seeing this a lot around migration, feminism, the economy and crime. I'm now worried that this continued closure of conversation is going to lead us down a path of extremism - from one or both sides - and lead us to a dramatic and unwelcome rise from the far right.

Are we at a point of no return? Can we ever go back to being moderate and tolerant?

It worries me as well.

I worry about the far right but I don’t agree they will gain traction because of the left. I believe as the UK continues down this path of managed decline, the far right will stoke culture wars as a means of distraction and unfortunately many will fall for it.

I'm as worried about the far left as I am about the far right.

The shy Tory is how I have heard it described.

There are some left leaning posts on social media which are quite impolite, to say the least, about anything and anyone they don't agree with.

If anyone puts an opposing opinion they are bombarded with abuse.

So the result is social media can give the impression that the "everyone" hates the Tories or voted labour. So the last couple of elections came as a massive surprise to a lot of people as the live in a social media bubble where the only opinions they hear are theirs. Anyone else keeps out of it.

It is a shame for those who genuinely want to discuss and put varying points of view. I joined a local political Facebook group which was supposed to be for political discussion, but it was completely disrupted by left wingers, and eventually everyone stopped posting.

I don't know what the answer is.

The vast majority of people are not "far right" by any stretch, but the media seems to label any disagreement with official narratives as being "far right", "conspiracy theorists" etc.

I don't think a lot of people are into some of the things that are being pushed on us right now (eg the demand that we say that some men are women). Those pushing these agendas (assisted by a broadly obedient media) double down and start name calling. Now Ireland is passing a very vague law outlawing anything they deem to be "hate speech".

This is what I worry about. Not all these far right extremists who we are always warned about, but who don't seem to be particularly numerous or threatening.

I'm worried It's these actions from the left which could lead to the right rising. If you pass laws saying one view is now "hateful" it ostracises people. Label people as something they aren't and they will argue back won't they?

I worry more about the woke agenda, shutting down conversations, and political messages being put into cartoons. Disney used to put good messages in their films e.g. be true about yourself (Aladdin) and ohana means family (Lilo & Stitch) but in the last 3-4 years, it's been woke / political messages.

Plus, Nintendo is shitting all over Disney because they kept politics out of the Mario Bros movie. Mario is just a good veg-out family movie.

I'm as worried about the far left as I am about the far right.

As far as i can see, the right are advocating for reduced democractic rights, harsher treatment of immigrants, less money for public services and salaries. The right-wing policy of austery lead to around 100,000 deaths.

What do the far left advocate that could harm society so much? Again as far as i can see, there is no left far in the uk. (I live in scandinavia - honestly labour's policies are center/right leaning). I hear voices shouting about trans rights and cancel culture (as in a good thing) - is that the "far left"? To be honest, that seems as authoritarian as the right to me. And little to do with protecting the vulnerable in society, which is what the left is about.

Far left and far right are more alike than either would like to admit to

OP I think there’s some confirmation bias going on there. Do you really not see the right wing bias in the media?

I think you are using loaded terms - "the right rising".

I'd perhaps observe that, as you take away people's freedoms, people will start fighting back. Many probably are not even especially "right wing". They just don't want draconian laws. I think that is fair enough and not an example of "the right rising". Whatever you try to label it as, I'd say that opposing draconian laws is a good thing.

Anyway, the whole left/right paradigm is a bit simplistic and reductive - and completely beside the point.

I see as much right as I do left. Channel 4 is televisual Grauniad for example

*What do the far left advocate that could harm society so much?

The urge to control debate, shut down 'wrong think' worries me greatly personally. In Ireland they're introducing anti 'hate speech' laws without actually defining what that is. I find that very concerning, along with all the things you mention.

This is the ‘basket of deplorables’ syndrome. You see it all the time. If people object to the lockdowns or immigration across the channel, they instantly branded far right. It’s a way to discredit people’s opinion. All it does it push them away from the mainstream. Then there is all this shock and awe that people vote Brexit.

There is a fingers in ears la la la la la attitude from the left where everyone whom isn’t left wing is instantly far right and is an extremist. It simply does not tally with the reality. 17 million voted for Brexit, 13 million voted conservative at the last GE, the daily mail has the largest online readership in the country. Are the all far right?

I find rounding up protesters as Charles & entourage might be upset also to be draconian. Yet this is done by the current right wing government.

Tbh I am centre left (although I am pro women so that is not left currently and often described as "far right" - however "right wing" appears to have become a slur and seems to be also mixed up as "far right" -.People don't seem to have to say much to suddenly be slandered as "far right"

Anyway, the whole left/right paradigm is a bit simplistic and reductive - and completely beside the point.

I agree. The desire to control and curb freedoms is coming from both sides in various ways. All very worrying.

But it starts as polite disagreement. Then they are shut down, their voices ignored, laws passed policing their views and speech. People argue back. Ignored again. People get argumentative. Ignored again. Someone presents a radical idea, people latch onto it and run with it...

It doesn't take much and needs addressing before it becomes a problem. Authoritarian thinking is dangerous. We just happen to be in an era of authoritative left thinking

The Tories are not right wing. Americans would consider them further left then their Democrat party

Exactly but on here there are people more worried about the ‘woke agenda’ whatever that is. I feel myself becoming poorer with less rights but the left haven’t been in power for some time now.

The Tories are of course right wing. Don’t be daft.

If you watch Who Dares Wins from the early 80s you will see a pretty accurate portrayal of how the upper echelons of society manipulate extreme politics for their own ends.

Globally? They aren't. They're centrist/right of centre.

@Endlesssummer2022 all this hand wringing for what might happen when things are actually happening under our noses and they are ignored. Yes, I refer to the curtailing of the right to protest.