Am I a far right extremist?

[Isitme245]

I had a conversation with my best friend of 25 years the other day and she called me a far right extremist and how my views are scary, dangerous and 'nazi coded'
I was really shocked as I didn't think any of what I said was bad. I'm not a particularly avid supporter of any political party and very much keep opinions to myself. She's very supportive of labour and anti trump and always has been. Usually when she asks me my opinions I just don't want to get into it but I did the other night and now I feel bad.

Here's the breakdown:

• she sent me an article and told me that Nigel Farage is going to ban abortion eventually if he wins an election. I read the article and pointed out he only suggested lowering the abortion cut off date to 22 weeks (not 24 as it is now). I told her it wasn't the end of the world and it's reasonable if you read his reasons. I also made the point that men shouldn't really be getting involved in abortion law but that what he said wasn't the end of the world.

• she asked me about immigration and I said that it's great but that we should be prioritising skilled immigrants and have stronger immigration laws. She also asked about asylum seekers and hotels and I said that we should have stronger laws about monitoring people and collecting documentation when people arrive.

• she sent me and asked about Elon Musk's Nazi salute and I said I didn't interpret it that way

• I said that immigrants who rape or murder should be deported.

To me this feels really reasonable and not over the top but she really attacked me for it? Now I feel really awkward and uncomfortable talking to her. Is this far right??

You may have mentioned it somewhere else, but the red flag in your belief:

• I said that immigrants who rape or murder should be deported.

We already can deport non-British nationals , so by immigrants what do you mean? People who are legally British nationals but have, say like Shannigum Begum, parents of non-British origin? When does the threat of deportation lift, 3rd generation, 4th ? This is the language of the far right.

The rest of your beliefs are more average Tory/Reform voter, both of which are now parties of the hard right.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan called those who didn’t agree with the London ULEZ expansion a far right extremist and a Nazi supporter. It’s lost all meaning it seems.

Not sure how someone can’t interpret a nazi salute as a nazi salute, he’d be arrested in Germany.

What really annoys me is that we're not allowed to say we're left wing unless we go along with everything that's considered left wing.

I didn't know that about Nigel Farage but yes, it seems sensible for the cut off point to be 22 weeks. Not sure how that makes me right wing...it's a sensible concern for both mother and baby. To be honest, I think a healthy baby aborted at 20 weeks would be quite horrific. I mean, if you're using this logic (ie 24 weeks is more left wing than 22 weeks), an extreme left winger would think that abortion over 30 weeks was ok.

With regards to immigration, I used to think "Well I'm very lucky to have been born here so who am I to tell others they can't live here?". But I'm afraid that's changed and I now think we have to be more sensible. Especially with climate change migration.

What I would also say is that Mumsnet generally claims to be left wing but no-one ever points out how difficult life is now that tax credits have been phased out. No-one except the neurodivergent/chronically fatigued people understand how difficult it is to get PIP. It's constant benefit bashing on here from people who probably claim to be left wing.

I wonder how your friend would describe the conversation? People on the far right rarely recognise, let alone acknowledge that fact. And they frequently diminish the fact by sanitising their views for different audiences.

Also a lot of the things you are in favour of already exist and your opinion lacks specificity. That can be a far right code - pretending that the system is more lax than it is to feed misinformation about immigration or multiculturalism.

If OP is real and not one of the many far right apologism posts that seem to have proliferated on here since Musk took an interest in UK politics, then I rather suspect this sanitised version is likely not the full picture.

But it does a great job of perpetuating a myth that entirely reasonable mainstream opinion is unfairly labelled far right - so actually aren’t those far right folk the real victims here. So well done I guess.

You are obviously entitled to your opinion, but it was a nazi salute.
Anyone who thinks otherwise should go to their local town centre and copy him for all to see.

OPs view on abortion limits isn't entirely out of step with the UK views

49% think it is about right
25% think it should be earlier

https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/47568-where-does-the-british-public-stand-on-abortion-in-2023

Your friend is the extremist.

A friend, a lifelong Labour voter, told me he thought Nigel Farage may have a point on a few issues the other day. I'm not a fan of Labour or NF but we haven't fallen out and I haven't accused him of being an extremist because I'm a normal, rational adult.

Ignore your friend, there is a weird group of people who describe themselves as left wing but who have basically lost their minds. We don't need to encourage them by taking them seriously. Once they have proved themselves incapable of rationality you should stop trying to have rational conversations with them.

Exactly this.

What I would also say is that Mumsnet generally claims to be left wing but no-one ever points out how difficult life is now that tax credits have been phased out. No-one except the neurodivergent/chronically fatigued people understand how difficult it is to get PIP. It's constant benefit bashing on here from people who probably claim to be left wing

I've been surprised by how much enthusiasm there has been from 'the left' on policy decisions that are decidedly not very left at all. In fact, people seem to think that their position as left is cemented only by slinging mud at the right. You'd like to think that will change when we see the cuts to welfare in the spring budget but I doubt it.

52% Of people think immigration should be reduced.

The OP is hardly extremist in her views.

https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/uk-public-opinion-toward-immigration-overall-attitudes-and-level-of-concern/

The litmus test, is if it were John Smith, a council bin man from Leeds doing the same gesture…how would it be interpreted?

I think there is a bit of no rules for one of the richest men in the world and rules for the rest of us,

I think you are a lefty :)

Yes, you are.

I'd say you were on the right but not extreme.

I wouldn't be accepting that Musk bullshit, though.

Yes, it would be a better use of their time to read up on the issues raised so they can feel confident about discussing it with others.

@Isitme245 Yes, it is you. Elon Musk absolutely meant it. Don't be an enabler. When they show you who they are, believe them.

You’re fine, OP. Your friend sounds batshit. Musk supports Israel. It wasn’t a Nazi salute. He was throwing his heart into the crowd, metaphorically speaking. However, woke leftists somehow think supporting Israel makes you a Nazi now. Everything is ass about face.

^This. Labour are now Tory-lite. They are not on the left any more. They are just right of centre on the political spectrum.

Yes. Women and girls are 14 times more likely to be sexually assaulted in mixed-sex toilets and changing rooms than they are in single-sex facilities.

Those who have been arguing for males identifying as women to be able to use women’s safe spaces have been pushing for a situation where many, many more women and girls will be sexually assaulted than if facilities were kept as single sex

So the EO will make women and girls much safer.

“British people make clear distinctions between types of migrant, with the highly skilled preferred to unskilled overall, and the majority in favour of making immigration easier for health care workers.”

This a critical point.

If it looks like a Nazi and quacks like a Nazi, it's a Nazi!

I haven't posted a link.

I think you've confused me with someone else. Now will you engage with my actual post?

Really? 2008 was Obama v John McCain.

At that time, John McCain was keen on Roe v Wade going back to the Supreme Court. On immigration, he initially started out accepting immigration but then changed his stance during the campaign.

Not so different from today?

I honestly don't get into debates about definitions of right or left etc. In truth i get mixed up as these words get thrown around a lot with different meanings. However anyone who calls someone names like OPs friend is BU, name calling is a default method some narrow minded people use to shut down debate or belittle anyone who doesn't agree with them 100%. I would be very upset with this friend.