What's going on with the far right parties?

[ItsPrettyGoodReally]

Hi,

I wondered if anybody might know what it is that means far right parties are rising in so many countries?

I was really desperate for this general election so we could get rid of the tories and get a labour government. But now suddenly people are talking about the far right in the UK, and in France and Germany, and Trump seems to be doing well in America.

I do kind of understand that maybe it's a reaction against globalisation and a return to the nation state.

However, I also see the massive gap between the ultra rich and the rest of us, and that reminds me of the way things were just before WWII, which is not a good thing.

It all feels a bit 1932 to me, and I would rather that the world was keeping a calm head while dealing with all the challenges.

Does anybody out there have a way to rationalise the situation that seems like there is a safe and calm way out of all this?

I think the key is that we all (across the globe) have to keep respecting democracy, and talking, and voting, and above all keeping our best calmest heads on, but I would be glad to know what others think.

Thanks!

Cricket on a village green. Sitting outside a 200 year old pub (with lovely flower boxes) with a pint of local ale and a bag of crisps. Walking through the leaves on a crisp English autumn morning. Watching the footie / talking about the footie. Sunday roast, afternoon tea (cream first or jam first?) Parliament. Fish and chips on the pier. The crowning of the May Queen. Moaning about the weather. A full English breakfast. Standing in a queue waiting for the (red double decker) bus. Tea - whether from a fancy teapot or a builders cuppa. I could go on an on.

Of course England has it's own culture!

Just to nitpick slightly.
"Indigenous British Culture" of the type that will be "diluted by incomers" doesn't exist.
Football for example. Most South American cultures love it. Does that mean an influx of Brazilians is no risk of "diluting the indigenous culture"?

This is getting boring.

Do you think immigrants are going to stop you enjoying cricket on the village green? Lots of immigrants come from cultures where cricket is huge. I'd have thought you'd see more cricket on the village green, not less!

Also leaves/the weather. Not impacted by immigrants. That would exist if we all vanished tomorrow.

MN for goodness sake please bring in a mute option for individual posters.

So many problems around the world, populations are scared. Right wing, power hungry nutters are doing as they always have. Seizing on those fears and blaming the “other”.

We never learn from history.

I think before you get into the inevitable “but if you scrutinize this closely” argument, the point is more that in toto, people may consider that a culture. Academics may point out the limitations but that is not how people live or feel. If they do not feel some ownership over cultural elements in their life then they will feel disconnected and worse, disenfranchised.

I'm sorry you are bored. I'm trying to make a point. There are valid reasons one might be concerned about immigrants, but usually they boil down to British political decisions around investment, rather than immigrants.
This idea that immigrants are a threat to our culture is based on prejudice and fear, not anything tangible. I wish far right politicians wouldn't play on it and magnify those fears to win votes.

Oh dear.

Are you one of those people that thinks that they don't have an accent, but everybody else does?

Pardon?

Generally speaking the UK always seems to be opposite to America. We had Labour when they had George Bush etc. We had Tories when they had Obama. I don't know why it works like this but I have noticed this pattern. Have Europe, America and the UK ever all been left leaning at the same time? Interested to know.

We have the Internet now which has been a major democratising tool just in terms of democratisation of knowledge.

I didn't say that immigration would stop people enjoying cricket on the village green? What I did say is that England does indeed have it's own culture. The relevance here is that people who feel - rightly or wrongly - that their culture is being eroded or sneered at (or feel unhappy because they are being told that they don't have a culture at all) are more likely to be pushed towards a party like Reform.

The same as in the 1920s we have a lack of hope , people working as hard as they can to go backwards , people's lives getting word not better with no sign of improvement

Then it's easy to give someone things to blame - "them over there " because that taps into sone very basic psychology / instinct that we all have

This time round, far right rhetoric has crept in through the side door of populism.

This is imo important. Whether culture is being eroded is one thing. But people of any country do need a mainstream narrative and something that is theirs. The effort to tear it down and say actually no is very alienating. Cricket is an English invention and popular across the world. But to acknowledge its origins and importance is fine. Why not be proud of that? See also pubs or other examples. The fact that the pub or cricket is popular elsewhere doesn’t mean it can’t be part of a culture.

Not really. It's that the people that are here- overwhelmingly those of us from the wealthiest countries- consume too much. One American will use up far more of the planet's resources than a family of 10 from Chad.

Besides, the global birthrate is sharply decreasing. Global population is forecast to carry on rising for the next couple of decades simply because less people are dying young, then it will level off. A gradually decreasing birthrate is not a bad thing per se, it just has to be managed OK.

I just do not understand the frothing about immigration in this country- well, I do- it's become a handy scapegoat for the extreme right to direct people's hate towards. I agree we need an open discussion about immigration, but most people saying that just seem to want to bash immigrants even further- there already is an open discussion about that, all the bloody time!! We need to accept we have an ageing society in Europe, and that we need more working age immigrants to do the work- yes, and their kids too, given that our birthrate is so low. Either that, or every working age person currently here will have to pay way more to ensure our elderly are properly cared for.

Even looking at housing round here, there is the same inequality. They have built a street of massive houses next to our social housing terrace. They are all 4 or 5 bedrooms on massive plots, cost 700k, and are all occupied by just one retired couple. Most of the newbuilds nowadays are similar. Meanwhile, we have 2 kids to a bedroom (sometimes more) on our terrace. If you were to factor all the empty second homes, buy to leaves and empty bedrooms into the equation, you'd probably have enough to house the whole country comfortably without having to concrete over anything.

Being able to speak good English and communicate with others well. Being polite, reserved, diplomatic, considerate, and tolerant of others.

Plenty of 'natives' are unable to do this despite getting over a decade of free education, plenty of immigrants are.

Someone mentioned football, I don't think we have a problem with immigrants adopting that custom. Bacon and eggs for breakfast is one that should be done away with as is getting drunk and fighting and claiming benefits.

You are changing the goal posts a bit!

It really doesn't. There have always been different cultures in the UK, different classes and localities. That's why there's been a historic north/south divide and an upper/lower class divide.

Some would have found cricket detestable, some would have found football detestable. Some would have spoken the queens english, and some would have spoken cockney and geordie.

Eh? I have an accent (Welsh), why would I think I don't? I don't understand? What has that got to do with my question?

cupcaske123 · Today 13:57
MrsSkylerWhite · Today 13:40

So many problems around the world, populations are scared. Right wing, power hungry nutters are doing as they always have. Seizing on those fears and blaming the “other”.

We never learn from history.
**
This time round, far right rhetoric has crept in through the side door of populism.

Seriously worried about the reaction if Trump doesn’t win in the US.

What do you think is going to happen?

Look what happened last time...

Hi,

Returning to the main thread a bit - I wondered if you could all tell me a bit more about Grimsby? It sounds important. Why are we not hearing these people's voices on the tv?

Thanks!