Should we be worried about right-wing populism?

About racism, yes, but I'm not sure all those who are called right wing fascists are completely opposed to immigration. I think they (some or even many of them) are concerned about the current rate of immigration. The article I posted at the beginning of the Trump thread attempts to look at the reasons why there has been this upsurge of the right-wing. People seem to think that their valid concerns are just being used to call them racist when really they aren't (I know some are but I don't believe it's the majority who are viting for these right-wing politicians).

They all have one thing in common though. They have a tendency to scapegoat certain groups in order to explain the apparent ills of society.

This often takes the form of anti-immigration with its racist undertones.

I'm afraid to say that there were plenty of warnings of this happening when Angela Mercal said to migrants welcome to Europe. Nobody asked their people what they thought. And now Austria have told them what they think.

The most left-wing of left-wingers scapegoat certain groups too. It's a characteristic of the intolerance that makes far righters and far lefters veer away from moderateness. The opposite ends of the political spectrum have a lot in common with each other, the main things being intolerance and a liking for totalitariansim.

As I said on the other thread, politicians and left wingers find all sorts of ways and words to dismiss what many people think.

But things like Europe and mass immigration matter to ordinary people, and they vote at the ballot box.

The more that politicians and left wingers dont take notice, the more that ordinary people stand up for themselves.

It is happening in America too. See the rise of Donald Trump.

It comes down to numbers. The last area I moved from was always multicultural.
Never any problems, in fact everyone loved the area because of the diversity of the area, it was a happy balance. In fact the only racial problems we had was in our local pub when the South Africans and the zimbarbwians were together because they didn't like each other.
Now that has completely changed. And it's down to the shear number of immigrants.

I am very surprised at the rise of it all. I suppose in theses days of social media, things happen a lot faster.

Do right-wing like the state thatbags? I thought that they didnt?

Being concerned and expressing concern over the rate of immigration is not the same as racism. While ever people talk as if it were the same, people will continue to become disenchanted and angry that their concerns are not being listened to, and they will exercise their democratic rights accordingly.

Obieone.I can't believe you are surprised, the writing has been on the wall for a long time. You don't need social media to tell you what's happening in your own back yard. The general populace have been telling the powers that be"we don't like what's happening IN our country" but are they listening, no.

I left out the vital words of I am very surprised "at the speed of the rise" of it all.

that should have come out in dark print. doh. I dont have enough time to post properly. Back later.

that doh is at myself by the way!

I am not sure that those voting to keep the so called immigrants out understand what comes with these parties. They come with baggage attached.

They all tend to be authoritarian and socially conservative, which simply doesn't reflect the dominant culture experienced by the west certainly since the last two centuries.

Their political ideology stands in direct contrast to the libertarian politics we are used to.

That should read "over the last two centuries"

I am concerned at the apparent rise of the far right, just as I would be by a rise of the far left. Unfortunately politicians, of all the major parties, appear to be ignoring the concerns of the people which leaves a gap for those of extreme views on either end of the political spectrum.

I'm not sure that 'libertarian' is the correct word. UKIP's Douglas Carswell is a libertarian and has published books and pamphlets about his vision for the future.

He is in favour of a free market with little on no state intervention. This includes free movement of labour to serve capitalism. As far as he is concerned, business owners should be able to 'buy' labour at the cheapest cost, which includes immigrants. He looks to Singapore as his model, where over 30% of the workforce is comprised of immigrants.

The above is the main reason that there is conflict between Farage and Carswell.

I also think that there are many facets to being 'right wing'. For example, right wingers can be authoritarian, but not necessarily, and left wing governments can also be authoritarian. What we're seeing in Europe is definitely fuelled by immigration and, unfortunately, this is giving racists a form of cover.

For libertarian read liberal.I am using it in the sense of the nineteenth century idea, which talks of individual freedom. I am not necessarily saying I entirely believe it, but it is the model largely used by the west in its philosophy.

Fair enough! I agree that 'liberal' suits the argument better. I'm not even sure that fits absolutely.

The biggest rise in racism and anti-semiticism is in Eastern Europe. Even within Germany, there's a split between the former West and East Germany.

The Freedom Party in Austria has always been a home for former Nazis. It is a nationalistic party with anti-Islamisation as one of its policies. Many of its supporters have a Serbian background, so its rise isn't directly related to the current wave of asylum-seekers. Unlike Nazis, they are against state 'interference'. The Front National in France is very similar.

All of these movements are fiercely nationalist, which is something the UK has never really experienced to the same extent, although the EU debate is fuelling it.

We should be worried about the type of lowest-common-denominator populism, often described as nationalism, whether or not it is overtly right wing.

Nationalism is a corruption of patriotism. Totalitarian politicians of all hues will gain support by encouraging a sense of grudge and grievance and blaming others, thus dividing people into "them" and "us"

Ultimately their aim is to control the population, not to serve them.

Good post, varian. I guess that's what I was trying to say.

Grudge, grievance and blame are certainly common to all populist parties. It's not surprising that there's a rise, because the world is definitely unstable. In Europe, we're seeing a breakdown (forgetting?) of the horrors of world wars and their causes.

Yes varian that is exactly right, except that we are not seeing any extreme left forms of this populism emerging, it seems to be all parties of the right.

Yes and I agree with you daphne when you say that the EU debate is fuelling nationalism in the UK. Not good.

Agreed, whitewave. Apart from a few very small pockets, the reaction to the world crisis isn't causing left-wing populism, which is what happened at the beginning of the twentieth century. Even Communism wasn't started as a populist movement, but by middle class intellectuals, as was the French Revolution.

I find it ironic when some right-wingers go on about defending the country their fathers and grandfathers fought and died for. WW2 was fought against the very ideas that some of them support.

It is ironic - or perhaps not- that the Mail who supported Moseley and all things fascist before the war, is now one of the leading anti- immigration exponents.

I do not trust such publications agenda.