Should we be worried about right-wing populism?

"range of sources". Spot on. Prejudices are prejudices whatever they're about or caused by and we all have them. Encouraging open-mindedness is never a bad idea. And, as my dad used to say: Question everything.

opendemocracy.net/westminster/andrea-mammone/european-democracies-and-far-right

Does calling far right parties populist legitimise them?

Back in the day, when I was at school in the Sixth Form, we had to do General Studies. Part of the course was to analyse how different newspapers covered the same story and to be aware of bias. In those days (1971-1973) the newspapers were far less 'sensational' than they are now and journalists did their own work rather than relying on feeds.

I'd love to do a course on the same subject today (maybe keep an eye on FutureLearn offerings), because the birth of the internet and mobile technology has changed the way the public receives its media. Before the internet, groups with an agenda had to rely on physical leaflets, but these days it's so easy to get into everybody's living room across most of the world.

I think everybody should be aware of bias and, of course, it's in every piece of writing - even what I'm writing now. I see so many ideas being 'recycled', often word for word. It's so easy for an effective writer to get a message across. There is loads of research on the vocabulary needed to understand various newpapers (and internet articles) and the kind of techniques used to persuade. I think it should be part of English Language in schools and is much more useful than teaching about subordinating conjunctions.

"Does calling far right parties populist legitimise them?" What legitimises any party? The number of prople who subscribe to it? There are "populist parties" to the far left and to the far right. If they are get enough supporters, they become the government of the day. You can't get much more legitimate than a democratically elected government.

Strangely, there are currently no powerful left-wing populist parties in Northern Europe, although there are in Southern Europe (Podemos in Spain and Syriza in Greece).

I'm somewhat cynical about democracy, because political systems are often not so democratic as people would like to think they are and 'people power' can be manipulated and people can easily lose control. One of the reasons the UK has been so successful is that there has been some sense of a social contract for hundreds of years, even if red lines are sometimes crossed. Postwar Germany has been successful partly because there have been long-term centrist strategies. Coalition governments have worked in Germany and have kept the strategies on track with input from a much wider range of political views than we have in the UK. I don't think that populist parties always have the best solutions, although I think the article is correct in claiming that populist opinion has been ignored.

That was the title of the link, Elegran.

I was answering the question in your post, which had no quotation marks round it.

What do you mean by Right wing? Once a so-called definition is used it is then regareded as understood and then used as a term of opprobrium Racist? I am a culturalist. if people accept my language and culture and do not try to change me in my own country, pay their taxes and abide by our rules here, why on earth should I wish to expel them?
.

'Culturalist' is a new term to me. What does it mean?

If you'd looked at the link, you would have realised it was the title, and the question was answered in the link.

A post needs to make sense in itself, without following a reference to somewhere else. A link is just a reference, as found at the foot of an article, to be followed if someone wants more information than is given.

If you just type a question without indicating that you are not posing it yourself, it is just that - a general question. You got MY answer to YOUR question.

With the minimal addition of inverted commas at each end, or putting it into italics, or putting the title after the link, with [[ ]] at each end of the whole thing, you would have shown that it was a quote from the article. That is not nit-picking, or the grammar police hounding you. It is common usage when quoting from someone else's work to add an acknowledgment.

Thanks for the lesson, Elegran. I'll try and remember next time.
If it wasn't for GN, I would never have thought of learning how to do links, so I am very grateful for any help I can get from here.
I do normally acknowledge my sources. However, I thought it was easy for anyone to find out. Gransnet tells me that links are converted automatically. I'll continue using their advice on that as I really do not need to use brackets to link.
Perhaps you should give practical a lesson, too, as she rarely admits to her sources.

This would have put up your reference with the title as the link, dj (but with double square brackets [[ and ]] - I have used single ones as that doesn't do it, but shows up as what I typed. You do have to remember to put one space between link and title.
[opendemocracy.net/westminster/andrea-mammone/european-democracies-and-far-right Does calling far right parties populist legitimise them?]

It comes out like this:-
Does calling far right parties populist legitimise them?
There - another link to the article.

practical hasn't so far told me off for replying to a general question instead of following one of her links, so I haven't needed to explain to her why.

Widgeon3

I think that is a post that would be perfectly acceptable on any forum in any country so I rather like your post.

'Je Suis Culturalist'

No doubt we will now be called racist/xenophobics by the same old same olds but I think that is a sentiment widely shared throughout the nations of the free thinking world. It doesn't require a definition for me.

Not my problem, Elegran, it's yours.
You still would not have looked at the link whatever I had done, would you?
Have you looked at it?

I do not have to remember anything. All I have to do is right click on the link then copy and paste it into the box. No need to bother about anything else. No time wasted.

I have been on GN for just a few weeks.
I have noticed a handful of people who seem to delight in posting acerbic remarks in answer to others,presumably to maintain what they perceive to be the upper hand.
The political threads appear to be the worst.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/17/mainstream-politicians-clueless-on-how-to-deal-with-migration-debate-says-jo-coxs-husband

I did not want to put this on the Jo Cox thread. But it needs to be read.

Granny2016
No they don't have the upper hand if you just ignore them

Yes dj I think he is right. It is exactly the same narrative being used as in Nazi Germany, but wrapped in different packaging. It never went away but found the climate too difficult until time and people's memories have allowed this narrative to find a foothold.
Finding a way to deal with these fascist narratives - because that is what they are -will be difficult - it will take strong leadership and an alternative strong message.

If anyone wants to understand what I mean by a fascist narrative I can give several examples which have grown exponentially over the proceeding months.

Look at the poster launched by the leave campaign the morning or day before the killing of someone killed because she was diametrically opposed to that sort of filth.
That is what fascist propaganda looks like. Be under no illusion. There are miriad Nazi posters pre war with which you could switch the visual image and not notice.

This is what hate is about. This is what we must fight.

I think frankly that whatever political persuasion you are you should find it easy to resist and fight the sort of nationalistic narrative that is being pushed by some.

Without us all coming together this narrative will thrive by default and we will only have ourselves to blame if it is allowed to do so without challenge. So if you are Labour, Lib, or Conservative. In or out. Speak up against the division these narratives will cause. Britain, we like to think is a liberal minded country , known by the rest of the world for its open mindedness. To lose this would be an absolute tragedy.

I always have a problem with the word liberal. To me it tends to mean "anything goes". Which is opposite to what I think you mean? Or is it?

I am now going to say something which I think you will not like.

If there is a Brexit win, I think hate stuff will calm down.

That is not at all to say I think that people should vote that for that reason, I am saying it as a statement.

With Brexit, uncontolled immigration becomes top of the political agenda. If people see that the Government is taking the issue seriously, they might calm down a bit.

It doesn't mean 'anything goes' nor is it the opposite.