Far right wins in Austria

[KS55]

Centrist/liberal politicians cannot address immigration concerns, because they don't have those concerns, beyond a matter of logistics, and they don't have those concerns because they don't believe in nativism...

Nativism, an ideology, governmental policy, or political stance that prioritizes the interests and well-being of native-born or long-established residents of a given country over those of immigrants, typically by advocating or enacting restrictions on immigration.

And because centrist/liberal politicians don't believe in nativism, fundamentally they don't see immigration as a problem, beyond controlling the flow and resources, housing, skills shortages and whatnot, they see the issue entirely as one of mechanics. That's why the right wing call them globalists, along with all the other right wing stuff, including abandoning the white working class, trashing our history and being generally unpatriotic.

But if a large swathe of the electorate see immigration as a problem, they have to address that or go down in flames in elections. Nobody can haughtily ignore the voters and hope to win.

 

[inbetween]

Centrist/liberal politicians cannot address immigration concerns, because they don't have those concerns, beyond a matter of logistics, and they don't have those concerns because they don't believe in nativism...

Nativism, an ideology, governmental policy, or political stance that prioritizes the interests and well-being of native-born or long-established residents of a given country over those of immigrants, typically by advocating or enacting restrictions on immigration.

And because centrist/liberal politicians don't believe in nativism, fundamentally they don't see immigration as a problem, beyond controlling the flow and resources, housing, skills shortages and whatnot, they see the issue entirely as one of mechanics. That's why the right wing call them globalists, along with all the other right wing stuff, including abandoning the white working class, trashing our history and being generally unpatriotic.

I think we know full well that the problem isn't with nativism per se.

You only have to look back to Brexit. Farage et al never classified EU migration as a problem except for when it came to the migrants who were entering Europe, we all remember the invasion poster. At no point though did Farage or the right ever equally say I'm absolutely sick and tired of French, Germans and Italians coming to work in the UK.

It's all wholly fuelled by simple racism, racial superiority complexes, xenophobia and massive cultural differences. Obviously being racist in public isn't legal and that's why the leading 'arguments' against immigration are mostly founded in misinformation, examples of which led to the riots a month or so ago.

You only have to go on X to see outright racism and excessive attacks based upon misinformation on minorities which are being dressed up as free speech. When that 'free speech' is threatened, they claim a two tier system.

 

[WesthoughtonJohn]

Seems to be the same across most of Europe now. Far right/ populists parties are winning in a lot countries.

I was in Austria over the summer and I did notice quite a few anti immigrant posters, especially when I was coming away from Vienna.

Immigration rules will be very different in a few years if this carries on.

I'd go so far as to suggest it could well end in the collapse of the EU as an entity.
There are plenty of people pretty upset with immigration and having people foisted on them by a share system.

 

[KS55]

I think we know full well that the problem isn't with nativism per se.

You only have to look back to Brexit. Farage et al never classified EU migration as a problem except for when it came to the migrants who were entering Europe, we all remember the invasion poster. At no point though did Farage or the right ever equally say I'm absolutely sick and tired of French, Germans and Italians coming to work in the UK.

It's all wholly fuelled by simple racism, racial superiority complexes, xenophobia and massive cultural differences. Obviously being racist in public isn't legal and that's why the leading 'arguments' against immigration are mostly founded in misinformation, examples of which led to the riots a month or so ago.

You only have to go on X to see outright racism and excessive attacks based upon misinformation on minorities which are being dressed up as free speech. When that 'free speech' is threatened, they claim a two tier system.

Trump’s supporters are now saying Haitians are cannibals. YCNMIU.

 

[The perfect fumble]

I think we know full well that the problem isn't with nativism per se.

No, we don't know that.

It's all wholly fuelled by simple racism, racial superiority complexes, xenophobia and massive cultural differences.

That's the line that's peddled.

 

[The perfect fumble]

But if a large swathe of the electorate see immigration as a problem, they have to address that or go down in flames in elections. Nobody can haughtily ignore the voters and hope to win.

Of course they can.

We live in a two party state, the only thing that's separated our two main parties on immigration these last sixty odd years has been rhetoric.

Don't take my word for it, the right, both in and out of the Tory party, are accusing Sunak, Cameron et al of being globalists, just like Starmer and Blair.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

It’s even more simplistic than nativism vs racism.

It’s families and society not being able to financially manage and the sight of infrastructure crumbling around them.

It’s then what the most simplistic solution is and immigration is peddled by the populists and it lands with these people.

If immigration stopped altogether tomorrow, we’d be far poorer in 5 years time and the country would be even more decayed.

If funding was pumped into local schemes to make areas look less shit and people started to feel proud in their area again, then a lot of this rhetoric would disappear.

 

[The perfect fumble]

It’s even more simplistic than nativism vs racism.

It’s families and society not being able to financially manage and the sight of infrastructure crumbling around them.

It’s then what the most simplistic solution is and immigration is peddled by the populists and it lands with these people.

If immigration stopped altogether tomorrow, we’d be far poorer in 5 years time and the country would be even more decayed.

If funding was pumped into local schemes to make areas look less shit and people started to feel proud in their area again, then a lot of this rhetoric would disappear.

As I said....

And because centrist/liberal politicians don't believe in nativism, fundamentally they don't see immigration as a problem, beyond controlling the flow and resources, housing, skills shortages and whatnot, they see the issue entirely as one of mechanics.

Mechanics, be clever, throw enough money at it and it ain't a problem.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

As I said....

Mechanics, be clever, throw enough money at it and it ain't a problem.

It’s not even that really. It’s having enough social policy within capitalism. We’re almost at the limit of what costs can be cut, so we’ve hit shrinkflation and wage stagnation. Next is stuff like maternity and sick pay.

All this when we need to reverse this trend.

 

[The perfect fumble]

It’s not even that really. It’s having enough social policy within capitalism. We’re almost at the limit of what costs can be cut, so we’ve hit shrinkflation and wage stagnation. Next is stuff like maternity and sick pay.

All this when we need to reverse this trend.

We do need to reverse this trend, the left has always seen this as a class issue, regardless of the colour of ones skin, the single biggest determinant of ones life chances is the class you're born into.

Ask Corbyn or anyone on the left about race, immigration and so on, they always reply that the right uses this as a wedge issue to divide and rule, to distract the downtrodden masses from what's really going on.

But while their analysis is strong, I'm not convinced by their argument.