Swedish Elections

[bluethrunthru]

My gut feeling is that it’s always being there but stayed latent. The 900,000 refugees taken in by Germany have assimilated and found employment quicker than was anticipated but it’s their very presence that has stirred the racism not their actions. Anti-semitism is the same in my opinion. existeIt has always existed on the left to a degree and a Labour leadership that is ‘seen to be ambivalent on the issue’ encourages it to be tolerated and even grow. Corbyn could, and should, have kneecapped it from the off but he didn’t and here we are.

But not on the right? Moseleys Brown Shirts and National Front for example covering the 30's through to the 80's weren't anti semitic despite being right wing?

 

[domalino]

By way of illustration the chances of death in a terror attack are illustrated here - far far more likely when the IRA were up to their worst - they were not foreigners nor immigrants and this predated the "open borders" policy -an inconvenient truth but a truth nonetheless -

https://www.cato.org/blog/chance-being-murdered-or-injured-terrorist-attack-united-kingdom

Yes the terrorism thing is stupid because if you look at how likely you are to die of terrorism, we've rarely been safer. However, it is true that one of the reasons for that safety is ever increasingly noticeable security measures which, when combined with hysterical fear mongering in the press, does make people feel like terrorism is a bigger threat than ever, despite all the facts saying otherwise.

If you look at this graph, terrorist attack numbers are at the same level they were around 99/00 prior to September 11th when it just wasn't seen as that big a deal. It didn't dominate headlines every week.

But when people see new bollards being put in to stop van attacks, or have to take off their shoes to get on a plane, or throw away water bottles and not bring bags to a football stadium, it makes people feel a lot less safe than they are, and it's really the perception that matters when it comes to people voting for far right groups.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

In 1928 everyone said that the Nazi party had been “found out” as they only got 2.6% of the vote in the German elections. 2 years later they had just under 20% of the vote and 3 years after that nearly 44% of the vote.

It really dropped off a cliff after 1945, though.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

It really dropped off a cliff after 1945, though.

I’m sure that was meant as a humorous remark (at least I think it was) but if you look at the results of the 1949 Federal election, right-wing/nationalist parties got about 13% of the vote, excluding any independents who stood on a similar ticket.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I’m sure that was meant as a humorous remark (at least I think it was) but if you look at the results of the 1949 Federal election, right-wing/nationalist parties got about 13% of the vote, excluding any independents who stood on a similar ticket.

I actually didn’t know that. Interesting.

 

[dave_blue12]

We should always heed the lessons of history and the parallels with 1920's Germany are valid, however there is an added sinister power at work here.

Both Putin and far right American billionaires are openly and actively promoting the far right in Europe in an effort to upset the status quo. People are always afraid/resentful about something and modern methods of amplifying those fears are extremely effective as we have seen both in this country and the USA. Ric is correct in that this is a worrying trend and sadly it is one that I expect to grow. In my opinion we are at the beginning of a period of great instability which is being stoked by powerful forces who seek to pull the current order down.

Trump and Brexit are just the start and the western democracies are ill equipped to fight back.

 

[Scottyboi]

All of those things you mention, bar the depression, came about after Hitler became Chancellor. The question is how did a racist, minority party that had supposedly been “found out” get from 2.6% of the vote to 44% in just 5 years. The answer is political and economic turmoil in the face of weak and ineffectual government. While we’re not at the mercy of the economic turmoil that the Weimar Repiblic had to contend with, other parts of Europe have significant economic issues which have led to migration and high levels of youth unemployment.

And if Brexit becomes harsh on the UK all it takes is one charismatic orator to put the blame on the EU for all our misfortune and some great propaganda and you can start winning votes.

 

[dave_blue12]

And if Brexit becomes harsh on the UK all it takes is one charismatic orator to put the blame on the EU for all our misfortune and some great propaganda and you can start winning votes.

Is correct. I posted same in the Brexit thread months ago.

 

[inchy14]

No it isn’t but him and his supporters who’ve come crawling out of the woodwork have brought it into the open and made it fashionable again.

Unlike his suits.

 

[bluethrunthru]

And if Brexit becomes harsh on the UK all it takes is one charismatic orator to put the blame on the EU for all our misfortune and some great propaganda and you can start winning votes.

Or one charismatic orator to promise to make things better by taking us back into the EU..........it doesn't have to have the one outcome.