Why is everything so fucked?
Years and years of exploiting the people while giving them scapegoats for it?
Oh shit yeah.
Maybe, just maybe, the west's political classes will realize--before its too late--that neoliberalism and funnelling the wealth of the many up to the few wasn't such a great idea?
Ah, whom I kidding, if its a choice between democracy and less money, or fascism and more money, neoliberalism will send democracy packing.
Looking at Germanys history, and the current behaviour of the "conservative" and "liberal" parties:
Naah, they will happily delude themselves into being able to control the fascists and help them into power, believing it would mean more power for them too.
As long as the political class and the wealthy few have such a large overlap, it's a great idea for them.
At the moment, I'm ashamed, sad, and gloomy about the future. Its a proven fact that Putin is in control of this party. Which is why this party wants to stop sending f16's to Ukraine.
This is bad. Very very bad.
The lawmaker, who has previously been labelled a Dutch version of Donald Trump, will have to form a coalition government before he can take the reins of power.
And here we see evidence of why proportional voting systems provide a defence against populists and authoritarians by moderating extremes. Wilders is softening his xenophobic rhetoric in order to facilitate compromise. If the UK had PR, Brexit would never have happened.
I mean, I do agree PR is better than FPTP, just for different reasons. Brexit is bad sure, but I'm not sure I'd want UKIP to have >12% of seats in parliament either.
I'm a salty remainer who detests Farage but there's something deeply undemocratic when a party can get 10-15% of the vote and achieve no elected parliamentary representation, while the Tories get an unassailable majority with 34% of the vote
I'll put up with some Farage-ist mouth breathers in westminster if we actually got some democracy in return
Exactly.
See my original comment: "I do agree PR is better than FPTP".
It's good because it's democratic, not because it particularly favours or dis-favours fascism.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
An exit poll for Wednesday's Dutch election says that far-right, anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders has won the most votes.
The elections will be watched closely across Europe, with the Netherlands playing a leading role on a number of issues, such as the Eurozone bailout and the Ukraine war.
Wilders, who leads the PVV, or Party for Freedom, has recently tried to smooth out his image by qualifying some of his most controversial positions.
Immigration, the cost of living and the housing crisis - which particularly affects young Dutch voters - have been the main issues in the campaign.
After the long leadership of Rutte - nicknamed "Teflon" Mark for his ability to overcome scandals - the Dutch are looking for a change in the way of governing, according to experts.
Rutte shocked the country in July by announcing his government had collapsed after "insurmountable" differences on immigration.
The original article contains 326 words, the summary contains 147 words. Saved 55%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
I know this won't be a popular thing, but I'm gonna say it anyway. Leftist parties should talk a bit more about the same stuff that the right-wingers do. Would rather have a left-wing party bait people into voting for them with immigration rhetoric, instead of the fash.
I understand what you're saying and I think this is what happened in Denmark, but I disagree.
We just can't normalize xenophobia. My partner and I are of different nationalities and races and we've both been immigrants. Our future kids will be mixed race and might seem foreign regardless of where they live.
I don't want to live in a society in which we normalize hatred for immigrants. I want everyone to feel welcome, I want everyone to feel like they belong.
Of course with left-leaning parties this small many foreigners already feel unwelcome, but if even left-leaning parties start with this hateful rhetoric... I would lose all hope and probably just leave. I wouldn't feel safe to live here with my family.
Seriously, how come far right parties around the world are allowed to be as inflammatory as they can , but left wing parties need to be very careful about what they say or everyone starts screaming about communism and they get reprimanded?
It's because most of our media and society has embraced capitalism and is motivated by profit, so any rhetoric that endangers bigger profit margins and economic transformation towards a more equal society is inherently against the interests and ideas of the influential actors of society
capitalism and fascism are natural allies, so the capitalist class happily embraces fascism if they believe it to be opportune.
I guess it's like a morality/ civility thing for them, but at the end of the day, you can wipe your ass with morality when the fascists are winning.
No. you need to stay civil. If you go down to the level of the fascists they win. Their goal is to destroy democracy and democratic processes.
Thy have an advantage atthe game of politics,because they want to destroy the rules,so they dont need to uphold them.
This does not mean to be toothless. It needs clear positions and a strong fight,but not using their methods of unsermining the structure.
Leftist parties should talk a bit more about the same stuff that the right-wingers do. Would rather have a left-wing party bait people into voting for them with immigration rhetoric, instead of the fash.
What is then going to happen is that leftist values-voters will abandon those parties, so the parties deflate and still can't govern. And if the new voters who were "baited" stay for a second electoral cycle, they then take control of the party and turn it into what we didn't want to exist in the first place.
You win voters by convincing them that you have the best answers to their problems and the expertise to implement them.
Every time they tried this only strengthened the actual right wing. People then say "oh, if even the left says it, it must be ok. But then I might as well vote for the original". That's not an opinion, it's empirical fact.
taking the positions of the fascists only helps them. It normalizes their vile and hate and people will always vote the original. This has failed time and time again.
SP did that, and look where that got them.
That's just stupid.
The PVV (likely the biggest party in todays elections) is actually VERY economically left. They are only right, because they are very conservative. They hate EU regulations, want to stop support to Ukraine, and want to stop most immigration. But they also want to reduce taxes on groceries, reduce healthcare privatisation, and increase minimum wage.
The problem with all those plans, is that they are just bulletpoints. They never made a sound financial plan. Now they will have to prove that they can actually deliver all these promises, while being forced to cooperate with parties that refuse to break the constitution. I do not believe they can.
They are economically left in there statements and manifest. But on economics and social issues they most of the time vote pretty right wing.
Yeah I'm not too worried. It will take practically forever to form a coalition but with the PVV as a major player it will be virtually impossible.
Omtzigt just said, that he respects the voters and might jump over his shadow...
Yesilgöz said she thinks a majority with the PVV leading is not possible. Without her, PVV won't be governing.
Since when can the VVD be trusted??
Fair point.
That was a way to walk back on her former statement that she wouldn't join a Wilders government. It meant that she didn't think he'd convince other parties to join his coalition.
Which mostly depends on NSC. We'll see what they do, but I can imagine negotiations stranding and Timmermans getting a shot.
A coalition without the PVV would be kind of ideal for Wilders. He can keep bitching about how undemocratic the other parties are (obviously it's not undemocratic but his voters won't understand that) and won't have to come up with any ideas. He can remain anti-everything and wait until the fragile coalition will inevitably fall, after which he'll win 50 seats in parliament.
As much as I would hate to see Wilders as prime minister, I would perhaps worry more about the next elections if he can remain in the opposition.
Those 15 additional seats would have to come from voters who did not vote for him, getting angry about him not governing. If they wanted him in the government, why didn't they vote for him?
And this is especially true in the case of NSC, who've said multiple times beforehand that they'd rather not govern with PVV. If you voted for them, you can't (and probably wouldn't) really be mad at them for doing what they said they'd do.
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