By Tom KandoThere is a race in the Western world today as to who can move to the political right farther and faster. I find it amusing that America can no longer be blamed for being exceptionally right-wing, conservative, racist, capitalist, etc. In other words: All those things which intellectuals and Europeans have so long enjoyed accusing us of.
I returned from Europe a week ago, and I can report that they are (also) moving to the right, big time! Here, we have the Tea Party, and a major right-wing electoral victory coming up. In Europe it’s the same, if not worse:
1. In the UK, of course, the Conservatives won the May election and Prime Minister David Cameron has taken over the government from Gordon Brown and the Labor Party.
2. In the Netherlands, the Balkenende government has fallen, and it is being replaced by a Center-Right coalition cabinet. The Socialists are now in the opposition, while the Christian Democrats and the Business Party rule, with the support of Geert Wilders’ “Freedom” Party. This party is the new kid on the block, a controversial but increasingly popular “anti-Islam” party.
3. In Sweden, the Center-Right Alliance has just won the election, while the far right also gained strength. There, too, immigration played a major role in pushing the electorate to the right. This is quite unprecedented, in a country which has always epitomized the extremely tolerant and liberal European social democracies which American conservatives demonize.
4. In France, President Sarkozy recently began evicting thousands of gypsies, a move which has gained him popularity in his country.
5. Italian authorities are also evicting some gypsies.
6. In Hungary, the right-center Fidesz party has just scored a major electoral victory, and the far-right neo-Nazis are now also in parliament.
These are just some of the examples which I have recently come across. But there is a silver lining to this: European intellectuals and liberals (of which there are plenty left, fortunately) can no longer wag their finger at evil, capitalist, racist, reactionary America. That would be the pot calling the kettle...leave comment here
6 comments:
Ik heb je stukje over "Rechts" gelezen en maak mij zorgen over de onverschilligheid waarmee sommige mensen dit accepteren
(I read your piece about the "Right" and I am concerned about the indifference with which some people accept this).
There's an excellent article in this month's Smithsonian Mag about the number of people in
Russia who venerate the czar, Nicholas II, and want to return to a monarchy.
Tom:
The interesting thing about Britain is they have been there before. Namely, they suffered through rationing long after WWII ended. And, it is the conservatives who are pushing not only austerity measures but higher taxes; a bit different than here.
Dear tom,
for a change I have to agree with you. The situation as you described it is just as it is.
I think economic uncertainty leads to fear and this fear leads to the seeking of a scapegoat. As Ban Ki-moon last week said referring to european politicians: "Europe's darkest chapters have been written in language such as this. Today the primary targets are immigrants of the Muslim faith". That is something very taboo to say at this moment in Holland in public.
My feeling is that if economics improve it will pass by, but if economics get worse we are in for some big tension.
Groet, johnny
The move to the right in Europe is a logical one: 30 years ago, the governments began to import turks, later followed by north africans. They said these people will leave after a few years, but they never did. Even worse, these peolpe began to bring their families to Europe, and then this started to spread and spread, until there was no stopping to this. Today, hundreds of thousends of muslims come to the Netherlands alone each year and there's still not stopping to this. 1 out of 10 dutch people is now muslim. The Dutch have had it with these people, big time and this is why they embraced the anti-muslim freedom party.
Thanks for your latest comment, anonymous.
I understand your point. Major demographic shifts can be problematic. Then again, successful assimilation is also possible, as the history of the United States shows...
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