The West was moving to the right — and then Donald Trump got elected again

Something is happening among America’s allies, and it’s a tremendous relief. For some years now, we’ve seen the MAGA-infused global right gaining a foothold amongst western democracies, largely driven by the same demagogic, nationalist, pseudo-populism that has fueled Donald Trump’s dominance on the American right.

Some countries like Hungary have served as a sort of experiment for the kind of post-democratic autocracies dreamt of by the modern right wing in which government co-opts, intimidates and de-legitimizes the political opposition to create an authoritarianism that dominates the culture and the politics without a lot of overt violence.

But the rise of the far right among the Western allies seems to be stalling out.

    • mriswith@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      At this point, if a news outlet or politician refuse to call it what it is, I assume they actually approve.

      So far it’s most of them across the world.

    • Smoogs@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      Be nice to the people threatening to annex and bomb an ally… ? you be nice first.

  • MTK@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    Ironically the crazy economic shitstorm that Trump made might just be the wakeup call the world needed. Hopefully he doesn’t get to reach the whole mass murder stage of his plans.

    • Katana314@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      What might be scary is if America’s Auschwitz moment is revealed to be completely independent of administration. We’ve already heard many stories about ICE during each presidency, just that many details were hidden or unconfirmed.

      It was the same way at the end of WW2. Even many Germans were aghast at what they’d been doing at the camps.

      • MTK@lemmy.world
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        8 days ago

        Isn’t that a bit problematic to say, though, in essence, you’re implying that Trump isn’t responsible for everything that’s going on, which is a ridiculous claim, because assuming that there is all of this going on, but it was hidden up until now and Trump is only revealing it is not just a conspiracy theory, but a very, very dangerous one.

        Just to be clear, I am not praising other administrations. There has been a big problem in USA administrations for a long time. But I wouldn’t dare compare any recent administration to Trump’s latest and even his last administration.

        • Katana314@lemmy.world
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          8 days ago

          I mean, you have to go where the evidence takes you, even if you don’t like the results. The best thing you could perhaps say about Biden or Obama, was simply that any of their direct participation in border patrol activities followed rule of law.

          Generally, CBP/ICE has stayed above much direct scrutiny or supervision, and if an individual doesn’t have reporters, lawyers, or family asking after them (sometimes even then) a lot can be hidden even from administration.

          It’s very likely Trump did not do much to “push” ICE’s behavior, he just enabled them, and they reward him by threatening his direct opponents.

  • Optional@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    Salon, huffpo, msnbc ffs. These are the hopium sites favored by the beaten left, because actual corporate journalism collapsed under it’s own ignorance and greed a long time ago.

    The NYT will trot out a hopium piece every once in awhile like rainbow-flagging-the-logo for Pride month, but it’s all clickbait.

    Who are you going to vote for in the midterms? The left needs to get its shit together. Propaganda, corruption, and blatant lies are kicking our ass.

  • RizzoTheSmall@lemm.ee
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    9 days ago

    I can’t speak for all of us, but I don’t think “the world” at large ever supported “Trumpism” and we largely have always thought him to be a gigantic tit and those who voted him into office TWICE to be idiotic or miseducated.

  • Bosht@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    Great news for ‘the rest of the world’ but I’d prefer not to deal with this shit here for 4 years as well god dammit.

  • cosmicrookie@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    I wouldn’t give Trump the credit for this. Yeah he is a great example of how bad it can get but the move to the left has been long on its way and picking up speednfornsome time! Trump may have boosted a snowball that was already rolling

    • entwine413@lemm.ee
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      9 days ago

      Except it’s really not a move to the left, it’s just a slight slowing down of the move to the right. Fascism is currently gaining footholds in much of the western world.

      So, while the handful of left victories are great, it’s super dangerous to frame them as a reversal of fascism.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    You have to wonder what infects the minds of people such that they fall for this in other countries.

    I have a good idea what does it here.

    • shawn1122@lemm.ee
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      8 days ago

      To put it simply, the prosperity of Europeans and their descendants was paid for through the bloodshed of colonial exploitation. This created an inherently inequal world order.

      The world has become more equal post WW2 and the descendants of the greatest beneficiaries of that exploitation are now displeased that they don’t hold the same advantages their ancestors did. That’s why we have to go back. That’s why we have to make _____ great again.

      Most PoC can hear these dogwhistles (if you can even call them that) from a mile away.

  • LupusBlackfur@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    But the rise of the far right among the Western allies seems to be stalling out.

    Sorry, wut??

    Can’t imagine what in the screaming goat fuck would lead you to this conclusion other than pure blind idiocy…

    🤷‍♂️ 🤡 🖕

  • Melvin_Ferd@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    I feel it’s more like a fluke than a rule. We all just got lucky. It’s not like any of us are doing anything to prepare for that next election cycle. But I guarantee you that they are.

    I seriously still see mailboxes in my neighborhood with flyers about conservative. They treated the election like they were Punk kids promoting their favorite band around town. They mobilized in ways the left only dream of and they didn’t vaporize when they lost. They will come back more determined