The crisis in the banking system is having dire consequences in Eastern Europe, basically we could see the whole of the old Eastern block fall. Can Western Europe work collectively to stabilise this situation? It is looking more an more doubtful as Western European countries are teetering on the brink themselves. This is being widely reported with quite a deal of hyperbole across the MSM. This is one third of the worlds economy balanced on the brink.
All major economic upheavals bring about a certain risk within Europe that another menace will arise, and this is the objective of this diary.
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
We are in a depression of global proportions not some mere dip of a recession, governments are becoming isolationist both economically and nationally. That is to say they want to reduce imports and foreign workers, this is a populist message and has always been the preferred stamping ground of the extreme right. It is a wonderful way of hiding racism behind the banner of nationalism, since it conceals all the really nasty sentiments that drive this policy. Those on the right can drape themselves in the appropriate flag and pretend to be helping, the unions fall into the trap by supporting home-grown workers rather than defending the work itself. In this modern world you cannot defend jobs based on nationality but on the economy as a whole, protect all jobs and you protect those of your compatriots. Try to fight selectively based on nationality will only feed the ugly base instinct of nationalism/racism.
Germany was in the great depression with hyperinflation when it turned to the doctrine of National Socialism [Nationalsozialismus], it was a very useful word much better than Mussolini's use of 'Fascism' which was too abstract at the time. It gave the impression of one being for the the good of the country [national]and for the benefit of the people as a whole [social]. The whole idea of this Nazi movement was to appear to span both left-wing [socialist] and right-wing [totalitarian] philosophy.
The main objective was to find a scapegoat for all the countries ills [Jews, Gays, Mentally and or physically handicapped, gypsies, etcetera], then to generate a sense of false national identity by which any means of purification could be justified. [It must be remembered that immigrant populations were smaller in those times than they are today.] This populism was then fused with the Corporations and the rearmament began, women were reduced to being idealised breeders and the men worked for the military industrial complex.
Back to today:
Popular themes
Illegal immigrants can be safely blamed for many ills, and calls for deportation on the surface justifiable.
Immigration should be strictly enforced and the numbers reduced.
Employment should be for our own nationals.
Overblown budgets for the military are good for our defence and we can justify the occupation of foreign countries as being in our national interest. Anyway after all we represent what is good.
The bank bailout was absolutely necessary and should not be questioned.
Bringing corporations under the States security blanket but without nationalising them is a good idea.
The pattern seems frighteningly familiar.
We even have a global enemy that is threatening our very existence.
Islam and its multitude of terrorists.
I would say we have the perfect storm.
In the news.
Putin's worst nightmare
Their mission is to cleanse Russia of its ethnic "occupiers", with an anti-immigrant stance supported by half the population. And since 2004 their most extreme members have murdered more than 350 people. Luke Harding reports on the rise of the Russian far-right
http://www.guardian.co.uk/...
Israeli Elections and the Rise of the Right
By Phyllis Bennis, Foreign Policy in Focus. Posted February 12, 2009.
The great victor in the election is neither Netanyahu nor Livni but, rather, Avigdor Lieberman. His racist, indeed fascist, Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Is Our Home) Party took third place, leaving the traditionally powerful Labor Party of the once-and-wannabe-future Prime Minister Ehud Barak struggling for fourth.
http://www.alternet.org/...
The Rise of the Right: Europe's Scary Solution to Immigration
By Handan T. Satiroglu, The Women's International Perspective. Posted January 29, 2009.
Such is the dynamic in today's European race relations. A December Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project reports anti-immigrant, and especially anti-Muslim sentiments, to be growing steadily across the continent. Noting that the increase in Muslim prejudice has occurred over a period of decades, the report claims that nearly 52 percent of Spaniards expressed a negative opinion of Muslims -- a view echoed by 50 percent of Germans, 46 percent of Poles, and 38 percent of French people. According to an April Georgetown University report, 67 percent of Dutch, and 80 percent of Danes agree with the statement, "the growing interaction between the Muslim world and the West is a menace to freedom."
http://www.alternet.org/...
Is the BNP becoming Cumbria's cup of tea?
The far-right party is on its best behaviour in the North-west – and may win its first seat in the European Parliament. But scratch the surface, says Paul Vallely, and the familiar anti-immigrant message shines through.
"I've always voted Labour," says Winifred Elliott, 80, opening the door of her terraced house on Wigton Road, "but look at the state of the country. Immigration is the main thing and Labour have made that worse. I'll definitely vote for you."
"We're too small a country to take this number of immigrants," says Thomas Brecken, 85, "and as for the EU we definitely want to be out of it."
http://www.independent.co.uk/...
On and on it goes, populist to the core.
These messages are on 24/7 via your friendly MSM and many of them being taken up as reasoned thinking.
Now add to this mix religion and we really do have a bomb waiting to explode and detonate WWIII. [The cold war was still WWII]
My message:
Be very careful before embracing popular theories and especially those selling them.
We have moved steadily away from the freedoms detailed in our constitution via
The Patriot Act.
The Military Commissions Act.
Protect America Act of 2007.
NSPD # 51 HSPD # 20
ecetera.
All done under the banner of internal and external threats.
We have seen the Republican Party banging the drum and moving further away from its roots with every passing week, they are the party of monolithic thought and obedience any who disagree will be marginalised. I know this has been going on for decades, however we are seeing them drop all pretence of being reasonable.
The screeching of their talking heads and the pandering of the MSM to fill those dull TV hours has desensitised us to the degree of their move to the extreme right wing philosophy. Any criticism of their views is met with scorn and hatred, this is highlighted by their need for party before country and the hope that we fail. They pray everyday that they are there to pick up the pieces and install their permanent Republican majority. I always thought that phrase was a dead giveaway.
So beware of populism and take care.
Update:
Definitions
Populism
Populism is a discourse which supports "the people" versus "the elites." Populism may involve either a philosophy urging social and political system changes and/or a rhetorical style deployed by members of political or social movements competing for advantage within the existing party system.
Popularism
.
popularism - music adapted to the understanding and taste of the majority
music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
There is a difference.
Update 2:
I am not writing about Obama, I am writing about populist movements that could be hijacked, a warning nothing more.
example
The Buchanan campaign incorporates themes of right Wing Populism, Scapegoating, Reactionary Politics and Fascism
By Chip Berlet. 24 February, 1996
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/...