latent aaaack
7th September 2008, 10:18 AM
There is a global convergence of governments across the world strongly and sharply towards the right, often accompanied by faint but increasing shades of radicalism. Look at these following examples from different countries below - including countries few commonly associate with right wing politics at all. This is something I've been noticing over the past few years and the recent UK election topped it all off and made me want to start a long thread detailing all the countries which have moved more right than historically normal.
I don't believe any one reason could account for this. So what's happening? Individual governments swing back and forth often between various ideologies but for so many countries to swing in the same direction in the same 10 year period? Is this a permanent reaction to new permanent features of western societies? If this, on the other hand, represents an emerging re-occuring pattern where countries trend left for fifty years and then swing right, how long might this trend last? Or is it all a coincidence that they're in synchrony currently and ten years from now will all these countries be the usual mix they were during the post WW2-1990s era? Are societies becoming so similar to each other and changing too fast for people's comfort or in ways they simply don't want?
Here are examples which encompass much of the developed western world:
1. The right wing growing Progress Party of Norway is now the most popular party in that country and is at an unprecedented high point, now more popular than the more left Labor Party.
2. In Sweden, after being led by the Social Democrats for 65 of the last 74 years the most right wing mainstream party won in 2006.
3. In France, Sarkozy, a tough right wing politician who supports a break with the political and elements of the traditional past of that country, actually espouses closer relations with and voices admiration for the US, and who supports attacking Iran, is the latest president.
4. In the UK the Labour Party is nose diving, Conservatives set to take power, and the BNP, a far right and whites only party is steadily gaining percentage points over the years and achieves support (like 5% in the London Mayoral election) that such a party (there isn't even a comparable one) in the US could only dream of.
5.Germany's center-right Christian Democratic Party won in 2005 and about the other major party, the left wing Social Democratic Party wikipedia says this:
But never before has the party moved so far away from its traditional socialist stance as it did under the Schröder government. Its ever increasing tendency towards liberal politics and cutbacks in government spending on social welfare programs led to a dramatic decline in voter support, and to Gerhard Schröder being pejoratively called “der Genosse der Bosse”, meaning the (socialist) comrade (who is a friend) of the (big) bosses.
For many years, membership in the SPD has been declining. Down from a high of over 1 million in 1976, there were about 775,000 members at the time of the 1998 election victory, by February 2008 the figure had dropped to 537,995.
6. Italy was won recently by Berlusconi, there are troops patrolling cities, a big unprecedented crackdown towards Roma ('gypsies' - all of whom will be fingerprinted and photographed and camps are being demolished) and illegal immigrants, and the President of the lower house of the Parliament is a 'post-Fascist.'
7. Russia is of course bordering on fascism and there is a growing current of xenophobia, racism, and of course agressive nationalism all of which is incredible due to its past and suffering caused to it by fascist Germany.
8. In Denmark the right wing Liberals are in power and when the Social Democrats lost to them in 2001 it was the first time since World War 2 the Social Democrats weren't the most popular party in the country.
9. I can't make sense of the Netherlands' politics but I read the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal party is currently the largest party.
10. Switzerland's strongest party is the growing right wing nationalistic SVP party, which although historically representing farmers, dramatically changed in character in the 1990s to what it is now and subsequently became the most popular. It made headlines last year for it's election campaign poster depicting white sheep kicking a black sheep out of the country with the words "Bringing Safety" on it.
11. In Canada conservatives recently took over.
12. America's 'Neo Cons' and right wing policies of the last 8 years have been talked about to death. Despite massive historic unpopularity of the current administration, the party's successor is tied with the opposition for the coming election.
At least two exceptions are Australia and New Zealand which are doing their own opposite thing currently.
I didn't systematically go through every country and cherry pick, these are all I've read about and are major ones. Is this trend here to stay and why is it not being talked about?
I don't believe any one reason could account for this. So what's happening? Individual governments swing back and forth often between various ideologies but for so many countries to swing in the same direction in the same 10 year period? Is this a permanent reaction to new permanent features of western societies? If this, on the other hand, represents an emerging re-occuring pattern where countries trend left for fifty years and then swing right, how long might this trend last? Or is it all a coincidence that they're in synchrony currently and ten years from now will all these countries be the usual mix they were during the post WW2-1990s era? Are societies becoming so similar to each other and changing too fast for people's comfort or in ways they simply don't want?
Here are examples which encompass much of the developed western world:
1. The right wing growing Progress Party of Norway is now the most popular party in that country and is at an unprecedented high point, now more popular than the more left Labor Party.
2. In Sweden, after being led by the Social Democrats for 65 of the last 74 years the most right wing mainstream party won in 2006.
3. In France, Sarkozy, a tough right wing politician who supports a break with the political and elements of the traditional past of that country, actually espouses closer relations with and voices admiration for the US, and who supports attacking Iran, is the latest president.
4. In the UK the Labour Party is nose diving, Conservatives set to take power, and the BNP, a far right and whites only party is steadily gaining percentage points over the years and achieves support (like 5% in the London Mayoral election) that such a party (there isn't even a comparable one) in the US could only dream of.
5.Germany's center-right Christian Democratic Party won in 2005 and about the other major party, the left wing Social Democratic Party wikipedia says this:
But never before has the party moved so far away from its traditional socialist stance as it did under the Schröder government. Its ever increasing tendency towards liberal politics and cutbacks in government spending on social welfare programs led to a dramatic decline in voter support, and to Gerhard Schröder being pejoratively called “der Genosse der Bosse”, meaning the (socialist) comrade (who is a friend) of the (big) bosses.
For many years, membership in the SPD has been declining. Down from a high of over 1 million in 1976, there were about 775,000 members at the time of the 1998 election victory, by February 2008 the figure had dropped to 537,995.
6. Italy was won recently by Berlusconi, there are troops patrolling cities, a big unprecedented crackdown towards Roma ('gypsies' - all of whom will be fingerprinted and photographed and camps are being demolished) and illegal immigrants, and the President of the lower house of the Parliament is a 'post-Fascist.'
7. Russia is of course bordering on fascism and there is a growing current of xenophobia, racism, and of course agressive nationalism all of which is incredible due to its past and suffering caused to it by fascist Germany.
8. In Denmark the right wing Liberals are in power and when the Social Democrats lost to them in 2001 it was the first time since World War 2 the Social Democrats weren't the most popular party in the country.
9. I can't make sense of the Netherlands' politics but I read the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal party is currently the largest party.
10. Switzerland's strongest party is the growing right wing nationalistic SVP party, which although historically representing farmers, dramatically changed in character in the 1990s to what it is now and subsequently became the most popular. It made headlines last year for it's election campaign poster depicting white sheep kicking a black sheep out of the country with the words "Bringing Safety" on it.
11. In Canada conservatives recently took over.
12. America's 'Neo Cons' and right wing policies of the last 8 years have been talked about to death. Despite massive historic unpopularity of the current administration, the party's successor is tied with the opposition for the coming election.
At least two exceptions are Australia and New Zealand which are doing their own opposite thing currently.
I didn't systematically go through every country and cherry pick, these are all I've read about and are major ones. Is this trend here to stay and why is it not being talked about?