Young people are driving the far-right in Europe

[Anonymous]

WaPo today features an article about how in Europe, it's not the Boomer Conservatives, but Gen Z and social media that is driving the far-right. This time, the case is Portugal:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/08/portugal-election-young-voters/

I have many, many thoughts.
First, the obvious is that Europe's far right is largely about immigration. Somewhat similar to Trump and focus on the Border, but even moreso. Other issues - culture wars, jobs, even progressive concerns like housing, are traced back to immigration. While the center-left bungles their chances at finding humane, but firm solutions, the right finds scapegoats and that sells better.

Second, European center-left parties (generally to the left of our Democratic Party, especially on economic issues) have become entrenched with corruption. On the surface it's no worse than our own corruption - just our corruption is legal (campaign finance bribery). The uncomfortable truth for economic progressives is that when the government has more regulatory bureaucracies and control over industries, there is more room for funny business. However, the privatization alternative may cut the bureaucratic red tape, but the same funny business can happen with corporations, and then they charge you more than your taxes would have been in the first place.

Third... culturally, the European youth is more subject to pendulum swings to extremes, because many were not alive during the previous fascist (or communist) regimes. From the left, this makes people like Robert Fico in Slovakia popular with those who don't remember the Eastern Bloc days. From the right, using WaPo's Portugal example, the younger generation was not alive during the Estado Novo.

What's going to happen IMO is a lot of people are going to regret what they vote for, no matter what. Young people getting behind far-right governments because they want control on immigration are going to be sorry when they find out that what will actually happen is more privatizing of industries making things more expensive, more concentration of wealth, and corruption shifted from government to business. Immigration restrictions too far in the other direction will cause service sectors to collapse and cause other unexpected chaos like Brexit is experiencing. And even worse, governments toying with the idea of leaving NATO or siding with Putin will be in for a nasty surprise worldwide.

[Anonymous]

No young people are smarter than they are given credit for, if not for the indoctrination in American schools we would be seeing it here as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No young people are smarter than they are given credit for, if not for the indoctrination in American schools we would be seeing it here as well.

Yeah, dream on. The GOP's demographic cliff is November 2024. Buh-bye!

[Anonymous]

Thank goodness Hispanics favor Trump. Talk about a Trojan horse for democrats !!! It’s hilarious !!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank goodness Hispanics favor Trump. Talk about a Trojan horse for democrats !!! It’s hilarious !!

It kind of is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WaPo today features an article about how in Europe, it's not the Boomer Conservatives, but Gen Z and social media that is driving the far-right. This time, the case is Portugal:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/08/portugal-election-young-voters/

I have many, many thoughts.
First, the obvious is that Europe's far right is largely about immigration. Somewhat similar to Trump and focus on the Border, but even moreso. Other issues - culture wars, jobs, even progressive concerns like housing, are traced back to immigration. While the center-left bungles their chances at finding humane, but firm solutions, the right finds scapegoats and that sells better.

Second, European center-left parties (generally to the left of our Democratic Party, especially on economic issues) have become entrenched with corruption. On the surface it's no worse than our own corruption - just our corruption is legal (campaign finance bribery). The uncomfortable truth for economic progressives is that when the government has more regulatory bureaucracies and control over industries, there is more room for funny business. However, the privatization alternative may cut the bureaucratic red tape, but the same funny business can happen with corporations, and then they charge you more than your taxes would have been in the first place.

Third... culturally, the European youth is more subject to pendulum swings to extremes, because many were not alive during the previous fascist (or communist) regimes. From the left, this makes people like Robert Fico in Slovakia popular with those who don't remember the Eastern Bloc days. From the right, using WaPo's Portugal example, the younger generation was not alive during the Estado Novo.

What's going to happen IMO is a lot of people are going to regret what they vote for, no matter what. Young people getting behind far-right governments because they want control on immigration are going to be sorry when they find out that what will actually happen is more privatizing of industries making things more expensive, more concentration of wealth, and corruption shifted from government to business. Immigration restrictions too far in the other direction will cause service sectors to collapse and cause other unexpected chaos like Brexit is experiencing. And even worse, governments toying with the idea of leaving NATO or siding with Putin will be in for a nasty surprise worldwide.

You seem to not mention any example of what young people will come to regret by voting left… why is that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No young people are smarter than they are given credit for, if not for the indoctrination in American schools we would be seeing it here as well.

Interesting. Some people are America blaming schools and educators, which I find interesting. I have heard that language before — “indoctrination” in schools. IRL .

Where does that language or theory come from?

I heard Jordan Peterson talk about the over influence and over-therapy in kids. ie kids are being directed to therapists too much in the US (he explained it in a snazzy video). I can actually buy that. But Where is this blaming schools thing coming from? Is this in a study or survey that I missed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank goodness Hispanics favor Trump. Talk about a Trojan horse for democrats !!! It’s hilarious !!

It kind of is

I’m hispanic. I get it. Def. not a monolith. We are pretty catholic or evangelical by culture thu. I have had people make ridiculous assumptions to me about me, to by face. I feel like no one bothered to study this faction of our community - or bothered to understand it in 25 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WaPo today features an article about how in Europe, it's not the Boomer Conservatives, but Gen Z and social media that is driving the far-right. This time, the case is Portugal:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/08/portugal-election-young-voters/

I have many, many thoughts.
First, the obvious is that Europe's far right is largely about immigration. Somewhat similar to Trump and focus on the Border, but even moreso. Other issues - culture wars, jobs, even progressive concerns like housing, are traced back to immigration. While the center-left bungles their chances at finding humane, but firm solutions, the right finds scapegoats and that sells better.

Second, European center-left parties (generally to the left of our Democratic Party, especially on economic issues) have become entrenched with corruption. On the surface it's no worse than our own corruption - just our corruption is legal (campaign finance bribery). The uncomfortable truth for economic progressives is that when the government has more regulatory bureaucracies and control over industries, there is more room for funny business. However, the privatization alternative may cut the bureaucratic red tape, but the same funny business can happen with corporations, and then they charge you more than your taxes would have been in the first place.

Third... culturally, the European youth is more subject to pendulum swings to extremes, because many were not alive during the previous fascist (or communist) regimes. From the left, this makes people like Robert Fico in Slovakia popular with those who don't remember the Eastern Bloc days. From the right, using WaPo's Portugal example, the younger generation was not alive during the Estado Novo.

What's going to happen IMO is a lot of people are going to regret what they vote for, no matter what. Young people getting behind far-right governments because they want control on immigration are going to be sorry when they find out that what will actually happen is more privatizing of industries making things more expensive, more concentration of wealth, and corruption shifted from government to business. Immigration restrictions too far in the other direction will cause service sectors to collapse and cause other unexpected chaos like Brexit is experiencing. And even worse, governments toying with the idea of leaving NATO or siding with Putin will be in for a nasty surprise worldwide.

Couldn’t disagree more on this. Even if you thought further immigrations would be restrictive, Europe has a LONG way to go before they get to “restrictions too far in the other direction” and certainly that would take too long to lead to voter regret.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WaPo today features an article about how in Europe, it's not the Boomer Conservatives, but Gen Z and social media that is driving the far-right. This time, the case is Portugal:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/08/portugal-election-young-voters/

I have many, many thoughts.
First, the obvious is that Europe's far right is largely about immigration. Somewhat similar to Trump and focus on the Border, but even moreso. Other issues - culture wars, jobs, even progressive concerns like housing, are traced back to immigration. While the center-left bungles their chances at finding humane, but firm solutions, the right finds scapegoats and that sells better.

Second, European center-left parties (generally to the left of our Democratic Party, especially on economic issues) have become entrenched with corruption. On the surface it's no worse than our own corruption - just our corruption is legal (campaign finance bribery). The uncomfortable truth for economic progressives is that when the government has more regulatory bureaucracies and control over industries, there is more room for funny business. However, the privatization alternative may cut the bureaucratic red tape, but the same funny business can happen with corporations, and then they charge you more than your taxes would have been in the first place.

Third... culturally, the European youth is more subject to pendulum swings to extremes, because many were not alive during the previous fascist (or communist) regimes. From the left, this makes people like Robert Fico in Slovakia popular with those who don't remember the Eastern Bloc days. From the right, using WaPo's Portugal example, the younger generation was not alive during the Estado Novo.

What's going to happen IMO is a lot of people are going to regret what they vote for, no matter what. Young people getting behind far-right governments because they want control on immigration are going to be sorry when they find out that what will actually happen is more privatizing of industries making things more expensive, more concentration of wealth, and corruption shifted from government to business. Immigration restrictions too far in the other direction will cause service sectors to collapse and cause other unexpected chaos like Brexit is experiencing. And even worse, governments toying with the idea of leaving NATO or siding with Putin will be in for a nasty surprise worldwide.

Couldn’t disagree more on this. Even if you thought further immigrations would be restrictive, Europe has a LONG way to go before they get to “restrictions too far in the other direction” and certainly that would take too long to lead to voter regret.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No young people are smarter than they are given credit for, if not for the indoctrination in American schools we would be seeing it here as well.

We will see it here as well. Just wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No young people are smarter than they are given credit for, if not for the indoctrination in American schools we would be seeing it here as well.

We will see it here as well. Just wait.

Correct. Given the intended and unintended consequences, we absolutely will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No young people are smarter than they are given credit for, if not for the indoctrination in American schools we would be seeing it here as well.

Interesting. Some people are America blaming schools and educators, which I find interesting. I have heard that language before — “indoctrination” in schools. IRL .

Where does that language or theory come from?

I heard Jordan Peterson talk about the over influence and over-therapy in kids. ie kids are being directed to therapists too much in the US (he explained it in a snazzy video). I can actually buy that. But Where is this blaming schools thing coming from? Is this in a study or survey that I missed?

I think it just always existed.
Think about it, the whole history course is now about how white people exploited all kinds of non white people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No young people are smarter than they are given credit for, if not for the indoctrination in American schools we would be seeing it here as well.

What is this “indoctrination” conservatives love to bleat about?

[Anonymous]

Youth are just as susceptible as their elders to snake-oil salesmen.