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> Society, at least in the classic European model, works just the same (..) everyone benefits from this kind of collective solidarity There appear to be a grow

> Society, at least in the classic European model, works just the same (..) everyone benefits from this kind of collective solidarity There appear to be a growing number of voters who disagree. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/30/far-right-on-the-march-europe-growing-taste-for-control-and-order https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/30/far-right-on-t...

blowski 3y ago
Yes, this model works well when people are mostly surrounded by people "like them". Populists tell such people they'd be better off if it weren't for all the people with different coloured skin, wearing funny clothes, speaking weird languages. And so while everyone probably is better off, they fester that resentment, creating a cultural feeling that we're not, and it's all _their_ fault.
OfSanguineFire 3y ago
Populist parties in Europe do not necessarily oppose taxation for social programs and collective solidarity. This is the case with the Perussuomalaiset party in Finland, for example, which supports a welfare state in spite of the anti-immigrant rhetoric that gets it categorized as far-right.
- vidarh 3y ago
  In fact, historically, few right wing parties in Europe in general have opposed welfare programs outright. A large portion of European welfare programs came from the centre right or right, partially on the basis of a Christian morality argument (e.g. Bismarcks original German healthcare and pension insurance reforms, backed by Zentrum, a party who went on to support Hitlers candidacy for Chancellor, and whose spiritual successor is the CDU), partially as a realisation it was either forging compromises or risk revolution (e.g. Bismarks reforms were at least in part outright "stolen" from demands from left wing parties he banned and imprisoned leading members of, as part of a two-prong strategy of appeasement and an iron fist. That free market and right libertarian parties have gained some traction again is a relatively "new" (few decades) phenomenon, after many of them were squeezed hard by the rapid growth of socialist parties to their left a century ago. EDIT: Worth adding that classically liberal parties in Europe have largely leaned socially liberally, e.g. "low overhead welfare" rather than no welfare. A lot of the universal basic income talk comes from classical liberals as a counter to social democratic "big government welfare" not by removing the welfare but by trying to minimise government involvement in the equation.

blowski 3y ago

Yes, this model works well when people are mostly surrounded by people "like them". Populists tell such people they'd be better off if it weren't for all the people with different coloured skin, wearing funny clothes, speaking weird languages. And so while everyone probably is better off, they fester that resentment, creating a cultural feeling that we're not, and it's all _their_ fault.

OfSanguineFire 3y ago

Populist parties in Europe do not necessarily oppose taxation for social programs and collective solidarity. This is the case with the Perussuomalaiset party in Finland, for example, which supports a welfare state in spite of the anti-immigrant rhetoric that gets it categorized as far-right.

vidarh 3y ago
In fact, historically, few right wing parties in Europe in general have opposed welfare programs outright. A large portion of European welfare programs came from the centre right or right, partially on the basis of a Christian morality argument (e.g. Bismarcks original German healthcare and pension insurance reforms, backed by Zentrum, a party who went on to support Hitlers candidacy for Chancellor, and whose spiritual successor is the CDU), partially as a realisation it was either forging compromises or risk revolution (e.g. Bismarks reforms were at least in part outright "stolen" from demands from left wing parties he banned and imprisoned leading members of, as part of a two-prong strategy of appeasement and an iron fist. That free market and right libertarian parties have gained some traction again is a relatively "new" (few decades) phenomenon, after many of them were squeezed hard by the rapid growth of socialist parties to their left a century ago. EDIT: Worth adding that classically liberal parties in Europe have largely leaned socially liberally, e.g. "low overhead welfare" rather than no welfare. A lot of the universal basic income talk comes from classical liberals as a counter to social democratic "big government welfare" not by removing the welfare but by trying to minimise government involvement in the equation.