this post was submitted on 05 May 2025
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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.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 16 minutes ago

Hopefully, Trump and his pals cause other nations to say "The Heritage Foundation is a terrorist organization." Just because Heritage doesn't directly kill people, doesn't change the fact that they will dismantle the world's universal healthcare, food standards, and more just to make some rich person feel good.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Wish we could have done this before the fucker was elected.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Most people have to learn the hard way. They are dumb like that.

[–] skozzii 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Just be happy you aren't an American, so it won't be as bad.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 37 minutes ago
[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours 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.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] floofloof 8 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

If you replace "Trumpism" with "fascism", it has clearly been on the rise all around the world for a decade or so now, and it's taking over more and more countries all the time. However it's far from clear that we've reached any kind of turning point where fascism starts to become less popular worldwide, just because of some fairly limp election results in Canada and Australia.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 hours ago

And has the world said thank you, even once?

[–] [email protected] 100 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Fascism. It's called Fascism, not, "Trumpism."

So fucking stupid.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

I think a lot of them are afraid of being censored by the fascism for being alarmist. And then trying to hold onto a position of relative power via information is a tricky one, because you have to balance not only your tv station, but the backers, your audience, your managers, your coworkers, your position, your career, and also your life. These people are really REALLY risk adverse, for many different reasons. I'm not justifying it, but I'm imagining this is at least the intuition that some may be working through. Explanation is not justification.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 hours ago

So much for the 4th estate

[–] [email protected] 26 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (5 children)

I think US commentators make far too much of Trump and US political influence on the world. It exists but we all have our own cultures, political systems etc out here and we proudly do our own thing. The arrogance of people on all sides of US politics who think an election result on the other side of a world is a reflection of their own domestic politics is incredible.

It would be convenient if the rest of the world could fix a broken US democracy but it is a fantasy. US citizens need to address their problems through struggle and resistance. Their current problems runs very deep in their society and isn't simply an international fashion trend.

[–] floofloof 2 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Here in Canada the last-minute swing from Conservative to Liberal was definitely a response to Trump, particularly to his repeated threats to take over our country.

Worldwide it may be more that what causes the rise of fascism in the USA also causes it worldwide - and sometimes this is an actual network of wealthy right-wing organizations and nation states working to promote it through propaganda and funding.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

If you check the polls, nothing changed in Australia to justify the rapid drop of the right wing, except Trump.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 hours ago

Lieberals were in front for a long time, and then trump started his bullshit and Labor came from behind and soared into victory.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

Mate.

The Liberals lost so hard 2 elections ago that they were never going to win despite what any opinion poll may have said. Dutton ran on a platform of nothing, and never had one positive public moment. The party has been running around like a headless chook and will continue to do so.

The Libs lost because of Dutton, not because of Trump.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

I mean the world can fix a broken US democracy by boycotting the US entirely on all fronts until a democratic country emerges.

This will take a while though as we have seen with South Africa.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 hours ago

Doubt it would play out that way in the US. They're much more likely to take military action when the world cuts them out since making weapons is what made them rich and you can't keep making weapons without using or selling them.

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[–] floofloof 245 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (15 children)

Celebrating prematurely. The UK is about to go fascist, Germany is teetering on the brink, and Canada only just dodged a bullet for now.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago

Like bacteria in a jar. They grow, then become toxic, then die off.

[–] [email protected] 98 points 19 hours ago (2 children)
[–] floofloof 101 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (2 children)

Yes, Italy, Hungary and others are already well down the fascist path. Romania just went fascist. Austria is struggling not to be wholly under the far right's control, depending on a coalition to hold them off. The far right has significant power in the governments of Slovakia, Netherlands, Finland, and Sweden. Portugal and Belgium are also dealing with surging far right movements.

It's absurd to conclude it's over because centrism squeaked through in Canada and Australia. It's like everyone relaxing in 2020 because the US public were sure to see sense under Biden.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

I heard that Poland is also cheering for some MAGA guy in the next election... Troubling times ahead.

For Romania, there might still be a chance in the run-off. However, the difference between the two candidates was quite large (20% difference; 1.8 million votes). Similarly, the other candidates seemed to have voters that would rather vote for the nazi. Most likely all hope is lost, but that 1% chance is still there.

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 18 hours ago (3 children)

The UK is a bit away from "about to go fascist"

Nigel (Nazi-youth-song-singing, frequent RT guest apologist for Putin & emphatic volunteer for 2nd in line of any future human trumpepede) Farage is as close to actual power as he's ever been—which is not at all.

His party's existence actually potentially helps more reasonable parties because he is splitting the right wing vote

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[–] hperrin 49 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

I honestly don’t see a way out of this other than a war against the fascists. Something like the American civil war where the racists got their asses thoroughly beaten, or WWII, where the Nazis got absolutely crushed. I feel like it’s just one of those things that pops up once in a while. Basically, fascists are the herpes of society.

[–] [email protected] 41 points 15 hours ago (4 children)

This American situation is partly the long tail of the failure of reconstruction; Confederates got their asses handed to them but they were never properly removed from power. Now the racists are once again in charge, their monuments still stand, their flag is still flown, and the southern strategy is central to their political power.

Compare this to Germany, who stripped Nazis from power, outlawed their symbols, and have guard rails to prevent fascist movements from rising again. (They are now being used against AfD.)

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 hours ago

Compare this to Germany, who stripped Nazis from power, outlawed their symbols, and have guard rails to prevent fascist movements from rising again. (They are now being used against AfD.)

Don't know where you're getting that from.

Most Nazis were never actually stripped from positions of power after the war (teachers, public services, our secret services, political parties, I could go on). Outlawing their symbols did fuck all obviously and isn't even enforced as long as you don't go around outright spraying swastikas on walls in broad daylight (or are an antifascist displaying one thrown into a bin, crossed out or otherwise clearly used with an opposing intention). The people in power are unwilling to use the guardrails and systems that we have to prevent Nazis from rising to power again. Meanwhile we have an extremism problem in our police force who won't protect anybody from the mob when the time comes, and a "conservative" party that's just always lagging 5 years behind the AfD in their policies, racing ever further to the right in their wind shadow.

We're fucked.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Exactly this. The Confederates should never have been allowed to rejoin society.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 minutes ago

In light of how Reconstruction wasn't allowed to finish, I think Recon v2.0 should start with a summary execution of the leaders, middle management, and any concentration camp personnel or forces.

It sucks to abandon mercy and civility, but it is also clear that conservatism is a repeat rapist of civilization.

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[–] [email protected] 53 points 19 hours ago (5 children)

As long as neoliberals are the only alternative, fascism will always come back.

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[–] [email protected] 58 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Better late than never I suppose. Congrats everyone else.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

I'll take it. Really. It sucks for us. But if this is what it takes to get everyone else to kick this bullshit ass ideology and actually get on with progress over stagnation let's fucking go.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 16 hours ago

One can hope, but each time I get optimistic, some crazy bullshit goes down.

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