Once fascism is in the air, it is pointless to pander to xenophobia, as liberals do when they embrace an anti-immigrant agenda, or to rail against austerity, as leftists do. Neither issue is what is really fueling far-right extremism, which is good news for progressives.
ATHENS – The recent riots in the United Kingdom have demonstrated, yet again, the inability of liberals and leftists to figure out how to appeal to working class people who are attracted by the far right. Once fascism is in the air, it is pointless to pander to xenophobia, as liberals do when they embrace an anti-immigrant agenda, or to rail against austerity, as leftists do. To deal with Britain’s rioters, and similar mobs across Europe and the United States, progressives must first commit to not abandoning them.
ATHENS – The recent riots in the United Kingdom have demonstrated, yet again, the inability of liberals and leftists to figure out how to appeal to working class people who are attracted by the far right. Once fascism is in the air, it is pointless to pander to xenophobia, as liberals do when they embrace an anti-immigrant agenda, or to rail against austerity, as leftists do. To deal with Britain’s rioters, and similar mobs across Europe and the United States, progressives must first commit to not abandoning them.