Interesting comment Bullwinkle. If you look at “far-right” and “far-left” regimes in history, you find that the worst of them are murdering dictators and will do anything to stay in control. North Korea’s regime is called extreme right and left at the same time !! And is there a difference in outcomes between Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot etc. Castro is viewed by many as a murdering dictator, but feted as a saint by others. Winners are grinners I guess.
You are correct in my view that right vs left is all about economics; and is more about a free market capitalist economy vs a progressive socialist economy. Both are usually in favor of open door immigration, but for very different reasons, one is about cheap labor to satisfy the return on investment and shareholder profit and the other is about fairness and equity for all.
The danger of Ms Le Pen is that she like Pauline Hansen tries to win support through division and hate. Her vilification of Muslims in France does not create harmony or build communities. If France goes with her as their Leader, what happens next? Are all the Muslims banished ? Or do they make war ?
As I understand it, the National Socialist ideology initially combined Nationalism AND Socialism, but once in power, Hitler jettisoned Socialist economics in favour of the established industrialists. The Night of The Long Knives killed off Rohm & the Brown-Shirts who wanted to implement a Socialist economy having successfully established a Nationalist state.
Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be. While Le Pen has dropped the anti gay agenda, she is appealing to the good old days of Vichy France, French collaboration in the Vel d’hive deportations did not happen, or if it did, let us move on. There is no going back, France had to absorb so many North Africans after the Algerian withdrawal, that cannot be changed. Estimates put Muslims at 10% of French population, if she wants security for French citizens, what is she doing to overcome the marginalisation of many of them.
Pretty brutal debate between Le Pen and Macron yesterday. Couple of hours prior to the debate rumors started circulating online about Macron having a hidden bank account in the Bahamas (reminded me of all the pre-debate innuendo here in the US prior to Clinton v Trump). Macron took that head on and his team is already planning legal action against Le Pen for bringing up the rumor in the debate.
What the Russians are doing to undermine Western elections is a form of direct aggression. There has to be some consequence in response. Putin is desperate to weaken Europe and the deluded cretins who vote for Trump / Brexit / Le Pen are giving him exactly what he wants.
Not surprising. Fake news stories from Russia have been a prominent feature of this campaign.
Unfortunately for Macron, the whole “woe is me, Russia are trying to get my opponent elected” won’t have a huge effect in France imo. They see their country’s relationship with Russia differently to how US or UK citizens do.
While it certainly means that their claims have to be viewed with a sense of dubiousnessness, as any information source should be, I think it’s worth pointing out that the Americans want to publicly disgrace and/or kill the guy.
A view which I think most would consider rude.
Well, it’s complicated mate…
Many people (mostly leftists) have been disappointed by the 1st round results and they don’t want to vote for Macron who they consider to be the candidate of banks and finance… the intend to vote “blank” (which doesn’t count, so it is like giving your vote to the devil).
If you add all the khunts who campaigned for the gay-marriage law to be rescinded and who will vote for Le Pen (who promised to do so), Macron is all but certain to be elected…
So yeah, fingers crossed!
probably quite a lot, Capitalism is unsustainable on a number of ;levels and it is beginning toshow the strains anf how/whe it will fail the gfc was the first shot on that front., they can pretend it’s not happening but it is and they know it even if they won’t admit it so these little ideas like universal wagesare popping up everywhere … and the alternatives need checking out.the issue is no-one really wants to be the first’success story’ in a move away from capitalism, as that would annoy the us, and they get a touch 'shooty and invadey when you threaten threir money empires…
