Lots of people really, really want transformative change, whether it’s because of climate-ecological breakdown, rabid inequality, or just because they’ve been economically hard-pressed for years, and see no way out, even for their children.
They are moving to political extremes. Sometimes this means to the left - in much of Europe 10 years ago radical parties like Syriza and Podemos swept away the old centre-left - the Communist Party were in the radical left coalition government in Portugal (very successful, by the way); Sanders almost won the US Democrat nomination (and probably would have beaten Trump). But some also moved to the radical right - a slower burn, but perhaps now gathering more force.
It’s true that this longing for real change often means rejecting, reacting against incumbents - but it goes deeper. A mere change of ruling party won’t crack it - indeed, my own belief is that if say a ‘moderate’ Labour Party gets elected in the UK and doesn’t radically change anything much, the reaction will be subsequent election of an even more extreme and empowered right than the Tories are now. Maybe that’s what Biden has done in the US (though he has been much more radical than UK Labour promises - and has kept radicals like Sanders and AOC on board, which Starmer hasn’t).
@jray4559 @Syldon
Lots of people really, really want transformative change, whether it’s because of climate-ecological breakdown, rabid inequality, or just because they’ve been economically hard-pressed for years, and see no way out, even for their children.
They are moving to political extremes. Sometimes this means to the left - in much of Europe 10 years ago radical parties like Syriza and Podemos swept away the old centre-left - the Communist Party were in the radical left coalition government in Portugal (very successful, by the way); Sanders almost won the US Democrat nomination (and probably would have beaten Trump). But some also moved to the radical right - a slower burn, but perhaps now gathering more force.
It’s true that this longing for real change often means rejecting, reacting against incumbents - but it goes deeper. A mere change of ruling party won’t crack it - indeed, my own belief is that if say a ‘moderate’ Labour Party gets elected in the UK and doesn’t radically change anything much, the reaction will be subsequent election of an even more extreme and empowered right than the Tories are now. Maybe that’s what Biden has done in the US (though he has been much more radical than UK Labour promises - and has kept radicals like Sanders and AOC on board, which Starmer hasn’t).