deusxtJul 29, 2023
Aral Balkan
Neoliberals are the folks you send in to sanitise the place before the fascists move in.
Jul 29, 2023 at 7:36amWeb
Show threadHamish The PolarBearJul 29, 2023

@aral This is the trick for sure - and people miss the transition because it is gradual. People think fascism happens overnight because they read it as sudden in history.

The rise of fascism in Europe last century happened in exactly the same way it is happening now.

The project started in earnest in the late 70s and early 80s and went into overdrive in the 2010s.

The propaganda is far more sophisticated and the demonising happens more thoroughly to minimise backlash when oppression starts.

Show threadHamish The PolarBearJul 29, 2023
@aral Also the obsession with "tackling" antisemitism in some quarters is a huge smokescreen for going after other groups first this time around. They will come back around to Jewish people eventually too.
Show threadRichardJul 29, 2023
@hamishtpb @aral It's disturbing how easy it is to work "and the jews will get theirs, too!" Into any political conversation, and even more disturbing to constantly see it left unchallenged. It is exactly like watching DeSantis throw the word "woke" onto any topic to instantly make it racist.
Show threadHamish The PolarBearJul 29, 2023
@richard_merren @aral Oh yes - it is not gone, just not as socially accepted because of the obvious historic connections.
Show threadRichardJul 29, 2023
@hamishtpb @aral I'm referring to your post above, not some generalized phenomenon.
Show threadHamish The PolarBearJul 29, 2023
@richard_merren @aral I don't understand? Are you accusing me of antisemitism?
Show threadHamish The PolarBearJul 29, 2023
@richard_merren @aral What I said and what you said in quotation marks are not the same thing.
Show threadRichardJul 29, 2023
@hamishtpb @aral Nobody was talking about Jews at all. There was no reason to inject that into the conversation, no previous post that would cause you complain about being accused of antisemitism. Who could you possibly mean by "some quarters" and why be cryptic about it? Why should I read this as anything other than "Jews are aiding neoliberals/fascists by falsely accusing people of antisemitism and later the fascist will turn on them."
Show threadHamish The PolarBearJul 29, 2023

@richard_merren @aral The reason I brought up antisemitism is that it is the first thing people think of regarding fascism in the early 20th century is antisemitism.

I was pointing out that avoiding antisemitism is a tactic of new fascists and **they** will still come for Jewish people eventually.

1/2

Show threadHamish The PolarBearJul 29, 2023

@richard_merren @aral 2/2

"Some quarters" refers to the situation in the UK at the moment where claims of antisemitism are being used as a weapon against the left.

And if you read what I said as claiming Jews are aiding neoliberalism-fascism then you are not reading me correctly.

Show threadHamish The PolarBearJul 29, 2023
@richard_merren @aral I was not being cryptic - I was running out of space and perhaps assumed that people would either know what I was talking about (UK leftists would) or if not perhaps they would ask before jumping to conclusions. I don't know about "DeSantis" but I looked him up rather than misunderstand anything.
Show threadHamish The PolarBearJul 29, 2023

@aral For the complete avoidance of doubt the last reply was a followup to the previous longer one (ran out of characters).

Someone appears to have read it out of context, accused me of .. something? .. and now is not replying so I suspect they have muted me.

Please read things in context when there is a chain of messages before jumping to conclusions. Thank you.

Show threadMorten Juhl-JohansenJul 29, 2023
@aral To build walls and Overton windows.
Show threadedgeoforever 🍎Jul 29, 2023
@aral or, who vote them out if you’re smart enough to forge alliances instead of hurling purity tests at everyone. 🤷‍♀️ It’s what kept Torries in power for so long in UK.
Show threadAral BalkanJul 29, 2023

@edgeoforever You don’t vote out fascists. (You only get to bite them in. Then you lose the vote.)

And there I thought what kept the Tories in power for so long in the UK were the neoliberals in the Labour Party who would rather sabotage their own leader than see a socialist as prime minister.

Show threadMiguel TavaresJul 29, 2023
@aral Funny thing is, neoliberals seem to think *they* are in control. Even after the fascists took all of the Popular Party's seats in the portuguese parliament, "Social" Democrats still try to groom the far-right into something they could more comfortably introduce to their parents. Not that it bothers them too much individually — Neoliberals and fascists will get along just fine. This is something they do at the expense of their own party and, eventually, democracy.
Show threadnfrgrtJul 29, 2023

@macedotavares @aral

Wait what? When did that happen? I've just been to Portugal and concluded that it's a cool country with friendly people, good food and good coffee everywhere. (As a German, my standards are low tho)

Show threadMiguel TavaresJul 29, 2023

@nfrgrt @aral I'm sorry if I've alarmed you too much and too soon. They haven't taken over parliament. They "just" elected 12 deputies, with the Popular Party getting wiped out. The Portuguese neoliberal right and far-right are still in the process of organizing.

It's still a good country, IMO. I'm just too afraid of losing it.