I was talking to a Polish friend about Polish politics. He said in Poland, like in the US, they had both conservative and liberal policies - but that the topics for debate were different. In Poland, the conservatives agreed with the liberals on things like healthcare funding, supporting higher education, and funding transit projects. All these things were non-issues in Polish politics.

“Well,” says I, “Then I’m confused. If the conservatives and liberals agree on all those things, then what makes them different? What makes the conservatives, conservative?”

“Ah, you see,” he says, “They’re racist. That’s the whole thing - they’re just racist.”

I’m convinced the reason the US doesn’t have universal anything is because ‘then the blacks would get it’.

Historically, yes. But in 2026, if you think that you better hide it. Even in MAGA crowds, although there it can be less well hidden.

In eastern Europe there isn’t really centuries of troubled race relations to look back at, so you might just hear “all blacks out”.

Europe has had troubled relations with Muslim neighbors for centuries. See Siege of Vienna and Ottoman colonization of the Balkan.

Also lots of conflict with European neighbors.

Many racists in Europe don’t consider all Europeans to be the same race. Slavs are looked down on and discriminated against in Western Europe. Southern and Northern Europeans also have animosities going on.

Racism and xenophobia is different in Europe than the US.