And talking of openDemocracy...
That piece on the BBC News website today, which I know some of you have read, headlined The ordinary people making the world more right-wing, was written by Professor Richard Youngs of the Carnegie Institute.
Googling around, as you do (or, at least, I do) after reading such a BBC piece, I found that Prof. Youngs also writes for openDemocracy.
And I wasn't particularly surprised to discover that.
So the BBC - despite its hundreds of foreign correspondents and analysts - has to "commission" a piece about the rise of the right wing across the globe?
ReplyDeleteThey go to someone who is plugged into the EU political establishment for an honest answer!
However, I notice that the piece was "edited by Duncan Walker". That's odd isn't it? Edited in what way? Was it toned down for being too full on liberal-lefty?
Anyway we're left with an article whose main purpose is not to shed light but cast shade. What better way of undermining the populist revolt than to make it appear part of a "right wing" movement? In classical BBC style the article mashed together everything from genuine Nazis through to left of centre populists. The notion that current problems have been driven by a new right wing civil society seems highly unlikely to me. The Tea Party movement had been going on for years in the USA and made no real progress...then - boom! - a single charismatic leader in the shape of Trump comes on board and makes a real difference. This has been much more about people simply taking the opportunity to use the ballot box to deliver a democratic verdict.
They don't have to.
DeleteBut #1degreeofseparation concerns down the line make it a frequent choice.
I subscribe to openDemocracy.
ReplyDeleteIt is funny. In a North Korea, Congo kind of way.