Author: dizzy

  • The far right’s dangerous new playbook for 2025

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    https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/far-rights-dangerous-new-playbook-2025

    RISING RIGHT: Activists wearing masks of far-right politicians (L-R) Marine Le Pen, former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Vox leader Santiago Abascal, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni protest before the EU elections, Madrid, May 19 2024

    Driven on by novel forms of hard-right populism like Modi and Trump, European neofascists are skillfully rebranding themselves and taking power by copying the left’s language — just as they did in the last century, writes JOHN GREEN

    AROUND the world, we have been witnessing the rise of new right-wing and neofascist political forces at the same time as we have experienced the demise or marginalisation of strong left-wing forces.

    We face a new and more virulent Donald Trump presidency in the US, we have seen the success of Giorgio Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia party in Italy, Modi’s fundamentalist Hinduism in India, Javier Milei’s neoliberal extremism in Argentina, Victor Orban’s authoritarian regime in Hungary and the jack-in-the-box rise of Nigel Farage, who sees himself as a prime minister in waiting, here in Britain.

    …

    The right loves using the German fascists’ full name, National Socialist German Workers Party, rather than the shortened term Nazi in order to deliberately conflate fascism with socialism and communism in the public’s mind.

    As we know, Hitler only belatedly incorporated the term socialist into his party’s name in order to sow confusion and win over working-class voters, which he managed to do very successfully. The National Socialists were soon demasked as firm upholders of rampant capitalism, not socialism.

    Of course, drawing comparisons between 1930s Germany and our world today can be dangerous, but there are undoubted parallels from which we can learn. Once again, world capitalism is in a deep crisis, and fascism is seen in some quarters, once again, as offering an apparent way out.

    Just as the Nazis did, the neofascists today, recognising the widespread anger among large sections of the population at the way the super-wealthy are destroying our societies with impunity, are pretending to attack the unaccountable oligarchs and super-wealthy tech CEOs, big pharma and authoritarian government.

    This is, however, mere rhetoric in order to win over the disaffected working classes; they have no intention of doing anything about the super-rich and tech monopolies who are or will be funding them.

    …

    I recommend this article at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/far-rights-dangerous-new-playbook-2025. I didn’t understand the reference to Tucker Carlson.

  • Scottish government urged to shun Trump visit

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    https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/scottish-government-urged-shun-trump-visit

    A protester wearing a giant Donald Trump head, outside Holyrood, Edinburgh, ahead of a debate in the Scottish Parliament to decide if the government should investigate the former president’s financing of Scottish golf courses, February 3, 2021

    SCOTTISH ministers have been urged not to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump if he visits Scotland this year.

    Mr Trump plans to visit Scotland in 2025 for the opening of a new golf course at his club in Aberdeenshire — one of the two he owns in the country.

    The Scottish Greens have urged the government to have nothing to do with the visit.

    Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie made the call on the fourth anniversary of riots in Washington after Mr Trump lost the 2020 presidential election.

    Mr Harvie said: “Four years ago Donald Trump was inciting rioters to storm the Capitol and block the democratic process.

    “In the time since, he has doubled-down on right-wing conspiracy theories and refused to show even the slightest shred of contrition or regret.

    “The prospect of four more years of a racist, climate-wrecking and misogynistic Donald Trump in the White House is one that should concern us all.

    “He is a friend of despots, demagogues and dictators, and a threat to migrant communities, LGBTQ+ people and reproductive rights.

    “We cannot stand aside or condone the divisive and hateful politics that he represents.

    …

    Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/scottish-government-urged-shun-trump-visit

  • Nigel Farage calls Elon Musk a ‘hero’ despite calls to free Tommy Robinson

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    https://www.thenational.scot/news/24833376.farage-calls-elon-musk-hero-despite-calls-free-tommy-robinson

    Musk, who has recently been considering donating £100m to Farage’s far-right party, pinned a message at the top of his Twitter/X feed which read “Free Tommy Robinson!” earlier this week (Image: Martini)

    REFORM UK leader Nigel Farage has branded Elon Musk a hero, despite the latter’s calls for far-right activist Tommy Robinson to be released from prison.

    Musk, who has recently been considering a £100 million donation to Farage’s party, pinned a message at the top of his Twitter/X feed which read “Free Tommy Robinson!” earlier this week.

    Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was jailed in October 2024 for contempt of court after he repeated false claims against a Syrian refugee.

    The Clacton-on-Sea MP told conference attendees in Leicester that Musk had “a whole range of opinions, some of which I agree with very strongly, and others of which I am more reticent about”.

    READ MORE: Elon Musk supports jailed far-right agitator Tommy Robinson

    Farage expressed his admiration for Musk, calling him a “remarkable new entrant” into American politics who is “very helpful” for Reform and branding the world’s richest man a “hero”.

    “At least with Elon, we’ve got free speech back.

    …

    https://www.thenational.scot/news/24833376.farage-calls-elon-musk-hero-despite-calls-free-tommy-robinson

  • Elon Musk to Host X Event Promoting Neo-Nazi AfD Party Ahead of German Elections

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    https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/elon-musk-to-host-x-event-promoting-neo-nazi-afd-party-ahead-of-german-elections

    Image in public domain

    The billionaire Musk has downplayed the party’s extremist views in posts on X and in an op-ed in a German newspaper.

    Mega-billionaire Elon Musk, owner of the social media site X, plans to hold an online audio discussion on the platform with the leader of a far right German party, amplifying the party’s fascist and neo-Nazi ideology.

    The discussion between him and Alice Weidel, a leader for Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the party’s candidate for chancellor in the February 23 snap elections, will take place”very soon,” a spokesperson for Weidel said, indicating that it will “definitely” happen before the elections. The German-based newswire agency dpa reported that the talk between Weidel and Musk would occur on January 10.

    Musk signaled his support for AfD in mid-December, writing in a post on X that “only the AfD can save Germany.” He also penned an op-ed in a German newspaper last week, describing the party as the “last spark of hope” for the country.

    …

    https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/elon-musk-to-host-x-event-promoting-neo-nazi-afd-party-ahead-of-german-elections

  • Elon Musk announces change to X algorithm, faces backlash

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    https://cointelegraph.com/news/musk-announces-change-x-algorithm-faces-backlash

    In response to the planned change, independent journalist James Li asked Musk, “How does the algorithm determine ‘negativity’?”

    Elon Musk is facing widespread backlash after announcing upcoming changes to the X social media algorithm that would promote content deemed informative or educational over other types of content.

    According to Musk, the planned changes are in response to “Too much negativity” on the social media site. The entrepreneur wrote in a Jan. 3 social media post:

    “Our goal is to maximize un-regretted user-seconds. Too much negativity is being pushed that technically grows user time, but not un-regretted user time.”

    Users on X characterized the algorithm change as a form of censorship and questioned Musk over who would have a right to determine what constituted ‘negativity’ on the platform.

    The upcoming change came days after Musk allegedly removed premium features from several accounts following an online feud over immigrant visas.

    …

    https://cointelegraph.com/news/musk-announces-change-x-algorithm-faces-backlash