Oh, yeah, this type of insane bullshittery could never happen in Europe. Except that it already has and continues to. You’re parroting the same, lame “it can’t happen here” crap many of my American friends were in 2016.

[–] Bruncvik@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

But of course it's happening here, but at least where I'm sitting, there is an overwhelming rejection of this "bullshittery". Here in Ireland we have small fringe nationalistic parties, which so far only faced outright ridicule, even though recently I heard about outright hostility (a group of such nutcases was beaten up and stripped to their underwear). We are facing political and financial pressures from the US, and so far we dispatched with them fairly easily. And even though our government's incompetence invites the more radical groups, I'm fully convinced that it won't happen here, unless we're directly invaded.

[–] Tedesche@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I'm fully convinced that it won't happen here, unless we're directly invaded.

As I said, you’re making the exact same mistake many made in America. Dictators come to power when a population is suffering and their government has profoundly failed them. In such times, they’re so desperate that they’ll vote for a strongman outsider who promises them their wildest dreams. This is not an American error that the Irish are immune to making, and if you think so, you’re just as ignorant as the Americans you think so little of.

[–] Bruncvik@lemmy.world -1 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Ireland is a special case here. Not that the population wouldn't be willing to vote in some extremists, but they may actually be unable. Ireland's voting system, the single transferable vote, almost guarantees a regression to centrist parties. It would take a change in our Constitution to move allow extremist parties to gain any political power, and given our history and existing political culture, the easiest way to achieve that would indeed be a direct military intervention.

[–] Tedesche@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

No, you still don’t get it and I don’t think any further explanation on my part is going to change your mind, but just know this is about mass psychology, not the particulars of any political system or culture. You think you’re protected from this kind of hysteria, but you’re not.

Anyway, best of luck to you and yours.

[–] Jikiya@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

guarantees a regression to centrist parties

The US's whole political system has been drifting rightward. Our center is more to the right than 20 years ago. So it does not matter if regression to center is happening as the center drifts into the fascist event horizon. Every possible "this is why it could never happen here" is possibly a single event away from being breached, then discarded. The US has had so many of our safety checks blown through, and the only people who can now prevent it have no desire to do so, because they're on the same team.

I'm sure you will be vigilant, but it takes the whole country. And a person may be smart, but people are dumb, panicky animals.