Re: How far to the right will the ticker go?
Post 2
Here are some links to articles I have found while looking into the question and looking for data and trends.
http://www.npr.org/2011/07/26/138698964/foreign-policy-rise-of-the-radical-right
http://www.demos.co.uk/projects/thefarrightineurope
"The far-right in Europe is resurgent. Extreme right-wing political parties are enjoying unprecedented electoral success in a number of countries across Europe, including the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Italy and France. These parties are responding to genuine concerns that many voters feel: that globalisation has left them behind and that mass immigration from Muslim majority countries is threatening their local and national identity.
"Gone are the race-based views and anti-semitism that previously characterised the far right. In its place is an emphasis on culture and values in the face of increasing immigration and the perceived cultural threat from the growth of Islam in Europe. This narrative of a new culture war is compelling and has led to shifting re-alignments, with many on the left holding the banner against immigration and Islam. The growing political power of these parties has exerted a gravitational pull on the centre ground, with countries like France are banning the Burqa, and top politicians such as David Cameron and Angela Merkel declaring the end of multiculturalism.
"Alongside the electoral success of far-right political parties, there has been a rise of street-based far-right groups. These groups, like the English Defence League (EDL), style themselves as pseudo-paramilitary organizations, and utilise the Internet and social network sites to organise demonstrations and recruit new members.
"While the EDL have been widely covered in the UK press, there remain a large number of unanswered questions about this growth in far-right activity:
*To what extent are groups similar to the EDL organising in other European countries?
*What are their main concerns, and how do they mobilise?
*Are the street-based groups connected with formal political parties, more extreme Nazi groups, or other European groups?
*Perhaps most importantly, what is the link between street-based movements, formal political parties and the emergence of a new right-wing terrorism? "
Who are the right wing parties across Europe?
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2011/0725/Norway-attacks-put-spotlight-on-Europe-s-right-wing-parties.-Who-are-they/Sweden-Democrats-Sweden
In the United States, on the 19th of April 1995, Timothy James McVeigh and his two co-conspirators managed to kill 168 and wound 680 people.
Here is a link to active U.S. "Patriot" groups aka "militias" in the US:
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2010/spring/active-patriot-groups-in-the-united-s
By comparison, look at how many it took to carry out the September 11 attacks:
"Nearly 3,000 victims and the 19 hijackers died in the attacks.[4] Among the 2,753 victims who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center were 343 firefighters and 60 police officers from New York City and the Port Authority, and 8 private emergency medical technicians and paramedics.[5]Another 184 people were killed in the attack on the Pentagon.[6] The overwhelming majority of casualties were civilians, including nationals of over 70 countries.[7]"
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks
It's important to remember -- as Simon H points out above -- that economic crises can be breeding grounds for the rise of nationalist movements.
Time to re-read and reflect upon this classic article by Umberto Eco:
"Eternal Fascism: Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Black Shirt"
http://www.themodernword.com/eco/eco_blackshirt.html
