Year in a Word: Alt-right

[Tijuana]

And this is why I have a hard time taking the term seriously. It became an umbrella term for the media to throw everyone they don't like. Does the alt right exist? Definitely. It is what the media constantly paints it like? For the most part, no.

^This. Steve Bannon said he was a champion of the alt-right, but he said that before the media spun the term to mean racist (to him, it meant anti-establishment). Now, they say he is an open racist. This is why their approval ratings were lower than everyone/everything, aside from Putin, in that recent poll of US citizens.

[Yunzi]

How about we just call it what it is - Fascism.

This hiding behind euphemisms is exactly where much of today's problems come from.



If we can't call that bunch of red dots fascism, we may as well delete the word from the dictionary.

ADVANCE NOTE to WHINGERS: I'm not calling Trump Hitler, Trump is neither an ideologue, nor is he a racist in practise. Sure he shares a couple of qualities (fascism and eating food for example).

It's not very relevant whether an individual is Fascist - it matters whether there's a supportive social network (a movement) to allow that Fascism to be realized. Without that network, Hitler was just an angry resentful guy.

So the question is not "Who's Trump?", but rather, "What's the political reality within the United States?"

[Tijuana]

How about we just call it what it is - Fascism.

This hiding behind euphemisms is exactly where much of today's problems come from.



If we can't call that bunch of red dots fascism, we may as well delete the word from the dictionary.

ADVANCE NOTE to WHINGERS: I'm not calling Trump Hitler, Trump is neither an ideologue, nor is he a racist in practise. Sure he shares a couple of qualities (fascism and eating food for example).

The chart is clearly flawed if it has Trump as far to the right as those other Republicans. He is left of them on a number of issues. The website that makes that chart is pretty biased though. I like the concept but reading the questions, they clearly don't understand conservatism.

The fact they have Trump more authoritarian than the others is spot on, imo.

[primalmatter]

Correct me if I' am wrong but don't nazi's hate American and pro Germany?? So that would make neo nazis in America very anti American?
Also for a long time the KKK hated these Neo nazis because they represented the enemy during WW2?

You don't have any idea of them at all... i question how you believe neo nazis and actual nazis existed at the same time most of all...

Or how nationalists in general hate their country...

[JohnBrown1917]

You don't have any idea of them at all... i question how you believe neo nazis and actual nazis existed at the same time most of all...

Or how nationalists in general hate their country...

Nazis in the US would be different than German ones, its about the ideology.

[schwarzkopf]

So the question is not "Who's Trump?", but rather, "What's the political reality within the United States?"

Fascism is a description of policy - the above diagram is from a respected political science group that analyses leader's policies to place them on the map.

This is done because leaders have a significant influence on the direction of a country, such as the US.

In this sense, a Fascist leader such as trump is likely to push US to be formally an Oligarchy within the next 4 years, however unlikely to make the US fascist because the US citizenry of both red and blue detest authoritarian government - however a non authoritarian but extreme right wing Oligarchy seems feasible.

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Nazis in the US would be different than German ones, its about the ideology.

Nazis were authoritarian AND extreme right ... the US citizenry abhors extreme government authority, so the country would probably end up just extreme right without the authoritarian flavour.

So there would be no Nazi movement in the US.

[primalmatter]

Nazis in the US would be different than German ones, its about the ideology.

You can't have nazis in the states...

They would be something else by definition. Its hard to be part of a german nationalist socialist party if you are not german after all.

[Tijuana]

Fascism is a description of policy - the above diagram is from a respected political science group that analyses leader's policies to place them on the map.

This is done because leaders have a significant influence on the direction of a country, such as the US.

In this sense, a Fascist leader such as trump is likely to push US to be formally an Oligarchy within the next 4 years, however unlikely to make the US fascist because the US citizenry of both red and blue detest authoritarian government - however a non authoritarian but extreme right wing Oligarchy seems feasible.

That map is flawed. How do you arrive at Trump being lock step with other Republicans? That is just retarded, sorry...

[schwarzkopf]

The chart is clearly flawed if it has Trump as far to the right as those other Republicans.

The chart uses global standards for defining position, it is well known that the entire US political system is far to the right. The website isn't biased, but it can seem that way when the US spectrum is so fixed to one side.

The position aims to provide a position based on formal policy, and one that averages out the variation.

Trump's policies have shown him to be clearly far right, overtly more so than any other US politician in a long time.

[Tijuana]

The chart uses global standards for defining position, it is well known that the entire US political system is far to the right. The website isn't biased, but it can seem that way when the US spectrum is so fixed to one side.

The position aims to provide a position based on formal policy, and one that averages out the variation.

Trump's policies have shown him to be clearly far right, overtly more so than any other US politician in a long time.

Ah, so you have no idea what his positions are, got it.

[schwarzkopf]

That map is flawed. How do you arrive at Trump being lock step with other Republicans?

It ignores random Trump tweets and his mental state. The only thing that really separates Trump from the other Republicans is that he is more extreme, more chaotic and far thinner skinned.

[Tijuana]

It ignores random Trump tweets and his mental state. The only thing that really separates Trump from the other Republicans is that he is more extreme, more chaotic and far thinner skinned.

Ah, so you have no idea what his positions are, got it.

[schwarzkopf]

Ah, so you have no idea what his positions are, got it.

I didn't do the science.... that was left up to scientists with experience.

PS: Planning to wall of the country from immigrants is about as far right as you can get. So don't abuse me for your lack of understanding.

[Dug]

That's two words tho

[Tijuana]

I didn't do the science.... that was left up to scientists with experience.

PS: Planning to wall of the country from immigrants is about as far right as you can get. So don't abuse me for your lack of understanding.

China has walls. Are they far right? When the Russians erected a wall dividing Berlin, were they on the far right? When Hillary Clinton voted to build a southern fence, was she far right? Why are some building structures somehow political? Are floors and ceilings left, in political terms? What are you on about?

Also, on the issue of gay marriage alone, how could Trump not be left of the GOP base?

[JohnBrown1917]

Nazis were authoritarian AND extreme right ... the US citizenry abhors extreme government authority, so the country would probably end up just extreme right without the authoritarian flavour.

So there would be no Nazi movement in the US.

Well... the alt right does exist, they sound pretty authoritarian.

[zenkai]

The left has gotten really bad with bullying with words, I guess the word racist doesn't work anymore so they started using Alt-Right. It's kind of like how the Right use to call every left person Communist in the old days.

[DeathMaster]

The left has gotten really bad with bullying with words, I guess the word racist doesn't work anymore so they started using Alt-Right. It's kind of like how the Right use to call every left person Communist in the old days.

Not just racist, but bigot, islamophobic, xenophobic and misogynist. Fancy terms for 'I disagree but I can't refute your arguments'.
Alt-right. The new hallow term used by lefties that can't accept their ideology is flawed and failing.

[JohnBrown1917]

The left has gotten really bad with bullying with words, I guess the word racist doesn't work anymore so they started using Alt-Right. It's kind of like how the Right use to call every left person Communist in the old days.

For the third time, alt right is a real group.

[Sierra85]

You can't have nazis in the states...

They would be something else by definition. Its hard to be part of a german nationalist socialist party if you are not german after all.

American Nazi's could be called Uszi's. Its like combining USA and Nazi. just an idea.