Commentary by Frank Graves published by Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Excerpts:
…In looking at the constellation of trends that I have been studying I must note that I have never seen our country in such a dark and divided state. Whether looking at confidence in national direction, outlook on the future, fears of the external world or even basic attachment to our country and public institutions, I am recording unprecedented record low scores on key barometers of social cohesion…
We live in an era which sees a crisis of both trust and truth… Disinformation is polarizing our society in ways that we have never seen…
The purpose of these observations is not to depress but to issue a call for action…
I remain optimistic but vigilant and I urge those going forward in their chosen careers and professions to be mindful of the depth of the historic challenges that we face and to use this as a spur to excellence and influence. Speaking truth to power in pursuit of a better world should be our lodestar.
Founder of EKOS Research Associates Inc., Frank Graves has published widely in academic and mainstream publications. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by Carleton University in 2024.
Mr. Graves says he remains optimistic. I find it difficult to share his confidence in the future. I worry that Simon Tisdall of The Guardian was correct when he wrote:
Trump reflects, amplifies and popularises a regressive global trend towards authoritarian, totalitarian, dictatorial, nationalistic and religiously, ethnically and culturally majoritarian forms of rightwing governance.
To put it more simply, fascism is once more on the march – and liberal democracy risks being trampled under its marauding boots.
Fascism is everywhere on the march. And it’s Trump who sets the pace
The UK’s centrist Labour Party now holds 63 percent of the House of Commons seats but received only 34 percent of the popular vote. The right wing Conservative and Reform parties together gained 38 percent, but won less than 20 percent of the seats in the House. Turnout of just under 60 percent was down by more than 7 percent.
The UK’s results will be viewed in various ways but I don’t think the election indicates a healthy democracy.
French voters kept the far right from taking power in the recent election but Rassemblement National, the party with anti-semitic fascist roots, gained a strong position in parliament.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is seen by some as a neo-fascist and the party she leads is historically connected to a movement founded by former fascists after World War II.
In Germany, the Alternative für Deutschland, or AfD, promotes xenophobia and antisemitism and has been gaining support.
Geert Wilders, a somewhat strange right-wing politician, believes he should have been appointed Prime Minister of The Netherlands.
Far-right outfits across the globe congratulated Wilders, including Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, who said, “The winds of change are here!” and far-right Flemish politician Tom van Grieken, who declared, “Parties like ours are on their way in the whole of Europe.”
Right-wing parties in Europe and North America are usually anti-immigration and that often involves racist attitudes. But as climate change worsens, the movements of people will accelerate. The International Organization for Migration offers a definition of climate migration:
The movement of a person or groups of persons who, predominantly for reasons of sudden or progressive change in the environment due to climate change, are obliged to leave their habitual place of residence, or choose to do so, either temporarily or permanently, within a state or across an international border.
The destructive path chosen by the world’s industrialists will force mass movements of people. This migration will strengthen far-right movements, and to those who value democracy and equality, that will be a distressing result.
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Categories: Democracy
in-sights.ca 
Strange days indeed.
For the last 20 years or more we have been conditioned to think that any political decision with a social conscience is tantamount to Communism!
Voting for an authoritarian government shows pure laziness of the voter who is too absorbed in his or her little world to consider either the future or those that surround them.
TB
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I was pleased and relieved to see the left-and-centre surge in the recent elections in the UK and France.
I haven’t taken the time to understand the election process in France — but it sounds like a ‘first past the SECOND post’ system. This gives voters a chance to assess what has happened in the first vote and reaffirm that direction, or steer away from it, in the final vote.
I’m sure it costs more to operate the elections, but it looks like the electorate is far more engaged than here.
Europeans do much better than Canadians and Americans at getting off the couch and taking their concerns to the streets. (Maybe our furniture is too comfortable.)
In Barcelona, many locals are fed up with the crush of visitors, so they are mobbing up and shooting at tourists at sidewalk cafes and famous sites. Mind you, their guns are filled with water — but they get their point across.
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