Latest news with #conservatism
Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Times
James Cleverly's homecoming is shrewd move for Tories
A s the stepdaughter of a Yorkshire Tory MP, I was brought up on ill-attended speeches in village halls and constituency wine and cheese parties. Yet although conservatism is in my blood, I haven't even considered voting for it for a decade. The mess that David Cameron and his successors made first of the country's relationship with Europe and then of the party itself enraged me. With Kemi Badenoch's failure to find a way of countering Reform, I had come to the view that the party was on its last legs. But the return of James Cleverly to the front bench makes me wonder whether there might be life in the old dog yet. Badenoch's big decision is whether to copy Reform UK's fiscal irresponsibility and flag-waving nationalism or return to moderate, ideology-free conservatism. The political tide in America and Europe is pushing her in the former direction, as is the strongest character on her front bench, Robert Jenrick.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
This Viral Debate Clip Highlights A Scary Reality About Today's Conservatives
A viral clip from a debate between political commentator and journalist Mehdi Hasan and a self-proclaimed fascist is bringing to light some troubling realities about the conservative movement and the general level of public discourse today. Hasan appeared in the latest episode of Jubilee's 'Surrounded' series titled '1 Progressive vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives,' during which the former MSNBC host at one point debated a participant by the name of Connor. When asked to describe his ideal vision of the U.S., Connor referenced deporting people and then expressed a desire for a 'benevolent' autocrat who puts an end to American democracy. He also insisted that he would not be harmed by such a dictator and started to quote Nazi theorist Carl Schmitt, leading Hasan to ask if he was a fan of the Nazis. 'We may have to rename this show because you're a little bit more than a far-right Republican.'@mehdirhasan called out a self-proclaimed 'fascist' on the show 'Surrounded' where he debated 20 far-right Republicans. — Zeteo (@zeteo_news) July 20, 2025 'I frankly don't care about being called a Nazi at all,' Connor responded, later adding, 'Well, they persecuted the church a little bit. I'm not a fan of that.' Asked about Nazi persecution of Jews, he said, 'I certainly don't support anyone's human dignity being assaulted.' And when Hasan suggested that his views make him a fascist, he proudly replied, 'Yeah, I am.' This particular exchange highlights a number of disturbing aspects of the modern far-right movement, particularly the extremist vision of government and dangerous delusions about how such a system would impact people. 'I don't think that it is terribly rational to believe that one couldn't be harmed by a benevolent dictator, should one rise to take power,' Jacob Neiheisel, associate professor of political science at the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, told HuffPost. 'Even 'benevolent' dictators have rarely remained so throughout their tenure in office and have a track record of hurting even those who are closest to them.' When Connor shared his vision of government under a 'benevolent' autocrat, he stated, 'I'm not going to be a part of the group that he kills.' But this viewpoint is particularly misguided and dangerous, in addition to callous. 'Excessive executive power is always dangerous because of the potential for capriciousness,' said Todd Belt, professor and political management program director at The Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University. 'The autocrat who is friendly to you one day may not be the next. Also, power corrupts.' With this in mind, Neiheisel emphasized the value of a critical and engaged citizenry. 'I would also say that a healthy distrust of power is, on balance, a positive orientation to have in a democratic public,' he said. To maintain this kind of critical thinking and healthy distrust, however, the public must be educated and informed about historic events and politics. 'I think it is terrifying that fascism seems to be making a comeback among some young people who are terribly misinformed about what awful, immoral, murderous regimes they were,' said John Jost, a professor of psychology and politics at New York University. 'This guy seems to think that Francisco Franco was a good Catholic guy, but he is either completely clueless or in massive ideological denial. Even the slightest bit of research reveals that Franco killed much more than 100,000 innocent people, and it took many decades for the Spanish people to get over it, if indeed they have.' Jost published a paper in September titled 'Both-Sideology Endangers Democracy and Social Science' ― in which he points to evidence that 'false, misleading, and poor-quality information is more likely to populate conservative-rightist than liberal-leftist media ecosystems.' Thus, misleading and incorrect information about dictators like Franco can more easily spread and give rise to troubling views on government. 'The kind of rhetoric on display from the person Hasan was questioning appears to have become more prevalent on the right in recent years,' Neiheisel said. 'Although he doesn't say as much, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the individual in the clip is motivated by a desire to see some flavor of Christian dominion or theonomy come into practice in the United States.' He added that many others have come to support autocratic rule without a religious motivation ― as seen with influential far-right blogger Curtis Yarvin's argument for an American monarchy. 'I think that pro-fascist guy's comment about having a benevolent dictator speaks to a bit of a larger phenomenon that's happening in the United States where some portion of the electorate hungers for a strongman,' said Matt Dallek, a political historian and professor at The Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University. He pointed to a far-right vision of an all-powerful figure who expels immigrants, fosters a more white and native-born population, and unleashes law enforcement to go after alleged bad actors like 'the corrupt evil Deep State' with Democrats and 'Never Trumpers' and whoever the enemy of the moment is. 'That sentiment has become increasingly mainstream over the past few years ― that if you are a citizen, you're native born, you're white, you're a man and you have resources, then the authoritarian forces that this benevolent dictator will unleash will only target the bad guys, not you,' Dallek said. This delusional viewpoint in service of a racist, extremist and even murderous vision for the future suggests public discourse might be reaching new lows ― which begs the question of whether these kinds of 'debates' involving extremists are in any way helpful or productive for the participants, viewers or society at large. 'I'm not sure how helpful these types of debates are,' Neiheisel said. 'The only possible way in which the exchange between Hasan and Connor could be seen as a normative good from my perspective is that it might showcase that there actually are people who believe what Connor professes to believe about what government ought to look like. Acknowledging that there are those who would turn the country into more of an autocratic state is the first step en route to understanding why this impulse exists.' Belt noted that rather than a censoring or 'cancelling' approach, the 'Surrounded' debate setup takes the position of 'counterspeech' ― responding directly to harmful or offensive speech and countering it with more speech. 'While this approach aligns with constitutional values theoretically, I think that in practice it does not achieve the thoughtfulness of dialogue implicit in the counterspeech doctrine,' he said. 'The incessant interruptions make the video look more like a game of who can score the most points by making the other look as radical as fast as they can, and that's not really thoughtful dialogue. I think this video appeals to audiences who are looking for someone to take the other side 'down a peg' ― there's a real schadenfreude appeal to this type of video.' He added that progressives disillusioned with the Democratic Party's 'milquetoast' response to Trump's second term might find particular satisfaction in these kinds of viral clips and seeing someone take their arguments more forcefully to the other side. 'On one hand, the old Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis shared the idea that 'sunlight is the best disinfectant,' and typically those who believe in free speech believe you counter bad speech with good speech,' Dallek said. 'So I understand the impulse of taking on someone with really hateful, horrific views, and trying to expose that person for holding those extremist positions.' On the other hand, he believes it is 'a little bit nuts' to platform someone who is a self-proclaimed fascist and seemingly refuses to condemn Hitler and the Holocaust. Sure, this choice might draw attention and traffic to your clip and to your platform, but at what cost to humanity? (For his part, Hasan has said the producers did not communicate the extreme nature of the conservative participants' views to him ahead of his appearance.) 'I don't think much, if anything, can be gained by providing a platform and legitimizing such extreme, repugnant views via a debate with someone who is so far out because you're helping put these horrific ideas ― which have mostly been confined to the fringe since World War II ― into the mainstream,' Dallek said. 'And in the age of the internet and social media, some people will listen to others who express hateful or conspiratorial rhetoric, and they will act on these ideas in violent ways. So it's really kind of perilous and a way of further debasing a public discourse that has already been debased quite dramatically.' He emphasized that he has a lot of respect for nonprofits, civic organizations and individuals who attempt to bridge divides in the United States by having conversations with right-wing Trump supporters in which they seek to listen and understand why people believe systems are rigged or corrupt. 'I think that kind of dialogue can be productive and is important, but it's very different from what seems to me to be an almost Jerry Springer-esque pie-throwing contest with a self-described fascist,' Dallek noted. 'That's a bad idea if you want to have a serious conversation about the divisions in the U.S. The country is awash in hateful, dehumanizing rhetoric, and these ideas have become more mainstream. Platforming a self-described fascist only serves to further that process.' Related... Former MSNBC Host's Reaction To Right-Winger Calling Self A 'Fascist' Goes Viral Trump Called MAGA Supporters 'Stupid' — But Do They Even Care? Experts Weigh In. Trump Leveled A Baffling Threat At Rosie O'Donnell — Experts Explain Why It's Truly Terrifying
Daily Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Telegraph
‘Make Japan Great Again' movement gains momentum as right-wing party rallies against immigration, gender policies
Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News. Japan has always revered quirky parts of US culture. First it was baseball, then it was rock music. And now ... populist Trump-style conservatism. Right-wing firebrands like Javier Milei in Argenitna and Giorgia Meloni of Italy have made strong careers railing against 'elitism,' 'globalism' and immigration. It's part of a movement capitalising on widespread frustration with left-wing politics. In all cases, mainstream parties were accused of virtue‑signalling by championing diversity and climate goals at the expense of working-class costs. And now, a growing cohort in Japan is following suit. On Sunday, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's coalition lost its upper‑house majority, but out of that redux emerged Sanseito, the 'Japanese first' party. Founded just five years ago, it surged from just two seats to 15 in one election, marking a massive shift in the political tendencies of the nation's 124 million citizens. Sanseito's playbook mirrors the arcs of Trump's 'Make America Great Again,' Germany's AfD and Nigel Farage's Reform UK. They call for tighter immigration controls, a pushback to 'globalism,' a rollback of 'radical' gender policies, and skepticism toward decarbonisation, vaccines, and pesticides. Leader Sohei Kamiya, a 47-year-old former teacher and supermarket manager, pledges to 'bring power back to the people' and squeeze out what his party believes to be a deeply corrupt political system. It's a line that has worked exceptionally well throughout history, especially when targeting audiences disillusioned with mainstream parties. While the party is picking up speed, public polling paints a slightly different picture. Immigrants in the island nation rank low on voters' worry lists. Inflation and employment prospects are more widely accepted as the biggest issues facing Japan. The nation's immigration intake is tiny by developed-nation standards, but it hasn't stopped Sanseito from mining the all-too-familiar vein. Leader Sohei Kamiya, a 47-year-old former teacher and supermarket manager, pledges to 'bring power back to the people'. (Kyodo News via AP) There is a mounting exhaustion amongst the Japanese population, which has for decades endured a rigorous and demanding working culture based on sacrifice, only to feel as if their nation and their own future prospects are moving backwards. 'Too many newcomers equals crime, rising housing costs, dangerous driving — and, critically, suppressed wages,' Kamiya says. 'It's fine if they visit as tourists, but if you take in more and more foreigners, saying they're cheap labour, then Japanese people's wages won't rise. 'We are not exclusionary. We have never called to drive out foreigners.' Online fact-checkers have flagged claims propagated by the group's supporters, including ones accusing foreigners of racking up 'almost $3 billion of unpaid medical bills annually' or a doubling of Chinese welfare recipients in just half a decade. Fact-checkers aside, it is clear there is a mounting exhaustion amongst the population, which has for decades endured a rigorous and demanding working culture based on sacrifice, only to feel as if their nation and their own future prospects are moving backwards. Japan's disillusioned wage‑earners are fed up with stagnation, employment opportunities and rising costs. Many believe mainstream left‑leaning parties prioritise gender agendas, climate policies or open‑borders moral posturing at the expense of ordinary households. 'They put into words what I had been thinking about but couldn't put into words for many years. When foreigners go to university, the Japanese government provides subsidies to them, but when we were going to university, everyone had huge debts,' a 44‑year‑old IT worker, locked into a precarious short‑term contract, told AFP reporters. Demonstrators take part in a 'protest rave' against racism and nationalist party Sanseito ahead of the upper house election in the Shinkuku district of Tokyo, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) Eight NGOs, backed by over 1,000 groups, have warning growing right-wing sentiments are straying too close to xenophobia. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) Just like in the US, analysts from the Japan Institute of Law and Information Systems warn of Russian bot networks fuelling 'large‑scale information manipulation,' aided by AI‑powered language translation. Sanseito's campaign included pro‑Russia interviews via Russian state media. Kamiya, however, claimed he's no Moscow puppet and publicly denounced the war in Ukraine. 'Russia's military invasion (of Ukraine) was of course bad, but there are forces in the United States that drove Russia into doing that,' he said. But as Sanseito gained momentum, Ishiba's ruling LDP party quickly pivoted. It declared a mission of 'zero illegal foreign nationals' and promised tighter residency enforcement. Eight NGOs, backed by over 1,000 groups, protested that move, warning it strayed too close to xenophobia and that the argument that 'foreigners are prioritised' is totally unfounded'. There has also been a significant resistance movement against the party, with demonstrators taking part in a 'protest rave against racism' ahead of the upper house election over the weekend. -- with AFP Originally published as 'Make Japan Great Again' movement gains momentum as right-wing party rallies against immigration, gender policies
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘Make Japan Great Again' movement gains momentum as right-wing party rallies against immigration, gender policies
Japan has always revered quirky parts of US culture. First it was baseball, then it was rock music. And now ... populist Trump-styled conservatism. Rightâ€'wing firebrands like Javier Milei in Argenitna and Giorgia Meloni of Italy have made strong careers railing against 'elitism,' 'globalism' and immigration. It's part of a movement capitalising on widespread frustration with left-wing politics. In all cases, mainstream parties were accused of virtueâ€'signalling by championing diversity and climate goals at the expense of working-class costs. And now, a growing cohort in Japan is following suit. On Sunday, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's coalition lost its upperâ€'house majority, but out of that redux emerged Sanseito, the 'Japanese first' party. Founded just five years ago, it surged from just two seats to 15 in one election, marking a massive shift in the political tendencies of the nation's 124 million citizens. Sanseito's playbook mirrors the arcs of Trump's 'Make America Great Again,' Germany's AfD and Nigel Farage's Reform UK. They call for tighter immigration controls, a pushback to 'globalism,' a rollback of 'radical' gender policies, and skepticism toward decarbonisation, vaccines, and pesticides. Leader Sohei Kamiya, a 47-year-old former teacher and supermarket manager, pledges to 'bring power back to the people' and squeeze out what his party believes to be a deeply corrupt political system. It's a line that has worked exceptionally well throughout history, especially when targeting audiences disillusioned with mainstream parties. While the party is picking up speed, public polling paints a slightly different picture. Immigrants in the island nation rank low on voters' worry lists. Inflation and employment prospects are more widely accepted as the biggest issues facing Japan. The nation's immigration intake is tiny by developed-nation standards, but it hasn't stopped Sanseito from mining the all-too-familiar vein. 'Too many newcomers equals crime, rising housing costs, dangerous driving — and, critically, suppressed wages,' Kamiya says. 'It's fine if they visit as tourists, but if you take in more and more foreigners, saying they're cheap labour, then Japanese people's wages won't rise. 'We are not exclusionary. We have never called to drive out foreigners.' Online fact-checkers have flagged claims propagated by the group's supporters, including ones accusing foreigners of racking up 'almost $3 billion of unpaid medical bills annually' or a doubling of Chinese welfare recipients in just half a decade. Fact-checkers aside, it is clear there is a mounting exhaustion amongst the population, which has for decades endured a rigorous and demanding working culture based on sacrifice, only to feel as if their nation and their own future prospects are moving backwards. Japan's disillusioned wageâ€'earners are fed up with stagnation, employment opportunities and rising costs. Many believe mainstream leftâ€'leaning parties prioritise gender agendas, climate policies or openâ€'borders moral posturing at the expense of ordinary households. 'They put into words what I had been thinking about but couldn't put into words for many years. When foreigners go to university, the Japanese government provides subsidies to them, but when we were going to university, everyone had huge debts,' a 44â€'yearâ€'old IT worker, locked into a precarious shortâ€'term contract, told AFP reporters. Just like in the US, analysts from the Japan Institute of Law and Information Systems warn of Russian bot networks fuelling 'largeâ€'scale information manipulation,' aided by AIâ€'powered language translation. Sanseito's campaign included proâ€'Russia interviews via Russian state media. Kamiya, however, claimed he's no Moscow puppet and publicly denounced the war in Ukraine. 'Russia's military invasion (of Ukraine) was of course bad, but there are forces in the United States that drove Russia into doing that,' he said. But as Sanseito gained momentum, Ishiba's ruling LDP party quickly pivoted. It declared a mission of 'zero illegal foreign nationals' and promised tighter residency enforcement. Eight NGOs, backed by over 1,000 groups, protested that move, warning it strayed too close to xenophobia and that the argument that 'foreigners are prioritised' is totally unfounded'. There has also been a significant resistance movement against the party, with demonstrators taking part in a 'protest rave against racism' ahead of the upper house election over the weekend.
Wall Street Journal
5 days ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Ed Feulner Built Institutions in Support of American Values
The conservative movement has lost one of its true giants and I have lost a mentor and cherished friend. Ed Feulner was many things: scholar, strategist, counselor to presidents, but above all, he was a great man and an American statesman who devoted his life to the defense of our nation's first principles. Ed believed that this nation wasn't only exceptional, but good—and that its future would rise or fall on our fidelity to timeless truths. In an age of cynicism, Ed reminded us that one man with courage and conviction can still shape the course of human history, just as he did. As the founder of the Heritage Foundation, Ed was a leading voice of conservatism for more than 50 years. Under his leadership, Heritage became both a center for scholarship and a powerhouse of strategic influence. I first met him in 1991, when Heritage launched an effort to strengthen public policy leadership in the states. That initiative would later give rise to the State Policy Network. At the time, I was a young lawyer in Indiana, freshly inspired by the Reagan Revolution.
