[pasabagi]

Inflation in basic goods and exorbitant rents mean that a lot of people are struggling far more than GDP-style indicators would imply.

There's also secular decline in a lot of southern european manufacturing, so the economic basis for stable income and family life in a lot of places just isn't there anymore.

[wolverine876]

That would seem to lean people toward the left wing, which supports workers, not the right, which supports the wealthy and powerful.

[pyuser583]

The left wing is also very pro-immigration and globalization.

That’s the big wedge issue for the far right - migration of people and capital.

When their factory closes down and is moved to a cheaper country, might the workers be worried about open borders?

[wolverine876]

> The left wing is also very pro-... globalization.

That conflates the centrists, including left and right (when there was a center-right) with the left. The progressive left was always dubious at best about globalization, iirc.

The migration thing is, to a great extent, people inflaming ethnic hatred. People like open borders when they want to migrate themselves, or hire migrants; it also brings trade and tourism; it brings peace and eliminates pointless political distinctions.

I agree that globalization needs to address the relatively easy mobility of capital relative to labor. But that problem is arguably extreme capitalism - where the capitalists get whatever they want - not globalization. Globalization writ by labor would have looked a lot different.

[pyuser583]

Actual “labor” has a strong social conservative streak, especially in regards to migration.

Notice the protests by farmers, truckers, etc.

The progressive left in America is formed in heavily globalized universities. They are 100% in support of globalization, as they are beneficiaries and producers of it.

I don’t know where the “heart and soul” of the European progressive left is. Other than Spanish socialists, I don’t think there are many.

[pasabagi]

> Actual “labor” has a strong social conservative streak, especially in regards to migration.

Eh, this varies. Most people in the labour force are young, and young people are generally leftward-leaning. In some regions of the UK, labour have traditionally been pretty socially progressive.

[pyuser583]

It does vary, as does support for neofascism.

There’s little support for neofascism in the UK, so it’s not the best example as to why fascism is making a comeback.