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May
01, 2003 |
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MARCH
OF RIGHTS
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Right wing political
parties have gained considerable ground throughout the world.
The "war on terror", dilapidated world economy and
failure of moderates have added
fuel to this concealed and disguised fire. The moderates who
were in control throughout the 90s are losing their grip. The
Right's slow inroad into mainstream politics is changing old
equations.
Liberals are finding to
their dismay that the turf on which they need to fight elections
are not their familiar social and economic agenda, but
controversial slippery slope where the other party has already
planted a firm grip.
The end of cold war,
collapse of USSR and East Germany in 1989, China's embracing of
market economy, all contributed to a moderate political climate
in the 1990s. Expectedly global trade flourished, technology
achievement was miraculous, international relations improved.
However, as the century drew to a close, political winds were
changing.
India, a long time home
to moderates, fell when Bharatiya Janata Party won the elections
in October 1999. In 2001, Bangladesh electors dumped Awami
League - a soft liner, to choose BNP ensuring radical Islamists
of Jamaat-e-Islami become part and parcel of the Bangladeshi
government. In October 2002, Pakistan voted to show support to
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), an alliance of six anti-American
Islamic groups. Though MMA could not form the Government
due to its inability to make a deal with Pakistan People's
Party(PPP), it clearly showed which way winds were blowing.
Throughout Europe, the
Right, in conjunction with the centre-right, is on the march.
France woke up in a nightmare after veteran far-right leader
Jean-Marie Le Pen advanced to the runoff election for French
president in April 2002. Freedom Party in Austria, and the
Northern League and National Alliance in Italy are already in
government. Belgians view rise of Vlaams Blok with dread; the
ruling coalition in Norway needs the support of far right
Progress Party to stay in power. Danish People's Party in
Denmark, Swiss People's Party in Switzerland, both strongly
Right, are seeing boost in public support. Pim Fortuyn's List
(LPF) will still be around in Dutch politics though their public
support has dwindled somewhat. Finally, to Guardian's utter
dismay, British National Party secured a fifth council seat in
the north of England in January 2003.
Elsewhere, the federal
election of Australia in 2001 was fought and won on a rightist
issue - asylum where John Howard's declaration, "none of
them will land" scored him his third term. Turkey elected
an Islamist party in November 2002 and Israel reelected Sharon -
the hardliner.
Many of these Right
parties need to thank George W. Bush. GOP is not a far right
party by any means. However, the policies from White House took
a sharp right turn after 911 and have remained so ever since.
Often religious tones are discovered in political and economic
issues, justice and liberty are sacrificed in the name of
national welfare, immigration becomes stricter, environment
issues lose priority and virtual enemies are created and
sustained to justify a stronger military.
Every Rightist party
helps the other's agenda and Bush's jingoistic foreign policy
has strengthened many hands including unintended ones. It is
tilting public support back to the Islamists in Iran. Khatami,
who even a couple of years before was waging a war towards
reform saw support dwindling in the last local election for city
councils and village councils. In Iraq, Hussain's brutal but
secular party is disposed and clerics are itching to take power
into their hands. Analysts say even in Turkey & Pakistan,
the election results was a direct contribution of USA's foreign
policy.
Extremist parties,
whether left, right or religious, are hard to fight. The reason
being these parties inherently do not believe in democracies.
Democracy is just a tool to wrench power, a concept they are
willing to abuse at will. Their convictions lie elsewhere -
theocracy, fascism, dictatorship
or undeterred state power. People's rights and
liberties are traded in the name of safety, patriotism is
glorified to stifle the voice of opposition and all along, the
propaganda-machinery assures the population that everything is
well; everything is business as usual.
If history is any guide,
then, we are just viewing the soft side of extremist parties.
Harsher reality will only manifest itself once these Rightists
consolidate power. In some cases, muscles are already flexing.
The American election in 2004 is hopelessly tilted in favor of
Bush, which means that extremism is here to stay in US policies
at least until 2008. And when the super power is gung-ho, others
follow suit.
Therefore, no matter what
Greenspan says, economic boom of the last decade is miles away.
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