Comments | ealbiest: Politically inclined ranting

ealbiest

Politically inclined ranting

Jul 26, 2015 23:39

Over the weekend there has been a political incident in Finland. We have this right-wing party Perussuomalaiset (translated True Finns, though literally it would be Basic Finns...). They have a sly jerk as president - the party is his idea and my personal opinion is that this student of political sciences (without any conscience or ideals) realized ( Read more... )

Comments 4

limbomonkey August 1 2015, 17:41:09 UTC

I'm sorry. I don't have anything meaningful to say, but I wanted to let you know I'm listening. I know that a lot of liberals/progressive in the US look to Finland as an economic model. I'm sorry there is also such ugliness there.

ealbiest August 9 2015, 19:33:41 UTC

Thank you Emily. You're the kind of person I'm glad that is listening.

I feel like I'm having to believe all that theory I've read - nothing in history is won once and for all - fascism, racism, bigotry, exploitation - it will always as the man wrote, take another shape and grow again. Despite all the well-meant "never again" people mumble in holy tones. They just first of all will not recognize it when it has left the historical robes - and secondly and more importantly, I firmly hold there is such a phenomenon that I call "everyday fascism": you don't want to contradict and cause strife or stand out and attract attention so you just quietly condone what "everybody" is condoning. I always wanted to write an essay on "everyday fascism in Harry Potter" - I think there are brilliant examples there (I was seriously thinking of attending some HP convention). I think I must find the time for it!

limbomonkey August 10 2015, 05:19:13 UTC

Yes, to everything you said. "Never again" bothers me. Especially when I see it in Israel. To the point of I really don't want to go back there any time soon. The racism there is disgusting, and what occurs in Palestine is genocide. "He who fights monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you" would be a better rule.

As for condoning, yeah. That's what I'm working on in myself. Yesterday, my father in law was laughing and telling a story about how he didn't want to talk to some man. Then he added that he was Arab. So I played dumb and asked "you didn't want to talk to him because he was Arab." He stopped laughing and stumbled to explain his racist statement.

(Aaah! I just don't understand the Israeli mindset. "The beating will continue until morale improves" is not a way to occupy a people. And the news has been silent about the toddler settlers killed.)

ealbiest August 10 2015, 20:01:42 UTC

Yours is such a difficult position. I'm sure you're in-laws are good people, which makes it also harder, when mind-sets collide. What I would like to learn is to counter such situations without antagonizing people - ok, without becoming antagonized myself first. If one could develop a set of answers and retorts, like one does with dogs and kids -? Like the way you give as an example ( ... )