So, voters are mindless sheep led astray by Russian interference. At least, it is believed that some are as Russian interference only seems to affect people who vote the wrong way. The elites and their hangers on are immune to propaganda. What accounts for the difference? Something genetic? It's a nonsense, of course, and if the Russians were not currently the geat electoral bogey man then it would be some other bad actor manipulating voters, the Chinese or North Koreans perhaps
Some of the elites in the UK, EU and US may genuinely think that they would be favoured but for foreign interference - the belief is a comfort blanket for their vanity - but for other members of the elites it is a cover story for the lawfare, a sign of desperation, described by Frank (and so blatant and excessive in the US that voters saw through it) and for the real project to render democracy limited and subordinate to rule by lawyers.
It is quite clear that in the UK it is Starmer's ambition to see parliamemnt subordinated to the supreme court and the country governed by the 'international rules based order' of supranational treaties and universal rights. Similar ambition may exist in the EU but the lawfare in France and now in Romania looks more desperate and less ideologically motivated than it is for Starmer. The EU has every reason to feel desperate.
In the US the Democratic establishment overplayed its hand and the lawfare backfired. It may backfire in France as well. The increasingly popular Bardella, Le Pen's deputy would almost certainly benefit from Le Pen being barred. The vote for RN would probably increase. In Germany talk of banning the AfD continues. In every case fools are playing with fire.
Trust in centrist, liberal goverments is at all time low precisely becuase they are less and less democratic and becoming exposed as such. The idiots in charge really are playing with fire.
I don't know much about Romania and how likely the electorate are to fall for the allegations of Russian interference and so accept the ruling, but the US and UK history will indicate this is a ruse and not real. Even if the Romanian goverment get away with it the EU should not feel relieved. The electorates in France and Germany are no longer easily fooled.
Governments are so afraid of right wing and populist backlashes, they do not see that it is they who have enabled these movements. We know what pendulums do.
The obvious reason for the rise of fringe ‘far right’ groups, and more significantly ‘the conservative which is labelled as “far right” in an blatant attempt to discredit them’ is of course the fact that successive Governments have simply ignored the voters’ wishes. Brits and other western majorities don’t want their country overrun by culturally “incompatible” (indeed often directly hostile) immigrants. It’s destroying our ‘western’ / ‘Christian’ societies.
Try few actually hate or oppose immigrants per se, it’s just the scale & selection.
The left, the woke & the weak (Tories fit in there maybe in all three categories?) are now desperate to cling to ‘main party’ power but hopefully their time has come. Lawfare is yet another example of how fascists can shut down the popular vote and cover up their own misdeeds. Now South Korea appears to be at it too, but for now it seems democracy has prevailed. (I’m no Sth Korean expert tho…)
This is a typically strong argument about the cancellation of a democratic election on the basis of vague talk of Russian interference, by a president who's extending his time in office and likely as a consequence of him not liking the likely election winner; it's a shame there isn't more nuanced reportage on the subject in the UK. Small point, but Macron won an election fair and square and will certainly leave office at the end of his time. I worry about populists in France, and elsewhere, of Left and Right, seeking to overturn the result of a democratic presidential election. In one sense, it's little different from what the Romanian president is trying to do.
The next step it seems for the controllers, when lawfare is not enough to control the sheeple, is warfare, either by outside proxy, as with the soundly defeated corrupt lame duck US administration, or martial law, as attempted in S Korea.
So, voters are mindless sheep led astray by Russian interference. At least, it is believed that some are as Russian interference only seems to affect people who vote the wrong way. The elites and their hangers on are immune to propaganda. What accounts for the difference? Something genetic? It's a nonsense, of course, and if the Russians were not currently the geat electoral bogey man then it would be some other bad actor manipulating voters, the Chinese or North Koreans perhaps
Some of the elites in the UK, EU and US may genuinely think that they would be favoured but for foreign interference - the belief is a comfort blanket for their vanity - but for other members of the elites it is a cover story for the lawfare, a sign of desperation, described by Frank (and so blatant and excessive in the US that voters saw through it) and for the real project to render democracy limited and subordinate to rule by lawyers.
It is quite clear that in the UK it is Starmer's ambition to see parliamemnt subordinated to the supreme court and the country governed by the 'international rules based order' of supranational treaties and universal rights. Similar ambition may exist in the EU but the lawfare in France and now in Romania looks more desperate and less ideologically motivated than it is for Starmer. The EU has every reason to feel desperate.
In the US the Democratic establishment overplayed its hand and the lawfare backfired. It may backfire in France as well. The increasingly popular Bardella, Le Pen's deputy would almost certainly benefit from Le Pen being barred. The vote for RN would probably increase. In Germany talk of banning the AfD continues. In every case fools are playing with fire.
Trust in centrist, liberal goverments is at all time low precisely becuase they are less and less democratic and becoming exposed as such. The idiots in charge really are playing with fire.
I don't know much about Romania and how likely the electorate are to fall for the allegations of Russian interference and so accept the ruling, but the US and UK history will indicate this is a ruse and not real. Even if the Romanian goverment get away with it the EU should not feel relieved. The electorates in France and Germany are no longer easily fooled.
It would be quite amusing if, were Le Pen convicted, Bardella stepped in and won an even bigger vote.
I, too, immediately thought on reading this that Starmer must already be plotting how to nullify an election through the supreme court.
So thanks very much, Frank, without your article the significance of this story would likely have passed me by.
Governments are so afraid of right wing and populist backlashes, they do not see that it is they who have enabled these movements. We know what pendulums do.
The obvious reason for the rise of fringe ‘far right’ groups, and more significantly ‘the conservative which is labelled as “far right” in an blatant attempt to discredit them’ is of course the fact that successive Governments have simply ignored the voters’ wishes. Brits and other western majorities don’t want their country overrun by culturally “incompatible” (indeed often directly hostile) immigrants. It’s destroying our ‘western’ / ‘Christian’ societies.
Try few actually hate or oppose immigrants per se, it’s just the scale & selection.
The left, the woke & the weak (Tories fit in there maybe in all three categories?) are now desperate to cling to ‘main party’ power but hopefully their time has come. Lawfare is yet another example of how fascists can shut down the popular vote and cover up their own misdeeds. Now South Korea appears to be at it too, but for now it seems democracy has prevailed. (I’m no Sth Korean expert tho…)
S Korea is a different case: it is steadily being usurped by CCP and Kim dynasty influence in the parliament.
Hope not - not yet anyway
This is a typically strong argument about the cancellation of a democratic election on the basis of vague talk of Russian interference, by a president who's extending his time in office and likely as a consequence of him not liking the likely election winner; it's a shame there isn't more nuanced reportage on the subject in the UK. Small point, but Macron won an election fair and square and will certainly leave office at the end of his time. I worry about populists in France, and elsewhere, of Left and Right, seeking to overturn the result of a democratic presidential election. In one sense, it's little different from what the Romanian president is trying to do.
We don't want to force out Macron - on the other hand if he becomes totally isolate he should think of resigning
The next step it seems for the controllers, when lawfare is not enough to control the sheeple, is warfare, either by outside proxy, as with the soundly defeated corrupt lame duck US administration, or martial law, as attempted in S Korea.