If you’ve paid attention to recent political affairs in the world, you may have noticed just how right-wing the world has become. Trump’s return to office and crackdown on immigration, Reform UK’s recent sweep in the English local elections, and Labour’s reactionary response with Starmer’s “Island of Strangers” speech. No matter where you look, or how you look at it, the world has seemingly become more right-wing.
But that’s not the major worry. The major worry is what comes after the world becomes right-wing, when the doors to neo-fascism open, and the people accept it with open arms. While some may argue that neo-fascism is still far from becoming realised, I would argue that its tendrils have already infected many political parties.
The most obvious example is Trump’s current presidency. After mistakenly deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia to an infamous El Salvadoran prison, the US Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Garcia was illegally deported due to an “administrative error” and should be returned immediately. Naturally, you would assume that Trump would help facilitate the return of an illegally imprisoned man in a foreign country.
But, no. Trump has instead decided to ignore a unanimous Supreme Court decision and refuses any aid for Garcia. He has ignored one of the most major systems in place that keep the presidency in check, in favour of himself.
The US President now has the ability to ignore one of the most crucial aspects of democracy, making decisions based on his own whims. This may remind you of a dictatorship, and it rightly should. Trump is now capable of making decisions completely individually, with minimum pashback from the Democrats or his own administration.
Don’t forget when Trump said “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?” in a rally back in 2016. It might not have happened literally, but it already has metaphorically. Though it’s easy enough to analyse the political stage of a country that has an entire ocean separating you, looking at the current state of politics in your own country always comes with slightly more optimism.
Unfortunately, with the current state of UK and English politics, this optimism is almost entirely misplaced. Reform’s recent sweep in the English local elections has forced many to reconsider their allegiances to both Labour and the Conservatives. With both of the main opposition parties losing more and more power, it was obvious that Keir Starmer had to react fast.
But what could he do? Maybe create more left leaning policies to appeal to Green and Lib Dem voters? Recognise Palestine and the ongoing genocide?
No, he didn’t even remotely approach these ideas. Instead, Starmer decided a reactionary approach was in order. He needed to appeal to the right.
So, now he doesn’t believe trans women are women and that immigration is the “obvious” biggest problem in the UK right now. Fearing immigration is one of the biggest indicators of a neo-fascist government, and deporting immigrants is a further step in that direction. While the UK may not be in as bad a situation as the US, it’s important to remember that a single step in this direction could lead to terrible repercussions that will affect every single person, including those who vote for it.
In a neofascist state, fear rules, and the