There is no doubt that Europe is undergoing rapid changes; the people of Europe are taking back power from the ruling globalist elite. Today we again see a phenomenon last observed during the collapse of the Communist regimes in Eastern Europe: prominent figures switching sides, politicians and businessmen turning coats. “We have to be careful not to embrace the very swamp we want to drain”, warns Vávra Suk, the Czech born editor of the Swedish weekly paper Nya Tider.
The electoral victories of patriotic parties like Lega and FPÖ don’t merely show a political shift in Europe, they constitute a victory of the people over the establishment. The people are taking back democracy from the politicians who despise their voters, and feel loyalty for their globalist friends rather of their own country.
It is a healthy process, to get purge stagnating power structures once in a while and “reset” the system: in other words, to “drain the swamp”.
For the past two or three years, we have seen a new phenomenon. People from the establishment, even some prominent figures who not long ago would normally be a part of upholding the “cordon sanitaire” against popular movements, have suddenly switched to the side of the “populists”.
Some do so unintentionally. They happen to “like” the wrong meme on Facebook or have a slip of the tongue during an interview – and suddenly they find themselves disowned by their own political friends. In the hypocritical system of political correctness, no one is safe, those who are politically correct today may be accused tomorrow.
Others transform in a calculated, tactical manner, estimating whcih way the winds are blowing. They take up the very same rhetoric they earlier labelled “inhumane” and “fascist”, pretending that this has been their policy all along. The Swedish Social Democrats, when promising a tougher stance on immigration in front of the elections, describe it as “a return to traditional Social Democrat policy”.
They still attack the opposition and call them “hateful” and “racist”, although they now say exactly the same things as the opposition has for decades. They excuse it by saying that while they have “been naïve”, to speak with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven of the Social Democrats, the opposition is motivated by “wrong and bigot reasons”.
We’ve seen this before. I was born in Czechoslovakia, and was able to return and visit the country frequently after the Wall fell. Suddenly everyone was against the Communists. Former politicians and security agents turned businessmen. People who had connections from the former regime turned coat and continued in their corrupt operation as if nothing had changed.
Yes, there were many improvements. Political prisoners were set free, the judicial system became more transparent, there was actually merchandise on the store shelves and a multi party system was introduced. The system changed, but many of the people from the old system remained.
The political struggle between left and right has lost its relevance today. The liberal economic system has defeated the socialist ideas, no party with any influence today advocates a planned economy. Likewise, the right has capitulated in the cultural field, letting the left implement their ideas regarding gender, the alternative family, modern art etc.
The struggle is now between the people, represented by the so called “populists”, and the elites.
It is interesting to see that the ruling class is now totally unable to comprehend why the people disapprove of their policies. To them, globalism has brought cheap labour and products, and they cannot comprehend that for most people that has led to unfair competition and lower living standards. While globalists praise open borders, most ordinary people don’t have the money to take advantage of them, and can’t afford the security systems needed to insulate them from the down sides of the society that the globalists have produced.
But if the ruling class is good at one thing, it’s surviving. The Social Democratic party of Denmark, after witnessing the eradication of their colleagues in elections around Europe, have proposed a total halt on immigration asylum. In a total U-turn of their former policies, they now advocate that even asylum seekers who have their application approved will not be allowed to settle in Demark, but will be moved to safe havens in Northern Africa.
What do we do with those who have made such abrupt changes in their politics, those who were destroying our nation yesterday, defending the interests of the ruling class and suppressing the voices of average people? I remember in Czechoslovakia, many would say “we were all part of the system in one way or another,” trying to excuse their actions.
I’m not saying I have all the answers, but these are the questions we need to ask ourselves at this moment in history. We need all the support we can get, but we must also see that the people jumping over to our camp don’t necessarily share our vision. One big problem is that usually these people have a lot more professional experience, be it in politics, media, marketing or management. They have not been thrown out of schools or denied jobs because of their political views: on the contrary they have been able to focus on perfecting their proficiency. And now their skills will make them valuable and allow them to quickly attain influence.
Right now, we don’t have the luxury to turn people away who want to join forces with us, even if they once were part of the liberal establishment. Whatever makes the establishment weaker and brings systemic change closer is good. But we need to remember our history in order to really be able to drain the swamp. We cannot hold every collaborator accountable. There should be a sort of amnesty and reconciliation process, but we also need to make sure to drain the swamp of those who actively denied the people their democratic rights and worked to dismantle our nations.
One essential way to accomplish this task is to build organizations, to get people involved in all aspects of society. Political parties are especially important: those who recieve funding as a result of their political success should use their resources to organize a broad membership and support base. Political organizations can help perfect their member’s skills and build a new system to replace the current one. This is the way the Social Democrats transformed Swedish society in the 19th century. Through this process, the needs to utilize resources from the old system can be minimized.