Researching the mainstreaming of reactionary/far-right politics
Co-convenor of @reacpolrn.bsky.social
Reactionary Democracy w. @aaronwinter.bsky.social and co-editor of The Ethics of Researching the Far Right
Full profile:
https://shorturl.at/CiYKm ..
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Researching the mainstreaming of reactionary/far-right politics
Co-convenor of @reacpolrn.bsky.social
Reactionary Democracy w. @aaronwinter.bsky.social and co-editor of The Ethics of Researching the Far Right
Full profile:
https://shorturl.at/CiYKm
Some thoughts on terminology and the term reactionary @reacpolrn.bsky.social
reacpol.net/on-reactiona...
This is a convenient and dangerous fantasy which ignores that the roots of the problem are systemic 👇🏻
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Again, not saying we shouldn't bring it up but the way it is makes me really uneasy as it conceals the more subtle way the process of mainstreaming works.
Reposted by Aurélien Mondon
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Its roots are as much in the mainstream's actions (or lack thereof) than they are in the extreme. The latter can in fact be a useful distraction from the more systemic nature of reactionary politics.
It was essential to counter his antisemitism obviously but it wasn't enough to counter the rise of more reconstructed far-right politics (and their mainstreaming) as they appeared palatable by comparison
It matters whether the leader of the party leading all the opinion polls is an outright racist. It matters if he called black people 'wogs' and said 'gas them' to Jews. Not everything is a game
The issue is that it is done so as an individual flaw rather than as part of a wider political project which has been cleared for decades and enabled by mainstream actors. The latter matters far more
The issue is that it is done so as an individual flaw rather than as part of a wider political project which has been cleared for decades and enabled by mainstream actors. The latter matters far more.
Reposted by Aurélien Mondon
It opens the way for less extreme actors espousing the same politics while these have become normalised by mainstream actors
Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Steve Peers , and 1 more Ben H. Ansell, Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Aurélien Mondon
It matters whether the leader of the party leading all the opinion polls is an outright racist. It matters if he called black people 'wogs' and said 'gas them' to Jews. Not everything is a game
That seems ridiculous considering there is expert support and some have and haven't heard a peep. In that case, the threat is enough to get big players in line which is concerning obviously...
What I honestly don't get is how Reform could have any leg to stand on considering what the rightwing press publishes against the left. Surely that should act as jurisprudence.
Any media experts to weigh in?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
"The BBC were asked by this paper whether there had been any similar discussions about securing the support of voters for other parties in the UK, but they did not identify any examples"
bylinetimes.com/2025/06/09/b...
Reposted by Pierre Bataille, Aurélien Mondon, Pierre-Yves Baudot
www.mediapart.fr/journal/fran...
He’ll be addressing a group funded by Viktor Orbán’s autocratic regime, which has seized control of the country’s media, judiciary, and routinely harasses its critics
Not focusing only on the words or actions of one man but by looking at wider societal trends, the role of the mainstream and of course accounting for power
This is not (just) opinion, it's necessary analysis
Could the far right be far right?!
We found countless examples and testimonies and it is clear that, based on most serious definitions, they are indeed far right and a threat to democracy
However, we asked them and they said they are not.
Therefore, who is to know?
Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Steve Peers, Aurélien Mondon
Congratulations for fuelling the far-right fire, that's definitely what is needed to put it out right now
This has always backfired (including in France) but I'm sure it will work this time...
(Worth noting, it is also an incredibly lazy attempt too)
www.lemonde.fr/idees/articl...
Reposted by Aurélien Mondon
