It seems Canada is the only western liberal democracy left that is rejecting right wing populism

[DemocratSinceBirth]

[TwilightZone]

1. Perceived right-wing populism.

Trump is quite certainly not a populist. He just played one on TV.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. No country is perfect but they are pretty awesome.

They certainly don't have our racial strife.

[KT2000]

3. Populism?

I think this word is being misused about trump. He is a corporatist/fascist. Populist means for the people but he is not. The so-called populists in Europe are not populists either.

[TwilightZone]

6. He ran as a populist.

He isn't one, of course -- he's the living epitome of corporate elitism.

A lot of people bought into the notion though, rather inexplicably.

[KT2000]

9. Yes - that is the lie

perpetrated by all of those who run as populists around the world. News repeatedly refers to trump as a populist and it is the disguise he is getting away with. I just don't think we should support that lie.

[TwilightZone]

11. Agreed.

[Cosmocat]

14. He is a populist - a right wing populist

He spent 1 1/2 years rolling out of bed and saying or tweeting something abhorrent about some non-white, non-christian group.

Of course he is singular focused on whatever will profit Trump.

But, most often the populist front is the veneer to do some crazy ass shit.

[B2G]

4. Which country is the only one

that doesn't have an immigration problem, either real or perceived?

That's what's driving this trend. Even Merkel is catching on...

[Calculating]

8. Nailed it

I agree that immigration is the fundamental issue driving the shift to the right we're seeing throughout the world. The unprecedented immigration of African/Middle Eastern migrants is creating xenophobia, and causing people to elect politicians who promise a 'solution'. People naturally get scared when they "Rightly or Wrongly" perceive a cultural shift in their country. Fear is the main driving factor for the right.

[Initech]

15. I'm very worried someone is going to propose a "final solution" *COUGH* Trump.

And unlike the last final solution there won't be anyone who cares, or an army powerful enough to stop it. What united the US in World War 2 was stopping Hitler. But now that a wannabe Hitler is in charge of the most powerful army in the world, with a complicit House, Senate, and SCOTUS, there may be no stopping him no matter what he does, even if he goes through with the wall and deportation plans. What comes after that?

[B2G]

16. Please. He's not going to kill them.

He's going to kick them out.

That's bad enough.

[Initech]

18. Although I really wonder how much good that wall is going to do.

If anything it will be a symbol of the extremely poor choice we made. If there's anything we learned from El Chapo, it's that anyone can find a way around a wall. There's these things called tunnels, oceans, planes... And Donald is going to find that out very quickly.

[pampango]

13. Canada's immigration rate is 2 1/2 times that of the US and they are welcoming Syrian refugees

at a rate that would shock republicans and is too high for our Democrats to contemplate.

You are correct. The right is playing to nativist fears (that have always existed) in every country, particularly in eastern and central Europe that were shielded from immigrants and multiculturalism during the Soviet era. The US had it "Know Nothings" in the 19th century, the "America First"ers in the 20th century and now Trump supporters.

[True Dough]

17. Obama wanted more Syrian refugees

but the Republicans squashed the idea, as they are wont to do. It's not a hill that Obama was willing to die on.

Now we'll see what sort of hoops Drumpf is going to make immigrants jump through.

As for Canada, more than 28,000 Syrians have settled here over the past year. There have been challenges with housing and education, but what response to a crisis isn't going to result in some logistical and cultural hurdles? We shall overcome! Many heartwarming stories too.

[JudyM]

5. Austrians rejected one in favor of a green/social democrat this past Weekend.

[inanna]

7. Yes. Awesome development there!

[JudyM]

12. Right? Austria, of all places. Best news!

[malaise]

10. +1,000 n/t