Editorial: United They Fall; European and Japanese far-right leaders gathered in Tokyo

[pampango]

http://www.panorientnews.com/en/news.php?k=303

A curious event took place last week. Dozens of European and Japanese far-right leaders gathered in Tokyo to discuss their common interests, topped by an August 14th homage at Yasukuni Shrine. The best-known European delegates were Jean-Marie Le Pen and Bruno Gollnisch of France's National Front, and Adam Walker of the British National Party.

The gathering was organized by Mitsuhiro Kimura, the president of Issuikai, the leading "new right" group that opposes the US-Japan alliance. Kimura has long advocated the international cooperation of rightist groups, and this event, formally called "The Future of Nationalist Movements," appears to have been something in the character of a dream realized for him.

Adam Walker explained, "We will come under the umbrella of international nationalism." But what exactly is "international nationalism"? They claim to see many common interests in building national pride within their respective nations, combating globalization, and learning from each others' experiences.

While it is factually the case that far-right nationalist groups in different nations do have a lot in common, it is nevertheless poisonous to their own interests to admit it openly. The appeal of the far right is essentially emotional: it is aimed at the gut rather than the mind. It plays upon the sense that one's own people and culture are unique and incomparable. Ultimately, far-right nationalism depends on feelings of the superiority of one's own community.