Hi there,
It’s an interesting question: can something be deemed out of the mainstream if, well, a majority actually supports it? I mean, it seems straightforward, but it feels like some people just can’t get their heads around it.
OH LOOK, DEMOCRACY IN ACTION
As I sift through articles regarding the chances of Germany’s AfD party ahead of the upcoming state elections in Saxony, they all seem to describe this political group as “far right” or on the fringe.
From the viewpoint of writers in places like New York or Washington, anyone to the right of, say, John Kasich, automatically falls into that “far right” category.
Once put under state surveillance due to an “extremist” label, the AfD is now looking to gain control of one of Germany’s federal states. This shift is evidently sending ripples of anxiety through the hearts of liberal commentators who are, quite literally, continents away.
Take a look at this opening line from Isaac Stanley-Becker at The Atlantic. For context, he’s educated at Yale and has a PhD from Oxford, just to set the stage:
Picture it’s October 2026. One of Germany’s federal states has, for the first time since the Nazi era, come under a far-right government. The AfD, having secured an absolute majority in the state parliament and with its own leader as state premier, starts putting its agenda into action. The interior minister launches an emergency remigration plan: ending asylum, revoking any residence permit for foreigners convicted of a crime, pledging to reassess all naturalization decisions this century, and detaining those targeted for deportation. The government halts the classification of Ukrainians as war refugees and takes away their social benefits. EU flags vanish from public buildings. The mainstream media is pushed aside in favor of influencers who share the party’s views. Vigilante groups are authorized to assist law enforcement in high-crime areas.
I have to admit, I reached the end of that and honestly, wow. It almost felt like a poorly disguised recruitment ad for the AfD.
That aside, what’s being described also sounds completely unrealistic. You’d think that someone who fancies themselves an expert on European politics would know that many of these proposed actions—like ending asylum procedures and reassessing naturalizations from decades past—are not typically within the power of a state government (you can’t overlook the differences in state and federal powers).
That said, he is spot on about one element; these ideas are indeed part of the AfD’s policies. And if they’re polling nearly ten points ahead of the next closest party, which also holds strong views on immigration, can we really say these beliefs are “far right”?
Maybe for someone stuck in an echo chamber of Washington or New York, where the consequences of lenient immigration or crime policies seem, well, far removed from daily life.
But the election happening thousands of miles away highlights a real issue for many neoliberals: the things they despise aren’t fringe at all; in fact, they’re quite popular.
Things like merit, wealth that’s earned, effective policing, even mass deportations, and especially the idea that men and women are different. The people who think otherwise are becoming more insulated, both geographically and intellectually. It’s either the urban elite with a pile of degrees or regular folks with more grounded opinions.
Every time they label these ideas as abnormal, fringe, or “far right,” they might just be revealing their own disconnect.
ADDITIONAL LINKS
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What went wrong?
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That’s a tough situation.
What Do Trump’s 2024 Supporters Expect from Him Now?
A solid breakdown from Reagan.
