Joining forces in Cleveland: European-style nationalism is poised to unite with Trump’s GOP

[DonViejo]

Nigel Farage and Geert Wilders attending the RNC is evidence of the GOP's embrace of the extreme right

GARY LEGUM

After years of dark and apocalyptic warnings from Republicans that America was in danger of turning into Europe – think of the debate over passing Obamacare, with conservatives screaming about European-style socialized medicine – the GOP seems to have found something from that continent it can fully embrace: Hard-right, nationalist political parties and the isolationists who lead them.

Among the guests the Republicans will host this week at the convention in Cleveland are Nigel Farage of Britain’s UK Independence Party and Geert Wilders, a member of the Dutch parliament and leader of the country’s Party for Freedom. Which sounds like a giant rave, but is in fact a right-wing populist party that calls for, among other positions, halting all immigration from non-Western countries. Sound familiar?

Farage was the leader of UKIP until about three weeks ago and a driving force behind the recent Brexit vote, in which the United Kingdom’s residents voted to exit the European Union. Wilders, meanwhile, has also pushed for the Netherlands to leave the EU. In addition to being a well-known anti-Islamist who has led his party’s call for stopping immigration, he has also suggested expelling all Muslim immigrants already settled in the country. (Presumably until the government can figure out what the hell is going on.)

It is unusual for foreign political figures at the level of Farage and Wilders to attend an American political convention. Perhaps nothing should really surprise us in the Year of Trump, but it is a measure of just how far to the right the GOP has swung that members of the party felt comfortable inviting two well-known anti-immigrant, anti-EU figures to Cleveland. (Farage has played it coy about exactly who in the GOP invited him. Wilders is being hosted by a state legislator from Tennessee, and if there is a region of America that knows something about a state seceding from a larger union….)

The far right of America making common cause with the far right of Europe is not a new phenomenon, of course. It’s not even a new activity for Wilders, who last year spoke at an anti-Islam event in Texas, organized by well-known Islamophobe Pamela Gellar, to honor the best drawings of Muhammad. The event was protested beforehand and was the target of an attack by Muslims offended by the depictions of their prophet, which are considered blasphemous.

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http://www.salon.com/2016/07/19/joining_forces_in_cleveland_european_style_nationalism_is_poised_to_unite_with_trumps_gop/

[heaven05]

1. this is about

amerikkka, not Trump or his chumps. Also THIS IS ABOUT AMERIKKKANS AND TRUE AMERICANS. All this kabuki is entertaining for many, it enrages me to see european racists speaking for amerikkkan racists but it should show true americans what has been pointed out repeatedly, American and European RW racist murderers have long been joined together to make Europe and America white again. To have the audacity to steal from Michelle is a crime, but racists have been stealing lives and blood from AA for generations. Nothing out of character at all for these types of amerikkkans.

[PatrickforO]

2. Ick.

Aligning with right wing forces in Europe is sadly not new. Here's a 1939 American Nazi Party rally.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFBqYVIAj4Y/UwSMsuTTm_I/AAAAAAAAIso/XRUJfBGxNOI/s1600/American+Nazi+organization+rally+at+Madison+Square+Garden,+1939.jpg

This is where we're going if Trump is elected.

[tonyt53]

3. Damn straight it is. We have to end this nonsense in November.