Dagens historiske parallel

Europa, velkommen til Nixonland!

As the historian Rick Perlstein documents in his terrific new book “Nixonland,” America’s hard right turn really began in 1966, when the Democrats suffered a severe setback in Congress — and Ronald Reagan was elected governor of California.

The cause of that right turn, as Mr. Perlstein shows, was white fear of urban disorder — and the associated fear that fair housing laws would let dangerous blacks move into white neighborhoods. “Law and order” became the rallying cry of right-wing politicians, above all Richard Nixon, who rode that fear right into the White House.

Og det er grundlæggende det, der er sket i Vesteuropa det sidste årti, med brune muslimer i stedet for sorte kristne. Vores flerpartisystemer gør dog at de antimuslimske (årets ord!) som regel har deres egne partier, i stedet for blot at blive fodsoldater for det økonomiske aristokrati, og derfor ikke nødvendigvis stemmer imod egne økonomiske interesser.