Hacker News Reader

Comment by the_mitsuhiko | Hacker News Reader

Why sleepwalking? Seems very awake and intentional.

I was about to post the same thing. The article strikes a very condescending tone towards Austrian voters - like they're idiots for voting this way. Meanwhile, as usual, it's the economy that has people upset:

> Year-on-year inflation peaked at 11.2 percent in January 2023 and remains above the eurozone average. And natural gas prices increased by 103 percent in the first half of 2023 compared with the same period the year prior.

These kinds of numbers have very real consequences for people living paycheck to paycheck.

Austria uses predominantly Russian natural gas via the Ukrainian pipeline. Sure, it sucks that prices are going up, but going against Ukraine and against Bulgaria - the two countries that can transit that Russian gas to them - isn't the smartest of decisions.

So then the alternative is to let Putin have his way with Ukraine, just so gas prices stay low?

It's really interesting how similar the "political programmes" of far-right populists are across the globe, from FPÖ to Orbán to Trump: anti-immigration, vaccine skeptic, isolationist, against international treaties and organizations (EU, UN, NATO, ...), and (most interestingly) consistently pro-Putin. I wonder why...

In EU, electricity price is indexed on gas price, and so, we the gas price is applied to cheap nuclear energy. Also, care do demonstrate how buying Russian oil to India saves Ukraine? Thanks.

When has the far right actually solved any real problems instead of exacerbating them?

Because admitting that right/centre-right views are democratically popular would mean they'd actually have to grapple with the issues going on. It's cheaper and easier to make comparisons with the Nazis and play to the raw outrage of their readership than actually engage in real journalism.

The comparisons with the Nazis - in the case of the FPÖ - are not exactly far-fetched. They have a history of engaging with Neo-Nazis.

That's as may be, but it's also a well-rehearsed cry of establishment media:

- "Neo-Nazi accused a fan of Nigel Farage, trial told", BBC [0]

- "Farage’s fascist past?", The Independent [1]

- "Giorgia Meloni appoints minister once pictured wearing Nazi armband", The Guardian [2]

- "Milei appoints former minister with pro-Nazi past as head of state lawyers", El Pais [3]

The first isn't anything to do with Farage, really. The rest are childhood indiscretions and one case of a bad taste outfit worn on a stag party. Google any democratically elected leader from the right followed by "nazis" and you'll find articles like this.

[0]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-57258375

[1]: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-...

[2]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/01/giorgia-meloni...

[3]: https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-12-02/milei-ap...

The difference is that in Austria it has a bit of historic meaning.

And while there were (and probably are) Nazis and Neo-Nazis in different parties the VDU that later became the FPÖ definitely a way higher amount than average.

Sure, I get it, people like to call each other Nazis in a fight. I‘m just saying in the case of the FPÖ, it‘s a different story. They have/had Neo-Nazi connections, and that‘s well known.

In the sense that "establishment media" is rooted in the liberal, democratic, and constitutional state (you know, the one where free speech, freedom of the press and and many other civil liberties are actually protected) and has a problem with people who expound or even glorify ideas that would seek to abolish such a state (as proven by history)? Let's talk about civil liberties and free press in Nazi Germany, I'm pretty sure it becomes apparent why a free press is against a non-free society.

Then, maybe it really is just bad taste to show up with a Nazi armband but then, in a free country, a free press can and should point out that this is bad taste and that, maybe, we would like to consider if we want to vote or otherwise support someone with this kind of poor judgement into power. It is not a rehearsed speech just because you dislike the message.

I actually agree with you more or less entirely. I only suspect that the motivation for making such comparisons is not always so noble, however. Some of it is just plain old smearing.

No argument here ;)

The left has been calling everyone on the right racist and Nazis for so long that it's lost its punch. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't make them a Nazi or racist.

Sounds like you’ve no actual clue of the history of FPÖ.

Eh, the Liederbuch-Affäre where they sang actual Nazi songs is not known outside of Austria?

Happened a few years ago

When people are leaning towards far-rights it's sleepwalking, when they are leaning towards far-left they are a progressive society.

My thoughts exactly.

What if the left has been destroying their country through unchecked spending and immigration and the right are the only people awake enough to see it?

"What if the left has been destroying their country through unchecked spending and immigration and the right are the only people awake enough to see it?"

We had no left government in ages ;)

The ÖVP is moderate to right and is part of EVERY government since 1987 (!!!)

Also see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ministers_of_finance_(...

But the left wasn't in power the last 7 years. The center-right and the Greens were and are in power. It requires some mental gymnastics to frame this coalition as left.

But to be frank, I'm not following Austrian politics closely. If the FPÖ is anything like the German AfD they are actually a very pro free-market. anti-social and worker-hostile party. I don't know why struggling people would vote for them, but they do.

> I don't know why struggling people would vote for them, but they do.

In stark contrast to many, I know a lot of people voting for the FPÖ, although all my close friends are far more left than right.

I have family that votes for the FPÖ, I have acquaintances and I know them, because I talk to them, uncondescending and am very interested in their motives.

And quite frankly: Most of the time it's simply not logical.

I can point them to laws the FPÖ enacted (because, you know, stuff like that is public), laws that DIRECTLY hurt them and they still vote for them, because "the foreigners, they will take everything we have!"

And even foreigners vote for them. People that are not Austrian citizens but already living in Austria feel like they belong here but now the gates should be closed.

It all boils down to emotions and the good ol' divide et impera, which has worked for millenia all around the world.

Some have their reasons, e.g. because they like what the FPÖ is doing at local levels.

I think the idea is that only people who agree with the author are Austria.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com