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Comment by lorddoig | Hacker News Reader

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.

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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...

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 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.

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

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