The Rise of the Right: It Could Get Bad Before It Gets Better

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No arguments people. I am no liberal in the sense that you are. I am in some senses because I care about the downtrodden. I care about the environment. I was once a union convenor who looked after my union members regardless of race, creed, colour etc et al. I know I’m not all bad but I also know I’m not all good either. I have a history as do we all. Some of it, I admit, I’m not proud of but you can’t change history can you? Leopards can, however, if not entirely change their spots, change their view of the world. I did. Perhaps one small part of my history may possibly give you some hope.

Small hope I suspect but even small hope is better than none.

I am, or rather I was, one of the forgotten – in my mind at least. I was young and angry and didn’t understand why my life wasn’t as good as I believed it should be. I was, back then, probably the sort of person who would have voted Trump.

I hated politicians – frankly I still have little time for them – but, being young and stupid I needed a focus for my anger and hatred and feelings of being lost and unwanted.

I didn’t understand politics – still don’t really if I’m honest – but when I needed someone or something to say “Hey! We’re here for you!” I listened. I listened to bullshit because the bullshit I listened to gave me false hope but I didn’t know it was false hope. It was hope and that’s all I cared about.

I listened when Britain’s National Front (Nazi’s) told me it was all the fault of immigrants. My life was shite and I needed someone to blame. Nobody was giving me anyone to blame until the NF came along.

Now? Of course I wouldn’t listen to bullshit like that – or would I?

Now my life is fine -relatively speaking. I have a wife and family. We are far from rich or even ‘well off’ but we ‘get by’ reasonably ok and financially we have few worries. It’s more by luck than judgement but we are ok. Ok will do for me.

I don’t need anyone to blame for my lousy life because my life isn’t lousy.

Of course I wouldn’t say ‘no’ to having a wee bit more money. More money equals more comfort and I want my family to have more comfort.

I still get cross or downright angry that Britain gives billions in international aid. I still get cross or downright angry that Britain allows so many immigrants into the country. Too many people equals the infrastructure struggling as the infrastructure hasn’t received sufficient investment. Stop the immigrants in numbers terms and it will help – and, indeed it will.

I agreed, and still agree, with UKIP wanting us to leave The European Union. Whether this proves to be a bad thing or a good thing remains to be seen.

I still hold views, on immigration particularly, that are straight out of any ‘right wing’ doctrine. Hey guess what? I’m not perfect.

What I do know though, after spending so much of my youth attracted to right wing or even far right groups is this.

They are nasty. They are, given half a chance, downright evil.

Something in my genetic makeup saved me. I am many things and not all of them necessarily nice, but I’m not downright nasty or evil. My genetic makeup saved me – along with meeting a lovely lady who was daft enought to marry me.

I moved on and away from those days with considerable relief albeit I didn’t recognise the relief for what it was at the time. I did, however, remain in touch with pals who remained firmly routed in these right wing groups.

To this day, and they are all around my age now, they still believe the bullshit. They believe it because they have lives that they don’t want and, more to the point, lives they believe they don’t deserve and, in general, they are right. They don’t deserve to have poor lives. They are still as angry as I was when I was young and they want someone to blame.

The right and, particularly, the far right are giving them someone to blame. Immigrants primarily.

The fact that immigrants have done no more than commit the heinous crime of ‘being here’ to try and make a better life for themselves and their families – just as my angry no longer young pals want – seems lost on them.

Their lives are shite and someone has to be blamed.

The immigrants, The European Union – mainly because other members of the EU are foreign. Immigrants and The EU are on a par with ISIS in the minds of many of those who still feel lost and angry.

I know this because I know them. I was once one of them.

If they were American they would have voted for Trump.

Clearly there are people in America who feel this way. That is surely the only way someone like Trump could become President.

How do you reach these people to change their minds? How do you explain to them how wrong they are?

That’s the bit that really worries me. I was once one of them and yet I have no idea how you can reach out to people so utterly devoid of hope that they would vote in Donald Trump. It happened in Germany in the 30’s – not that Trump is Hitler of course but the similarities regarding how he has been elected are alarming.

A people devoid of hope and angry at what they see as their crappy lives cling to a saviour who couldn’t care less about them but says things that they identify with.

We are in troubling times – and that is an understatement.

Hope?

Very little really.

One leopard did change his spots at least up to a point. (That’s me by the way).

There’s a lot of leopards out there right now in America and Britain and Europe. If something or someone doesn’t pop up to change their spots at least a little bit, the right are ‘on the up’ and, believe me, the world will be a very dangerous place to be for everyone.

I remember the late 70’s and early 80’s in Britain. The National Front, The British Movement, Viking Youth, Combat 18 – now that was an organisation you didn’t want to fall foul of. I believe British security services had them on their radar.

I had, and have, a number of pals who were members (or claimed to be) of Combat 18. As far as I know they are now respectable married men. I bloody hope so anyway. If that mob came out of the woodwork again then Britain really is in a bad place.

So, America. All’s not lost. People can change. People can realise the error of their ways. Come on, if a daft northerner like me can then surely anyone can eh?

Small hope perhaps, but, for now, we can but hope that eventually, common sense and a desire to be a decent human being finally prevails regardless of Trump and anything worse that follows.

After the darkness there is light.

Isn’t there?

About Post Author

Neil Bamforth

I am English first, British second and never ever European. I have supported Oldham Athletic FC for 50 years which has made me immune from depression. My taste buds have died due to too many red hot curries so I drink Kronenburg beer and milk - sometimes in the same glass. I have a wife, daughter, 9 cats and I like toast.
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Admin
7 years ago

Neil is a big Brexit fan, so I do hope it goes well for him.

Joe Hagstrom
7 years ago

Interesting read Neil. I have doubts there is light after the darkness as there will always be suspicion and hate. Worse though is there will always be those that expertly exploit it. Hope Brexit goes well for you and your Country.

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