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    European New Right

    Started reading Tomislav Sunić’s Against Democracy and Equality: The European New Right last night and got as far as Alain de Benoist’s preface, The New Right: 40 Years After.

    Benoist opens by explaining the difference between American and European right. "By contrast, on this side of the Atlantic, a liberal is primarily a spokesman of individualism, a supporter of free trade, and opponent of the state (and also a supporter of America). If one asks a Frenchman to quote a name of some well known liberal politician the names of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher would immediately come to his mind. In other words, what we call “liberal” corresponds to a large extent to that what the Americans call a “conservative” – and, therefore, a foe of a “liberal”!" THe American liberal is called a progresive. I recommend reading that section, but my interest soared, because it's an idea I've come to support, when I read the following description of democracy supported by the European New Right:

    As for democracy, whose main tenet is equal political rights, the ENR, which has never had any taste for despotism or dictatorship, and even less for totalitarianism, has always considered it, if not the best possible regime, at least the one that best meets the requirements of our times. But we must first understand its exact meaning. Democracy is the regime in which sovereignty resides in the people. But in order to be truly sovereign, the people must be able to express itself freely, and those whom it designates as its representatives must act in accordance with its wishes. That is why true democracy is participatory democracy, i.e. a democracy which allows people to exercise their sovereignty as often as possible and not just during the elections. In this sense, universal suffrage is only a technical means to assess the degree of the agreement or the consent between the government and the governed. As understood by the ancient Greeks, democracy, in the final analysis, is a system that allows all of its citizens to participate actively in public affairs. This means that liberty in democracy is defined as an opportunity to participate in activities that are deployed in the public sphere, and certainly not as liberty to become oblivious of the public sphere, or to withdraw oneself into the private sphere. A purely representative democracy is, at best, an imperfect democracy. Political power must be exercised at all levels, and not only at the top. This is only feasible by means of implementing the principle of subsidiarity, which means that the people make as many decisions as possible on issues of concern, and relegate to a higher level of decision-making only matters that concern larger communities. In an age when political representatives are more and more cut off from the people, and where power of the appointed and the co-opted prevails over those who were elected, and where a politician is stripped off his decision-making on behalf of some “governance” whose only goal is to mold the government of the people along the blueprints of business management or corporate managements, then the priority must be to resuscitate participatory democracy – a grass-roots democracy, a direct democracy, as well as to revive the active public sphere which alone is capable of upholding the social bond and guaranteeing the exercise of common values.
    Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. ― Gustav Mahler

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    Mister D (11-27-2018)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    Started reading Tomislav Sunić’s Against Democracy and Equality: The European New Right last night and got as far as Alain de Benoist’s preface, The New Right: 40 Years After.

    Benoist opens by explaining the difference between American and European right. "By contrast, on this side of the Atlantic, a liberal is primarily a spokesman of individualism, a supporter of free trade, and opponent of the state (and also a supporter of America). If one asks a Frenchman to quote a name of some well known liberal politician the names of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher would immediately come to his mind. In other words, what we call “liberal” corresponds to a large extent to that what the Americans call a “conservative” – and, therefore, a foe of a “liberal”!" THe American liberal is called a progresive. I recommend reading that section, but my interest soared, because it's an idea I've come to support, when I read the following description of democracy supported by the European New Right:
    The lack of participation is one of the more obvious flaws of liberal "democracy".
    Whoever criticizes capitalism, while approving immigration, whose working class is its first victim, had better shut up. Whoever criticizes immigration, while remaining silent about capitalism, should do the same.


    ~Alain de Benoist


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    Chris (11-27-2018)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister D View Post
    The lack of participation is one of the more obvious flaws of liberal "democracy".
    And yet mass democracy is no answer either. There should, I believe, be some criteria for participation. The Swiss might have the right idea, at least with regard to immigration, a story from almost a year ago that I happened across: Switzerland Bans Welfare Recipients From Obtaining Citizenship

    Swiss news site The Local reports that new laws taking effect this month will make it even more difficult for immigrants to obtain citizenship.

    It has apparently been established law for some time that immigrants collecting social benefits are barred from naturalization. The new law, however, now also prohibits naturalization if an applicant has accepted social benefits at any time during the previous three years.

    An exception is made if the benefits "are paid back in full."

    ...
    I posted a video interview of the caravan this morning, here http://thepoliticalforums.com/thread...=1#post2470700. Part of the interview tries to find out why thse people are headed for the US, are they seeking political asylum? No, they seek a piece of propseprity, jobs, and, unsurprisingly, welfare. If they're allowed entry, they should be treated the way the Swiss do.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    And yet mass democracy is no answer either. There should, I believe, be some criteria for participation. The Swiss might have the right idea, at least with regard to immigration, a story from almost a year ago that I happened across: Switzerland Bans Welfare Recipients From Obtaining Citizenship



    I posted a video interview of the caravan this morning, here http://thepoliticalforums.com/thread...=1#post2470700. Part of the interview tries to find out why thse people are headed for the US, are they seeking political asylum? No, they seek a piece of propseprity, jobs, and, unsurprisingly, welfare. If they're allowed entry, they should be treated the way the Swiss do.
    I consider the terms synonymous.

    The Swiss have it so obviously right I don't think it's really a matter of finding the right solution but of having an instinct for self-preservation. Our society seems intent on destroying itself.
    Whoever criticizes capitalism, while approving immigration, whose working class is its first victim, had better shut up. Whoever criticizes immigration, while remaining silent about capitalism, should do the same.


    ~Alain de Benoist


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    Chris (11-27-2018)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister D View Post
    I consider the terms synonymous.

    The Swiss have it so obviously right I don't think it's really a matter of finding the right solution but of having an instinct for self-preservation. Our society seems intent on destroying itself.

    Because to say such things leads to accusations of racism here.
    Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. ― Gustav Mahler

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