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Far-right AfD win in Germany is ‘grave moment’ for Europe, politicians warn
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 07 Sep 2026
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Has anyone stopped to actually ask the people there why they voted that way or what they hope to achieve?
From what I've seen, especially in local elections, the AfD simply promises anything and everything people in that area want. For example, I was recently on holiday in a small town where AfD won. Small touristic town, lots of farmland, very rural. The usual problems: young people move away, only businesses connected to tourism thrive, basic infrastructure like supermarkets or doctors close down. Also water scarcity for farmers (hello climate change). The AfD program was this: we will stop young people from moving away by building a trade school. We will monitor the water levels. We will attract new supermarkets. Basically: we will solve every major problem. How? Who cares! But we're seeing all the problems and solving them. Some vague mentions of the federal government not doing their job, but they (the AfD members from a small town in bumfuck nowhere) will MAKE THEM give the town money and just solve all those problems.
Sure, other parties don't always listen to the voters. But at least you usual get the feeling they thought about what solutions are reasonable. AfD just lists all problems and says "We'll solve it all, trust me bro."
Not to forget their favorite word "ideolgy-free" which just translates too: You like something the way it is? You hate it when science finds out your favorite thing is bad for you/everyone? Don't worry. We won't make pesky laws to protect you, your neighbors or the air you breathe. Just keep doing the thing that's been proven to be harmful. Change and progress are always bad and we are the only ones that understand that.
Yes, because "they're eating the dogs", basically.
Facebook boomers and edgy incel youths.
Channel 5 released a video about them yesterday: https://youtu.be/l2SjWowpynY
It’s essentially the same playbook. The ones leading the movement are telling the people it’s the immigrants and LGBTQ+ people who are to blame. But when they are asked what is actually affecting them personally, it’s economic policy, affordability, etc.
Standard fascist playbook. They point to existing problems, and promise it's the fault of immigrants/minorities etc.
Ultimately what needs to be done is to solve those existing problems. You get extremists like this when the people feel like there's something wrong that the "mainstream" politicians are unable or unwilling to fix.
Absolutely! The bigger problem is the "centrist" politicians are useless. Almost all politicians are wealthy class, not rocking the boat is in their interests. Most of the time they are part of the problem. So everywhere we end with the choice between parasites who'd rather do nothing and just profit off whatever corruption they can get away with, or parasites who equally profit from the system but are also nazis.
True change can only come from a bottom up movement, masses make demands so politics give in. NGOs, unions, student movements etc are the way to get our rights. We want rights, benefits, we need to ask for it properly, with strikes, protests, soup kitchens, activism. Worshiping power just makes us more miserable.
So has public education been gutted in Germany like it has been in the US? Trying to figure out why people still fall for this.
Education alone doesn't prevent people from being mislead by propaganda. Everyone is vulnerable to it, even i am. The key is to recognise it and be open enough to change your mind if you get new information. That's one of the parts that's sadly missing for a lot of people. Other parts are lacking media competency, because apparently a lot of people are unable to determine whether a Youtuber with a name like "truthwarrier88" is a trustworthy source comparable to DW or whatever. And then there is the issue of Russian propaganda and American social media platforms refusing to moderate their cesspools due to a twisted sense of "free speech". Well, and i guess that Covid thing also fried a few brains...
Propaganda works, it is highly effective. Scapegoating plays on human psychology very well. This will always work, there is no inoculation to protect society. You have to stop the behavior.
They want the immigrants and the evil trans people out and more like it used to be.
Of course this is all rooted in bad economy and infrastructure, especially in east Germany. And the Afd is unfortunately really good at presenting easy solutions to hard problems by blaming minorities for everything. They do this very effectively via tiktok and other new media which the old parties have not been able to unterstand yet.