The parent comment asserted without evidence that “posts like this are designed to split the left.” Then Štěpán responded by doubting that the unity the parent comment implied exists in the first place. This is all a dispute of facts; actions can then be taken based on those facts but so far you’re assuming an argument “don’t vote for the Democrats” that nobody made. Or, in other words, there are conclusions you can make from “the centrists actually hate us and everything we stand for” other than “don’t vote in the election.”

If you have a point make it I’m not going to read your mind.

Like I said to the other person, if you have evidence to the contrary I’d love to see it.

This goes to c\actuallyinfuriating.

That might actually hurt shareholders, though.

It also drove a wedge between the far left and the center left.

No it didn’t. The people the Nazis were making deals with were squarely on the right of the German political spectrum. We’re talking monarchists, rightwing nationalists and the like. A good proxy for this would be seeing which parties voted for the Enabling Act of 1933, and as you’ll notice immediately if you’re familiar with German politics from this period they’re all rightwing. Hell, most of them weren’t even republican. The center left here was the SPD, and they all (the ones that made it to the Reichstag anyway) voted no, while the communists were too busy suffering state repression. Importantly, the wedge that was driven between these two parties was driven by themselves.

I’d say not really. This deal with the devil tactic was ultimately about getting the German political establishment to support them in return for breaking communist skulls, so it falls pretty cleanly under “simply getting more supporters.” What would count would be the Nazis trying to split people who oppose them from other people who oppose them (so social democrats from liberals, communists from social democrats, etc) so that the size of the opposition isn’t changed but it’s directed less effectively. What you’re referring to is just selling oneself to potential supporters, which any political party/movement must do anyway.

Literally nobody said anything about voting.

Or mistyped.

I’d certainly be interested in historical examples of fascist propaganda meant specifically to divide the opposition (rather than simply gain more supporters).

Whenever you read about Somali pirates, remember that:

1- Somalis are being driven to piracy by international illegal fishing that destroys their traditional ways of live.

2- When the Somali Civil War led to the rise of a faction willing and able to stop piracy off the Somalian coast, America responded by backing Ethiopia in invading Somalia, deposing them and putting in charge the current useless government. This incidentally led to the civil war getting a new lease on life.

Like so many other things, Somali piracy is the fault of the global rich and America.

Uh… no? Of course they’d love it to happen, but that’s not how fascists historically operate.

That’s one thing it can do, but there are other, actually useful things you can have it do. For example I’ve used it as a pseudo-search engine when Google refused to cooperate/when the thing I was looking up was too complex before.

I mean you could say the same thing about the power loom. Labor-saving technology does matter.

“Mainstream politicians” didn’t suddenly change and become less competent than before.

Maybe, but they’re less restrained due to the death of radical labor. There’s a reason social welfare in most of Europe develops to more or less its current state between 1945 and the 80s and just stops there.

This is especially true in East Germany, where living standards have risen dramatically since the fall of communism.

Actually increases in standard of living have proportionally basically the same in all of Germany since then, but also that doesn’t make the housing crisis or insane energy prices sting any less. Radical politics in general takes off due to a perception that the mainstream politics isn’t doing the job.

The other half belongs to their rich backers.

AfD winning is a grave moment for Europe, but nobody should be listening to mainstream politicians about anything since they’re half the cause of this mess.

There are many actual legal actions taken against AfD and AfD members already, including a period of time where AfD was not allowed to receive briefings regarding national security, something that is a right for all members of the Bundestag.

But nothing to actually solve ordinary people’s problems and show that there’s a way other than fascism. In the absence of that, defensive democracy is nothing more than theater.

people vote for because they are unhappy with the current situation. Caused by Covid, Ukraine War, Russian energy sanctions against EU before the Ukraine war that was very damaging to German industries, and now Eu sanctions against Russia that have similar effect. Followed by the damage on energy supplies like wood pellets from the Ukraine war, and on top of all that Trumps ridiculous tariffs and the effects of the Iran war. This is at the same time we have increased competition from China.

Yeah, it’s all those evil foreigners. It can’t be the awful mismanagement of the political establishment. Housing crisis? No way.

PS: The impact of Ukraine on energy prices is a direct consequence of EU countries slow-walking decarbonization.

The person breaking the lock and leaving deserves about as much blame as the burglar.

Why does the West not decouple from China right now?

Even if EU countries were willing to back Ukraine to the hilt (which they aren’t), there are many ways do to so that are more effective than picking fights with China.