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FERN MCBRIDE (NYC)'s avatar

The economies in Italy, France, Hungry, Poland and elsewhere have not been serving ordinary people.

‘The center-left has led the Italian government for much of the past decade but has not been able to deliver fundamental change.’ (TC)

Under these circumstances it shouldn’t come as a surprise when many of the working class as well as the middle and upper-middle classes, along with the ‘… religiously pious and the large number of Italians who treat religion as an identity...'-voted for right-wing candidates. (TC) Can we expect ordinary people to reward governments and political parties that have not delivered for years?

‘The most alarming shock waves may be felt in France, where serious people now believe that the far-right leader Marine Le Pen could well win the next presidential election. Macron’s approval rating has been running below Biden’s.’ (KuttnerOnTap)

TC has cogently laid out this story and provided an answer, ‘. Until the center-left finds a way to win back the working- and middle-class, as well as the nominally religious, it will continue to lose political ground to the populist and nationalist right.’ Of course, then the question is how is the center-left going to accomplish that?

President Biden has taken important steps in bringing support – the government—to the people Has social media and Fox News, along with the loss of journalistic outlets in the mass media made it close to impossible for most voters know who is doing what? If positive changes are made, which improve the lives and economic security of many citizens will the people know who is helping them and who is not? We have an enormous problem with propaganda and getting the ‘facts’ to the people.

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Gail Adams VA/FL's avatar

This must stop. Corruption and greed are running rampant while the little guys are suffering and grabbing for a lifeboat, not caring who’s at the helm. When the right authoritatively “solves” culture wars but does nothing for the populace what sort of backlash will follow? I thought the pendulum was swinging back towards center. As usual my optimism got ahead of my cynicism.

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