Another attempt to ‘save democracy’ brought to you by the CIA

16 Responses to Another attempt to ‘save democracy’ brought to you by the CIA

1. Bruce of Newcastle says:

   2 October, 2023 at 9:17 am

   They’ll be into the election computers like termites.
2. C.L. says:

   2 October, 2023 at 9:27 am

   Panicking leftist Simon Tisdall in the Guardian explains the bigger agenda:

   Warsaw’s allies are watching with mounting concern. One worry is future Polish adherence to the EU’s democratic rulebook. If he wins an unprecedented third consecutive term, the PiS leader and Poland’s de facto ruler, Jarosław Kaczyński, vows to finish the job through “reforms” that hogtie the judiciary, non-government organisations and private media in defiance of Brussels.

   More broadly felt is a fear of PiS assuming the role of standard-bearer or exemplar for like-minded, authoritarian, anti-establishment and populist parties in Hungary, Slovakia, western Europe and in next June’s European parliament elections. Together they could block crucial plans for EU restructuring and enlargement.

   Picture this nightmare scenario: a PiS-ruled Poland, the EU’s sixth largest economy, replaces Hungary’s Viktor Orbán as leader of Europe’s surging hard right in a Brexit-like struggle that could paralyse the EU. Kaczyński says he opposes “Polexit”. Yet it may become virtually impossible for Poland to remain on current terms.

   PiS campaign themes and tactics resonate across Europe: passionate defences of national sovereignty and identity, climate scepticism, Ukraine war fatigue, attacks on woke culture, conspiracy theories and disinformation, character assassination and, above all, demands for tougher curbs on migration.

   Donald Tusk, an urbane former prime minister and EU council president, was supposed to put a stop to all this…

   But everywhere, it seems, the mainstream is flowing rightwards, while Tusk is smeared as a treacherous stooge of Germany, Brussels, even of Russia who, Guy Fawkes-like, would burn down the state. In an absurd, Donald Trump-like projection, Kaczyński calls him “the personification of evil”.

   The same rhetorical template can be overlaid on virtually every other democracy right now: “populist” (meaning majority) opposition to left-wing extremism is “hard right” and a “threat” to “democracy.”
3. C.L. says:

   2 October, 2023 at 9:33 am

   Note that “urbane” is code.

   – Tusk promises abortion up to 12 weeks and same-sex partnerships in “march towards modernity”.

   – Former EU president Donald Tusk blasts Poland’s homophobic Christian leaders.

   – Poland: Donald Tusk promises new laws for ‘victimised’ LGBTQ+ community.
4. Riversutra says:

   2 October, 2023 at 9:55 am

   Donald Tusk, an urbane former prime minister and EU council president, was supposed to put a stop to all this…

   PiS chairman Jarosław Kaczyński has accused Tusk of selling the country to both Germany and Russia. “We have to say ‘No’ to Tusk,” he said during the campaign. “And if he doesn’t understand, we’ll say it again in German.”

   I just love that” we’ll say that in German”. How to really hit the target dead centre.
5. C.L. says:

   2 October, 2023 at 10:11 am

   Brilliant.
6. Petros says:

   2 October, 2023 at 10:53 am

   I’m surprised that Slovakia has voted the way it did. Glimmers of hope. Come on Poland.
7. NFA says:

   2 October, 2023 at 11:43 am

   Note that “urbane” is code.

   Just as “democracy” is Western code for globalist, fascist dictatorships.
8. NFA says:

   2 October, 2023 at 11:45 am

   From that Tisdall quote above,

   and, above all, demands for tougher curbs on migration.
9. jupes says:

   2 October, 2023 at 11:54 am

   They’ll be into the election computers like termites.

   According to Wiki, Poland aren’t using them yet. Any last minute switch and you know the fix is in.
10. Baba says:

    2 October, 2023 at 12:51 pm

    After Kaczyński wins the election how many months before a popular uprising seeks to overthrow the hard right despot and reinstall democratic government?
11. Lee says:

    2 October, 2023 at 1:20 pm

    Undermining or questioning the legitimacy of a Republican or a right of centre foreign government is the Democrat’s mission.

    But woe betide there is so much of a hint of opposition to a Democrat government or its policies, even opposition to what children are taught in U.S. schools.
12. Tel says:

    2 October, 2023 at 3:21 pm

    … passionate defences of national sovereignty and identity …

    The EU was never intended to take away national sovereignty and identity, it was designed as a trade agreement.

    … climate scepticism …

    The EU has nothing to do with climate science.

    … Ukraine war fatigue …

    The EU has never been a military alliance.

    … attacks on woke culture …

    The EU does not decide cultural issues.

    … conspiracy theories and disinformation …

    Criminal matters need to be incestigatef by police and decided by national courts … the EU cannot decide truth for all of Europe. I would glibly point out that if every conspiracy theory was disinformation the we wouldn’t need police investigations.

    … character assassination …

    This whole Guardian article is one big character assassination, so they obviously don’t really have a problem on that score.

    … demands for tougher curbs on migration.

    Part of national soverignty.

    He rolls out a while shopping list of policy items completely outside of EU competance and yet somehow it’s their “democratic rulebook” … but the actual rulebook says this is none of their business.
13. C.L. says:

    2 October, 2023 at 7:01 pm

    Strengthening bloc:

    ABC: Robert Fico’s election win in Slovakia defies European consensus with call to oppose arming Ukraine.

    A government led by Mr Fico would signal a further shift in central Europe against political liberalism, which would be reinforced if the ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) wins an election in Poland later this month.

    Hungary’s Mr Orbán congratulated Mr Fico on Sunday with a post on X social media platform saying: “Guess who’s back!”

    “Always good to work together with a patriot,” he said…

    Slovakia’s PS party, which is liberal on green policies, LGBT rights, deeper European integration and human rights…

    “We believe that this is very bad news for Slovakia,” PS leader Michal Šimečka said of SMER-SSD’s victory.

    Very bad news for left-wing extremists is always very good news.
14. a reader says:

    2 October, 2023 at 7:56 pm

    Sounds like Slovakia just voted for political liberalism. But then I can’t expect the ABC to understand liberalism, enlightenment, conservatism, nationalism, patriotism, integrity, honesty, trust, fiscal responsibility
15. Entropy says:

    3 October, 2023 at 5:51 am

    like-minded, authoritarian, anti-establishment and populist

    one of those things is not like the others.
16. Entropy says:

    3 October, 2023 at 5:55 am

    Tel, while the EU has nothing to do with climate science per se, it is the main driver of climate policies.