The Spread of Right-wing Fascism

[LFC]

Hungary isn't the only European nation that's sliding towards fascism. Sadly, Poland is heading that way too. Here's a stunt that is so inhumane and immoral probably made Ron DeSatanist touch himself.

There is a story unfolding in Poland now so awful I can hardly write it. It concerns a young boy who was the victim of a pedophile. The pedophile was convicted; the boy's name was kept anonymous, as the law requires. Unfortunately, the boy's mother is an opposition politician.

In order to take revenge on the mother, Polish state media, with help from the prosecutors office - both now controlled by the extremist far-right - decided to reveal details of the boy's case. He was identified. He committed suicide.

Similar attacks, similarly coordinated, have been launched against adults in Poland, as I have written before and personally experienced. But this is the first to result in the death of a child. The name of the ruling party, "Law and Justice,' has truly descended into farce.

Now, of course, the professional trolls, paid and unpaid, will turn on the mother. Because that's how it works, every time.

The cruelty is the point. And their supporters love it.

[LFC]

Look who isn't invited to a summit on democracy.

Summit Snubs for Two Troublesome U.S. Allies

The Biden administration is inviting around 120 countries to join its Summit for Democracy next week, but two of its NATO allies aren’t getting a call.

Turkey and Hungary have been left off the invitation list for the major summit, which Team Biden bills as one of its hallmark foreign-policy initiatives, meant to shore up democracies worldwide and stanch the rise of autocracies.

Backsliding. The spurning of two NATO allies, confirmed by three U.S. officials who spoke to SitRep, reflects a mounting concern with the degree of democratic backsliding in Turkey and Hungary, even though Washington is relying on both to support the West’s strategy against Russia as the war in Ukraine rages on—and needs both to approve Finland and Sweden’s bids to join NATO as full-fledged allies.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has consolidated power and dismantled elements of the country’s democracy, but he faces the toughest challenge yet to his 20-year rule with upcoming elections in May.

Hungary, under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has alienated itself within the European Union and NATO for its own democratic backsliding and Orban’s close ties with Russia, even in the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Orban’s government, for its part, has constantly rebuffed criticism from Washington and its EU neighbors over accusations of backsliding, even as it blocks a steady stream of EU-wide initiatives on aid for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia.

The snub is likely to inflame tensions between Washington and the two NATO allies even further as well as widen the distance between the rest of the NATO and EU alliance and the two outliers.

The upcoming Summit for Democracy, scheduled from March 28 to March 30, involves a hodgepodge of in-person and virtual events in Washington and four partner countries—Costa Rica, South Korea, the Netherlands, and Zambia—with U.S. President Joe Biden and around 20 of his most senior administration officials participating.

Outside experts hope the summit can revive some momentum in the global network of democratic governments after years of global democratic backsliding.