Chapter 11 of 'Why Feminism Didn't Lead To Socialism'
One big reason for the drive of political opinion to the right side of the political spectrum I unfortunately left out. I failed to mention the great economic melt down of 2007 and 2008. When the financial firm of Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2007 it triggered a wave of selling that soon led to what some called 'The Great Recession'.
Soon millions of people in the western world lost their jobs. Yet the big banks and hedge firms that created the crisis walked away unscathed. The U.S. government spend a total of over $700 billion (U.S.) to re-start its own economy. It also bailed out two of the Big Three U.S. auto firms that faced bankruptcy. It also unloaded t lots of other moneys to stave off a great depression. European governments did the same.
Yet millions of middle class and working people got little help at all. Many of these people lost their homes, their livelihoods and some even lost their lives. Yet many western governments didn't lift a finger on their citizens' behalf. "I have lost all hope" said one resident of the ultra rich area of Lake Forest on the outskirts of Chicago. "What is our government up to?"
The financial collapse and the flood tide of immigrants that swept into European countries and the
economic collapse ignited public anger that paved the way for the rise of right wing populism all over the world .Bankers and financiers never went to prison although some of their firms were hit with fines of billions of dollars. This soft gloved treatment of the very rich also swung millions of voters to the right.
And when the European governments later brought in policies of austerity, it became impossible for any left wing ideas to get a fair hearing. "This situation is just tailor made for right wingers," one political analyst pointed out. If the Great Recession had never happened, a lot of extreme right wing parties would never have attracted so many new voters.
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