More Promising News From Youpe*

FOTP Monday

It may be a losing battle, the worldwide stand against fascism and ignorance and cruelty, but still reassuring when disparate political parties band together to smite the dark forces among us.

Let me quote my favorite folk singer on the subject:

I am not sure if my involvement in causes, benefits, marches, and demonstrations has made a huge difference, but I know one thing: that involvement has connected me with good people: people with live hearts, live eyes, live heads." - Pete Seeger

There are such people in Austria.

From the BBC

Five months after the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) won Austria's general election, a three-way coalition looks set to exclude it from power. The conservative People's Party (ÖVP), the Social Democrats (SPÖ), and the liberal Neos say they have successfully completed negotiations to form a new administration - a record 151 days since the election was held in September.

The Conservatives and Social Democrats finished second and third respectively — the Neos a distant fourth — to the Freedom Party last September.

(And Christ — Freedom Party, really? Could these boils of political movements stop stealing all the good modifiers. Think the “Pro Life” movement in America.)

From the Guardian

The pro-Kremlin, anti-Islam FPÖ won 29.2% of votes, beating the ruling ÖVP of the chancellor, Karl Nehammer, into second place on 26.5%, according to near-complete results. The opposition Social Democratic party scored its worst ever result – 21% – while the liberal NEOS drew about 9%.

How about the Guardian, huh — “Pro-Kremlin, anti-Islam FPÖ ” — calling a spade a spade and a fascist a fascist? See how easy it is, WaPo and New York Times?