The Politics of Fear: What Right-Wing Populist Discourses Mean

Abstract

In recent times, right-wing parties and movements have increasingly been using (geo-)social media to communicate their political aims. Examples are the 'Einzelfall-Map' or earlier maps that were designed to show refugee infrastructure but doubled for use in planning attacks on refugees. A closer inspection of these maps shows the use of simplified and generalized language, disrespect for the rule of law and human rights, and xenophobic metaphorical language. While these characteristics are used not only by right-wing movements (they can also be identified in left-wing anti-globalization discourse), right-wing movements tend to use spatial language more often than other political tendencies. This paper analyses language used by rightwing populists in maps that are based on volunteered geographic information-as for example in the 'Einzelfall-Map'. The analysis of the contents of the map, based on the 'syndrome approach', presents the various discourses that circulate around the topic 'right-wing populism'. This analysis contributes to the development of teaching strategies that unearth the explicitly geographic language used by populist ideologies.

Welfare Chauvinism? Refugee Flows and Electoral Support for Populist-Right Parties in Industrial Democracies

“…The party argued that largescale refugee inflows were putting the Swedish welfare system under strain. Similar such arguments are advanced by populist-right in other countries, such as the 'keep them out' demand in Austria by FPÖ,The Freedom Party of Austria (Wodak 2015). The second quote by a voter in Denmark too suggests support for this sentiment.…”

North Africa and the Making of Europe : Governance, Institutions and Culture

“…Nativism, both in Melilla and in Europe today, re-writes who is a 'real' member of the unit and rallies 'true' members to defend their country/city against a chosen minority and the ethnic 'traitors' that defend it. Similar to the fear felt in Europe (Wodak 2015 For a nativist logic to take hold, it requires a clear external/internal enemy, the erasure of internal cleavages within the 'native' population, and a compelling and uncontested narrative of belonging. In Melilla, a clear threat was identified, but the 'native' population was split.…”

Does Finland Need Raciolinguistics?

“…This is not to say that it has not been so before, but as the numbers of Finns -of-colour increase, it affects larger numbers of people than before. And as hate -speech spreads through social media, traditional media creates oppositions of "extremes" and informal "street patrols" seek to take over the streets, anxiety and fear spread and can easily become political weapons (Ahmed, 2005;Saresma, forthcoming;Wodak, 2015). The celebratory reactions by some right-wing groups to the recent suicide attempts of asylum seekers point to the depth of dehumanizing effects of racial(ized) hatred.…”