How Europe’s young voters flocked to the hard-Right

Henry Samuel Mon, June 10, 2024 at 1:55 PM EDT·1/2

Unbuttoning his carefully ironed white shirt, Jordan Bardella took a sip of water at a sweltering political rally during his European election campaign and apologised for the pause by saying: “I’m already getting hot.”

“You’re the one making us hot,” screamed a girl from the young crowd. The French call it “Bardella-mania”.

Wherever the handsome 28-year-old star of France’s hard-Right National Rally (RN) goes, he is mobbed, above all, by the young.

Such adulation morphed into electoral triumph on Sunday when31.4 per centof the French voted for Marine Le Pen’s impeccably dressed, carefully groomed and well-spoken protégé, offering his party a projected30 seatsin the European Parliament.That is more than twice the seats won by Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party, which scored a paltry14.6 per cent (13 seats), and finished only just ahead of the Socialists, on 13.8 per cent.

But it was not just Mr Bardella who was drawing swarms of young voters. Germany’s hard-Right Alternative for Germany(AfD) also surged in the polls, propelled in part by voters under the age of 30.One poll published on Sunday showed that 32 per cent of 18-34 year-olds voted for the RN in France, more than double the total of the 2019 European elections. In Germany, theAfD saw an 11 per cent jump in its vote share among 16-to-24 year-olds, claiming a total of 16 per cent. It saw big jumps in 25-44 year-olds, too.

In the last European election, young people in Europe overwhelmingly voted for green parties in what was heralded as a “green wave.” However, interest has waned among a generation that grew up during the Covid pandemic and frets about war in Europe, an uncertain job market and a lack of affordable housing. Many young voters say mainstream parties are not tuned in to their concerns –at worst hardly speaking their language.

That is an opportunity that has been successfully exploited by the AfD and the RN. Their weapon of choice was Tiktok, the video-sharing app dominated by Gen Z. All Mr Bardella’s official trips are accompanied by a team responsible for feeding his Instagram and TikTok accounts, which are followed by 1.5 million and 615,000 subscribers, respectively.

Analysts say he has aped the style of a social network influencer, rather than that of the head of a political party. “We’ve invested a lot in social networks. It’s a way of talking to young people. In this election, I’m trying to politicise young people,” Mr Bardella told France Inter last week.

His tailored suits (from the Dutch brand Suit Supply, known for its affordable prices) are just hugging enough to show off his form sculpted from regular gym sessions. Aides admit the politician with the clean-cut boy-next-door image is “obsessive” about his appearance and has been known to throw a tantrum if a shirt collar is out of place.

“There is a personality cult around Bardella on social media. He’s everywhere and comes across as charming, charismatic, handsome, like a tele-reality star,” said Lola, 18, a Left-leaning Parisian who confessed that Mr Bardella was streets ahead in the social media space.

“Of course, his young, handsome side and his Tiktok make me laugh, but that’s not why I voted for him either,” said Sarah, 25, a native of Seine-Saint-Denis and of Moroccan origin.“He says things in no uncertain terms. He talks about security and immigration.”Young people follow his news stories about youth violence, inflation eroding the purchasing power of their parents, the decline of public services in rural areas and the challenges faced by young farmers.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/europe-young-voters-flocked-hard-175518516.html

>>21005384

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These are often conveniently blamed on scapegoats, such as Brussels and immigrants. One video he posted decrying the “ensauvagement” of France after the death in April of a teenage boy stabbed by an Afghan teenager in Châteauroux has been viewed almost 5 million times. Another widely shared clip simply shows him eating sweets.

Many commentators were shocked that Maximilian Krah, the AFD’s lead candidate in the European elections, was able to shrug off a series of scandals in the mainstream press, ranging from employing a Chinese spy to declaring that not all members of the SS were “criminals”.

But on TikTok, the stories barely caused a ripple. Instead, Mr Krah could be seen adopting the style of Andrew Tate, the self-confessed misogynist and “masculinity” influencer, in his appeal to young voters. “One in three young men in Germany has never had a girlfriend. Are you one of them?” Mr Krah asks.

“Don’t watch porn, don’t vote green, go outside into the fresh air. Be confident.And above all don’t believe you need to be nice and soft. Real men stand on the far Right. Real men are patriots.That’s the way to find a girlfriend!”

In another post, Mr Krah again made a direct appeal to the young about the war in Ukraine.“The war in Ukraine is not your war. Zelensky is not your president,” he says. “But this is costing you money and you are running the risk that Germany gets dragged into this war.”

Through videos like this, the AfD now reaches more young people on TikTok than all the other parties combined.Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, looked out of touch when he posted his first video on the platform this year, showing off his battered briefcase. Philipp Jessen, founder of the Storymachine PR agency in Germany, told The Telegraph: “The dark side of power always understands new media first.”

“TikTok is the window for Right-wing radicals into our homes. The AfD communicate with our children like we do as if they were close family members … telling them stories for hours every day.“It makes me angry that the [mainstream] ‘democratic’ parties are unable to understand how important this is. It’s not rocket science but they concentrate on traditional media, so they shouldn’t wonder why they’re missing out on the youth vote.”

Jean-Yves Camus, a political scientist, saidthe stereotype that most young people wanted to vote Green or Left or for “altruistic causes” was misguided and out-of-date.“It sounds simplistic but there are young people in France who need order, who are losing a sense of verticality, who are looking for authority,” he said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/europe-young-voters-flocked-hard-175518516.html

11 Jun, 2024 15:12

Russia reveals number of prevented terror attacks

Activities of 32 international terrorist cells were curbed in central part of the country, FSB chief Aleksandr Bortnikov has said

A total of 134 acts of terrorism and sabotage have been prevented in central Russia since the outbreak of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, the director of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Aleksandr Bortnikov, has said.

The country’s security agencies have alsocurbed the activities of 32 international terrorist cells since February 2022, Bortnikov announced on Tuesday, during a virtual meeting of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC).

The groups, which he said were mainly composed of migrants from Central Asia, were planning attacks on key infrastructure and on areas of mass gatherings, he added.

Ukraine, “with the backing of the US and other NATO countries, is increasing its efforts to organize terrorist attacks and sabotage on Russian territory, trying to weaken logistic support for the Russian military and provoke panic among the population,” the FSB chief said, according to a NAC statement.

“The Ukrainian and Western intelligence services are expanding the circle of possible perpetrators, recruited to commit high-profile crimes inside Russia,” Bortnikov said. Kiev and its foreign backers are also assisting “international terrorist organizations” that train and provide equipment to those people, he added.

According to the security service director, the main targets of recruitment by Ukrainian and Western agencies are younger people and migrant workers, he said.

“A vivid example [of such activities] is the involvement of Ukrainian military intelligence in the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall near Moscow,” the FSB chief said.

Kiev has denied any involvement in the attack on the concert venue on March 22 that claimed 145 lives and left over 550 injured. Four gunmen, later found to be citizens of Tajikistan, stormed the building ahead of a rock concert, shooting everyone in sight before setting it on fire.

A terrorist organization known as Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Moscow has suggested that Kiev had used the Islamist group as a proxy.

https://www.rt.com/news/599138-terrorist-attacks-ukraine-nato/

11 Jun, 2024 09:51

US ‘flirting with neo-Nazis’ – KremlinMoscow has condemned Washington’s decision to allow arms supplies to Ukraine’s notorious Azov Brigade

Washington will stop at nothing, including the use of neo-Nazis, to damage Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, following a US decision to lift a ban on supplying weapons to Ukraine’s Azov Brigade.

The unit has notoriously welcomed into its ranks people who espouse ultranationalist and neo-Nazi ideologies, and has been described by the Western press as a magnet for such individuals from across the world.

On Monday, the US Department of State cleared the brigade to receive American military assistance, stating that it found no evidence of human rights violations by the group. (They are lying I'll post an article to prove they are lying.Neo Nazis have been working with and for the US government for a long time. and they killed 10,000+ innocent civilians in Donbass since 2014)

“This sudden change of stance by Washington proves that [US officials] would stoop to anything in their attempts to suppress Russia, using the Ukrainian people as a tool. They are even fine with flirting with neo-Nazis,” Peskov told journalists during a media briefing.

Azov was founded as a volunteer battalion of Ukrainian nationalists in 2014 by white supremacist Andrey Biletsky. People who came to power in Kiev following the Western-backed armed coup that year used Azov fighters in an attempt to violently quash a rebellion against the new government in the east. The battalion was incorporated into Ukraine’s National Guard the following year.

In 2018, the US Congress banned the delivery of arms to the Azov Brigade, citing its ties to neo-Nazi ideology.

Since the outbreak of conflict with Russia, Ukrainian officials and Azov members worked to rebrand the unit. Its insignia, which originally paid homage to Nazi symbology, was replaced with less offensive imagery, and its messaging changed to claim that the unit had distanced itself from its roots.

Some former and serving US officials, such as ex-ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, helped Azov’s efforts by organizing events for them on American soil.

However, Moscow insists that the nature of the unit has not significantly changed. It remains an “ultranationalist armed group,” Peskov stated.

https://www.rt.com/russia/599117-kremlin-azov-arms-b

>>21005449

Using Ukraine Since 1948

June 10, 20241/2

The U.S. has staged operations with extremists from Ukraine to undermine Russia for nearly 8 decades. It’s led us to the doorstep of nuclear annihilation.

By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News

The United States has for nearly 80 years seen Ukraine as the staging ground for its once covert and increasingly overt war with Russia. After years of warnings, and after talk since 2008 of Ukraine joining NATO, Russia fought back two years ago. With neither side backing down, Ukraine is increasingly becoming a flashpoint that could lead to nuclear war.

The West thinks Russia is bluffing.

But its doctrine states that if Russia feels its existence is threatened it could resort to nuclear arms. Instead of taking these warnings seriously, NATO is recklessly opening corridors for a ground war against Russia in Ukraine; France says it’s putting together a coalition of nations to enter the war, despite Russia saying French or any other NATO force would be fair game.

In Paris the other day Joe Biden said Russia wants to conquer all of Europe but can’t even take Khariv. It is this kind of inflammatory nonsense, combined with allowing Ukraine to fire NATO weapons into Russian territory, that is imperiling us all.The danger started building up many years ago but it is now reaching a climax.

The U.S. relationship with Ukraine, and itsextremists, to undermine Russia began after the Second World War.During the war, units of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN-B) took part in the Holocaust, killing at least 100,000 Jews and Poles.

Mykola Lebed, a top aide to Stepan Bandera, the leader of the fascist OUN-B, was recruited by the C.I.A. after the war, according to a 2010 study by the U.S. National Archives.

Lebed was the “foreign minister” of a Banderite government in exile, but he later broke with Bandera for acting as a dictator. The U.S. Army Counterintelligence Corps termed Bandera “extremely dangerous” yet said he was “looked upon as the spiritual and national hero of all Ukrainians….”

PIC: Report Dulles

Instead of Bandera, the C.I.A. was interested in Lebed, despite his fascist background. They set him up in an office in New York City from whichhe directed sabotage and propaganda operations on the agency’s behalf inside Ukraine against the Soviet Union.

The U.S. government study says:

“CIA operations with these Ukrainians began in 1948 under the cryptonym CARTEL, soon changed to AERODYNAMIC. …

Lebed relocated to New York and acquired permanent resident status, then U.S. citizenship. It kept him safe from assassination, allowed him to speak to Ukrainian émigré groups, and permitted him to return to the United States after operational trips to Europe.

Once in the United States,Lebedwas the CIA’s chief contact for AERODYNAMIC. CIA handlers pointed to his‘cunning character,’ his ‘relations with the Gestapo and … Gestapo training,’ [and] the fact that he was ‘a very ruthless operator.’”

The C.I.A. worked with Lebed on sabotage and pro-Ukrainian nationalist propaganda operations inside Ukraine until Ukraine’s independence in 1991.…

https://consortiumnews.com/2024/06/10/using-ukraine-since-1948/

>>21005550

2/2

“Mykola Lebed’s relationship with the CIA lasted the entire length of the Cold War,” the study says. “While most CIA operations involving wartime perpetrators backfired,Lebed’s operations augmented the fundamental instability of the Soviet Union.”

Continued Until and Beyond Ukrainian Independence

The U.S. thus covertly kept Ukrainian fascist ideas alive inside Ukraine until at least Ukrainian independence was achieved.

Mykola Lebed, Bandera’s wartime chief in Ukraine, died in 1998. He is buried in New Jersey, and his papers are located at the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University, the U.S. National Archives study says.

Thesuccessor organization to the OUN-B in the United States did not die with him, however. It had been renamed the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), according to IBT.

“By the mid-1980s, the Reagan administration was honeycombed with UCCA members. Reagan personally welcomed [Yaroslav] Stetsko, the Banderist leaderwho oversaw the massacre of 7,000 Jews in Lviv, in the White House in 1983,” IBT reported.

“Following the demise of [Viktor] Yanukovich’s regime [in 2014], theUCCA helped organise rallies in cities across the US in support of the EuroMaidan protests,” it reported.

That is a direct link between the U.S.-backed 2014 Maidan coup against a democratically-elected Ukrainian government and WWII-era Ukrainian fascism.

Since 2014, the U.S. pushed for an attack on the Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine who had rejected the coup, and NATO began training and equipping Ukrainian troops.

Combined with talk since 2008 of Ukraine joining NATO, Russia reacted after years of warning.

More than two years after Russia’s intervention, with Ukraine clearly losing the war, Western leaders will do just about anything to save their political skins, as they’ve staked too much on winning in Ukraine. Don’t listen to them. They need a West in denial of the dangers facing us.

As President John F. Kennedy said in his 1963 American University speech:

“Above all, while defending our own vital interests, nuclear powers must avert those confrontations which bring an adversary to a choice of either a humiliating retreat or a nuclear war. To adopt that kind of course in the nuclear age would be evidence only of the bankruptcy of our policy–or of a collective death-wish for the world.”

The world may wake up when it’s too late — after nuclear missiles have already started flying.

To help inform the world of the dangers ahead

https://consortiumnews.com/2024/06/10/using-ukraine-since-1948/

(Thanks to the anon that posted the clip and link to this article.)

>>21005564

Did Reagan know who the guy was and what he had done? CIA probably didn't tell him, I hope.

>>21005539 why is it impolite? How come jews don't mind Nazis, it seems like they get along fine?

It makes me wonder what really happened in Germany.

Trump’s youth movement

Why some young voters in deep blue Philadelphia are backing the former president

by Julia Terruso Published June 10, 2024, 5:00 a.m. ET1/2

Gianni Matteo was born and raised in a family of Democrats in South Philadelphia, but the 20-year-old is a big Trump fan.“The working class doesn’t really care about which foreign enemy we should be fighting in countries most Americans can’t even name,” Matteo said outside of a newly opened office for former President Donald Trump in Holmesburg on Tuesday. “They care about why I have to work two jobs this summer, why I have no money in my pocket to take my girlfriend on dates.”

As the presidential campaign barrels toward November, several polls have shown the gap in support among young voters for Biden and Trump shrinking. President Joe Biden won 60% of voters aged 18-29 in 2020. Some national surveys now show an almost even split between Trump and Biden in that age group. That would be a historic realignment, which analysts who study the youth vote closely have cautioned could be the product of polling errors.

The biggest thing is, Trump is a rebel. Trump is almost punk in a way. He’s a rebel against the establishment — an establishment that doesn’t care about us.— Gianni Matteo

But as both campaigns seek to attract young voters, young Trump supporters like Matteo, a rising college junior who is working at a wedding venue this summer, cite concerns about their economic future, specifically the housing market.And some see the former president’s brash, often incendiary personality as a positive.

As Biden has lost some ground with progressive young voters frustrated with his policies on the war in Gaza, Trump has gained some support, particularly with non-college-educated men. His appeal is apparent even in some pockets of deeply Democratic Philadelphia, where being a young Trump supporter has historically been a lonely identity.

“I think with young people there’s a political realignment going on,” said Joe Picozzi, 29, a Republican running for state senator in the Northeast.“I’ve talked to people who are like, ‘I never really cared about politics and now I’m getting fired up.’ I don’t know anyone who’s like, ‘This is working. This is going great.’”

‘A lost generation’

At a recent happy hour for the Philadelphia Young Republicans, about a dozen college-educated young professionals gathered at a beer garden near Rittenhouse Square. Most work as lawyers, bankers, or in other jobs that allow them to live in or around Center City. But the main topic was still the economy — and how hard it feels even for relatively successful people to buy houses.

“There’s sort of a lost generation here,” said Matt Lamorgese, 31. “We were promised all kinds of things by President Biden when he was running for election and what have we gotten?People are struggling to buy houses, get a mortgage for the amount they need, they’re not starting families, not saving for retirement and if they compare themselves to their parents, they’re behind.”

Trump Has Gained Significant Support Among Young Pa. Voters

Former President Donald Trump's share of the two-party polled vote has swelled among voters under 30 in Pennsylvania. When polled by Siena College in October of 2020, young voters favored Biden to Trump by a factor of two.

Margin of error Trump share, voters aged 18-29 2020 poll 2024 poll: 2020 estimates based on the October 2020 New York Times/Siena College poll of 1,862 Pennsylvania voters, including about 261 voters aged 18-29. 1,032 voters responded to a May Philadelphia Inquirer/New York Times/Siena College survey, including 157 voters aged 18-29. 2024 numbers reflect two-party vote preference, excluding third-party candidates.

Lamorgese, who chairs the group, said it’s been tough to grow ranks in a city where most young people are Democrats. But momentum has picked up ahead of November. Still, a series of GOP events over the last month, including the Trump campaign office opening, had mostly familiar faces — and not many of them young. Both campaigns are trying to make inroads with young Pennsylvania voters. About 50% of the country’s eligible 18-29-year-old voters cast ballots in the 2020 presidential election, which is a lower turnout than older voters but an 11-point increase from 2016.

https://archive.is/zmouI#selection-281.14-2073.14

>>21005919

2/2

Trump has made a splash at one-off events — appearing at a sneaker convention in Philadelphia and an Ultimate Fighting Championship match. He also recently joined TikTok. Biden has deployed a host of resources to reach young voters and tried to emphasize work on student loan debt forgiveness and junk fees.

Sipping on IPAs at the happy hour, the group cited inflation, immigration, Biden’s age, and “the Democrats becoming so cringe,” as reasons for sticking with Trump.“I think you just have to be non-apologetic,” said Evan Bochetto, 35, who owns a media production company, and whose father, George, is a prominent GOP attorney in the city.

If someone says, ‘Oh, you must be a horrible person, you’re voting for him.’ You say, ‘No, I’m not a horrible person. That’s my sacred right as a citizen. Now, let’s discuss some issues. Do you feel safe walking down the street at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night? And a lot of the ladies say, ‘no.’— Evan Bochetto

Only two women were at the event — there’s a gender imbalance in big city young Republican clubs across the country, Lamorgese said. The group was also white — though Trump’s campaign is working to improve its support among Black voters.Claire Goldstein, 35 who works with small businesses and lives in Washington Square, said she’s voting for Trump because “of all the nonsense surrounding the protests with Israel.”

”I think that there should be a much harder line with encampments, with people calling for the destruction of a country, people calling for the death of Jews,” she said. “So listen, Trump has a lot of flaws, but he is the counter to this absolute nonsense that is raging around our city.” (What doesn't anyone say, Joe Bidan has a lot of flaws, which he does…he's the biggest LIAR of all time)

Biden’s appeal to young voters: Biden’s campaign has been trying to communicate the president’s achievements to young voters.

The campaign launched “Students for Biden-Harris” earlier this year, a program focused on building a large volunteer base. The campaign has touted Biden’s work protecting abortion access, something that has been particularly resonant with young women who helped him win in 2020. The administration has also committed unprecedented spending to address climate change and student loan forgiveness.

Trump has done little dedicated outreach to young voters specifically.

“Young voters want a president who is fighting for them, not one who shows up to UFC fights while working to kick young people off their parents’ insurance, bragging about siding with the NRA to do nothing to reduce gun violence, and selling out our planet to oil and gas billionaires,” said Sarafina Chitika, a Biden senior spokesperson. (ARE YOU KIDDING, that’s there theory Bidan is working for them, totally delusional)

Biden Is Losing Support Among Young and Non-white Voters

President Joe Biden's share of the two-party polled vote has deteriorated among both young and non-white voters in Pennsylvania. When last polled by Siena College in October of 2020, both groups overwhelmingly intended to vote for Biden. Those shifts are outside the margin of error.

Margin of error Biden share, voters aged 18-29 2020 poll 2024 poll

47%

Biden share, non-white voters 2020 poll 2024 poll

2020 estimates based on the October 2020 New York Times/Siena College poll of 1,862 Pennsylvania voters, including about 261 voters aged 18-29 and 298 non-white voters. 1,032 voters responded to this month's survey, including 157 voters aged 18-29 and 180 non-white voters. 2024 numbers reflect two-party vote preference, excluding third-party candidates.

Researchers who study the youth vote downplay some of the recent surveys showing the split among young voters. Voters under 30 are less aligned with either party but remain more progressive than voters overall, and polls show they tend to align more with Biden than Trump on issues.

“For an 18 or 19-year-old introduced to Trump when they were 8, 9 or 10, their reflection upon Charlottesville or the Muslim ban is gonna be much different,” Della Volpe said. “It’s not necessarily that they’re agreeing with these values, they just have a different relationship and view him more as an antihero.” (This is just such a stupid assumption, fuckers! Bidan lied to all of them, like they said)

https://archive.is/zmouI#selection-281.14-2073.14

(did the paper use the worst pictures ever on purpose?Philly Enquirer)

>>21005907 KEK Nate Silver, sure he's the one that said HRC was gonna win.

>>21005950 So all the taxes the Trump Org gives to NJ is not enough, or even NY. Trump should sue them for Trillions and buy the states

Citizen Free Press

@CitizenFreePres

There's so much to unpack here.Bearded dude in a dress. Biden's frightening smile and frozen face. Doug Emhoff is worried about something. And Kamala is just grooving.

From

RNC Research

11:51 AM · Jun 11, 2024

·27.3K Views

https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1800556482452398418

>>21006053

Citizen Free Press

@CitizenFreePres

Joe Biden's face of absolute horror as he tries to clap along.

From The Maine Wire 11:54 AM · Jun 11, 2024

·22.4K Views

https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1800557321783005517