I’ve also been horrified by what I saw in your post about racism in the Netherlands. Another Dutch friend told me about how normal television programs don’t help the impression either. This sort of thing makes me worry for Europe as a whole because it seems to be a trend on the continent. What do you think? Is it a vocal minority or an increasing trend?

Sadly, this is not a vocal minority. This is a growing and alarming problem.

I live here since the 90’s and while Europe might not be more racist now than it was back then, what is now happening is that some of the most extreme ones are involved in politics. They hold seats in Parliaments all over the continent, they are behind increasingly xenophobic and racist legislation. What we see now is the legitimization of sentiments that have always been present to an extent. Economic bonanza made it so that these sentiments were more overt because people did not have to compete for resources  jobs, etc. so they did not mind their immigrant neighbor so much. Sure, they didn’t “like” the immigrant, but she was just a minor nuisance in an otherwise cushy life.

Enter the economic downturn of the past six years or so, paired with the growing global trend of xenophobia since 9/11 and here we are. This is, if anything, a massive failure of the European left to address a much bigger problem. Instead of being vocal about the effects of globalization and unruly corporate practices, the left became complacent, devoted to more urban and “intellectual” issues, forgetting its working class roots. This working class, increasingly alienated and left behind suddenly had no representation. This gap was smarty filled by the likes of Geert Wilders and other similar populists across the continent. Sure, these populists lied through their teeth when they said the blame was on immigrants and minorities. But the damage was done. Now it is painful and difficult to disarm these stereotypes and half truths that the populists have been carelessly throwing around.

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