2020: A year of gains for the far right
The year 2020 was full of security burdens and terrorist threats.
While
there were fears from the Covid-19 pandemic, some people called for preparing
for an expected wave of violence by the far right. They also warned against a
growing pitch of hate and racist speech.
Appropriate
conditions
These
challenges have manifested themselves in western societies, especially in the
United States and Europe. They accompanied political developments in the United
States during the latest presidential elections. They also espoused talks
between the UK and the European Union on the former's exit from the union.
While
the far right was not born in 2020, developments throughout the year made its
expansion very possible.
In
the United States, for example, the far right enjoyed support from outgoing
president Donald Trump who opposed immigration to his country. Trump also
encouraged far right groups to defend the electoral process across the US.
The
far right consists of a wide range of ideologies which propagate belief in the
superiority of white people and promotes hated to foreigners and minorities
that do not hail from Europe.
Conspiracy
The
far right adopts the conspiracy theory as far as the causes behind the Covid-19
pandemic are concerned. This helped extremist rhetoric to spread on the
internet. This came as countries imposed lockdowns one after another.
According
to media reports, 2020 witnessed an upsurge in arms sales throughout the United
States. There was an increase also in the number of people and groups attacking
and breaking into government facilities, the reports said.
