I’m speaking in general terms because I’m not familiar with French politics, I just live in a neighboring country. But are we really surprised that it’s moving in that direction? In a general sense, the right will always blossom in climates like these, migrants pouring in from decades of war, prices skyrocketing, the Russia affair further polarizing and instilling fear, a general lack of progress. But more importantly, while the right does its best to cultivate the most basic of emotional responses, the left seems unable to come up with anything attractive let alone exciting. And we can argue that progress and good choices can be utterly dull and unappealing, at some point we will have to realize that good ideas still need to be marketed to the people and that it’s not enough to equate anything right-wing with fascism and hope that it will do the heavy lifting. We have become preoccupied with complaining about the right in such a way that we can no longer allow critique of what the left is failing to do. If they can do no good then we can do no wrong.

Oh look, you’re smart enough to understand that reasoning about your ridiculous statement would undermine it. Maybe there is hope.

Sorry what exactly is it that you don’t get? That people would show empathy and help this guy out?

Crap I’ll never be able to slide that into a casual conversation.