The rise of socialism?

[Quinlad]

The US passes a law to provide state-funded healthcare for the poor. On the same day in France, Sarkozy's centre-right party suffers huge losses while the Socialist party makes huge gains.

Are we seeing the rise of socialism?

[Gromit]

It is a long stretch to call Obama a socialist.

The elections in France were local elections, and the big winners were the resurgent National Front with a respectable 18% of the vote.

No rise in Socialism. I will laugh if anyone claims the current shower in this country are Socialists

[Davethedog]

Gromit not quite the NF got 8-9% of the vote but they were not represented in every region as this was the 2nd round and they had been voted out in the first round.

In those areas where they were represented they polled about 18%. They were far from the big winners thankfully. The Socialist Party and Europe Ecologie party took 54%

[youngmafbog]

Not todate maybe Grmoit but fast heading that way especially by being bankroled by a hardline Uniion

[Gromit]

// But many voters turned to the far-right National Front, which secured 17.8% in the regions in which it was on the ballot in the second round of voting. In Provences-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the party's firebrand 81-year-old leader, improved on his first-round score by 2.6 percentage points, grabbing a massive 23%. His daughter, Marine Le Pen, also upped her result in Nord-Pas de Calais, securing 22%. //

http://www.economist....cfm?story_id=15758674

[Davethedog]

Thats exactly what I said

The socialists got 54% The Sarkoy party 35% so how did the NF get 18%

Its regional.

[Gromit]

Apologies Dave, you are correct, I didn't read the detail.

[Davethedog]

Youngmafbog do you know how the labour party started? They have always been funded by the unions ALWAYS.

In the 21st century old socialist ideals have faded and died in politics and any party that actualy tried to return to them would get hammered as did Labour in 1987.

[Davethedog]

Gromit NP

[modeller]

I grew up in a Labour environment and I was very left wing, so much so I gladly visited most of the Communist States , where my idealism was destroyed. I saw and experienced the way those States treated their people . I travelled with some dedicated Communists who , with a few exceptions , were as disillusioned as I was. Although I still believe in the need for unions I recognise the old blind socialist rhetoric of many of their leaders. Rhetoric and actions that destroyed our industries in the past. The irony is that, what they are doing is not allowed in Communist States. Do you think China , Russia or Cuba would allow a union to damage their National airlines. They don't even allow free unions.