Quote: The European Tea Party

Quote: The European Tea Party


Rob de Wijk, professor of history and researcher in the field of international relations, accuses the Europeans in a recent column in Dutch newspaper Trouw of helping Obama's opponents by refusing to help the US (not accepting Guantanamo prisoners, refusing to send forces to Afghanistan). In that article he compares the American Tea Party to European right-wingers.

The parallels [between the American Tea Party movement and] populist parties in Europe is striking. Just like in Europe, they fall back on the good of the past. In Europe that's a world without Muslims; in America that's a world without a strong government and maximal citizen freedom. In both cases it's a rebellion against a political elite that is not trusted and has no solutions for the big problems. And increasingly the goal is disorder.

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