Online campaigns like these have helped radicalize a broad swath of Germany’s youth, making extreme-right ideas that were once relegated to the margins of German political discourse increasingly mainstream. The Young Alternative, the AfD youth organization that put out the dance video, has been classified by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency as an extremist group since last year.
Is that really what’s been happening? And is that a legitimate reason to attach yourself to far-right ideology?
Some people feel attacked when their privileges are pointed out. They’ll hear ‘white people* have it easier than people of colour in many situations’ and what they’ll understand is ‘you’re what’s wrong with the world because you’re white’. Seems to be a common enough misunderstanding.
*ethnicity is just an example here
I would also say that, often due to lack of exposure to other types of people, any change in privilege may be interpreted as a loss of status and power. The problem is when you started arbitrarily having a leg up, if you lack perspective, moving toward equality can feel like you’re being persecuted.
I’m not saying universally men or whatever don’t face any unique and unfair challenges. They do. But the magnitude is not proportional to the reaction in my opinion. It’s discouraging that for so many, they find no joy in marginalized groups gaining any ground if it wouldn’t also benefit them.