A note on how far the "Far Right" is

 A quick, somewhat organizational note on the "far right".

As I see it, the right-wing, like the left-wing, comes in many flavours. Here in Canada, the Conservatives are home to moderates like Michael Chong, hardliners like Leslyn Lewis, and more 'standard' mainstream conservatives like Michelle Rempel. I am not going to focus on them. Instead, I'm focusing on those who are to the right of them. 

Folk like Donald Trump. In fact, Trump is where I will start. I consider Trump to be the first 'step' into the "far right" category. Trump is one notch "over" from where the general national consensus mainstream "overton window" ends. Trump, however, would still fit into the overton window of many on the right; just as Leslyn Lewis would not fit into it for those on the left. 

Trump and Trump-like parties, are thus the "mild" variant of the far-right. Derek Sloan would fit in here, for example, as would Maxime Bernier. When I say a party is "like Trump", I am not saying they would support a coup, or that they are guilty of nepotism; rather, I am saying that in terms of policy, they fit into that "one notch over" slot, just right of the 'mainstream' right-wing parties. 

The next notch over contains parties like the AfD. Parties don't like this notch very much, as it is a bit "scary". France's FN was firmly here, but is trying to move over to the Trump notch. AfD itself is constantly trying to move there, or, at least, portray itself as moving there. One party that seems to be here is Italy's FdI, which I will be speaking more about in another post. 

This notch is firmly nationalist, and one historical party I could point to as existing in this space is the DNVP. This is the only party that sat in coalition with Hitler. The party was not NAZI, but, was willing to work with them if needed. The "Danger" from parties in this notch is less what they would do on their own, and more what they could enable.

The final notch is the NAZI notch. Greece's Golden Dawn fit in here. These parties tend to be militant, and forceful. They will use violence to get what they want, and are quite willing to use death to further their own aims. 

There is little to say about this spot within the far right beyond the fact it poses a great threat to democracy and freedom. Since the end of WW2, parties in the AfD notch have been quite fearful of working with parties in this notch, for good reason. 

This post will hopefully help bring some context into our upcoming discussion on Italy's new government.