In this episode, (Click on) Antony Lowenstein examines the global surge of far-right populism and its obsessive focus on immigration and Islam across Australia, the US, the UK and Europe. Using recent comments by Pauline Hanson as a starting point, he explores how anti-Muslim rhetoric has been normalised in mainstream media and politics, and why similar language would be unthinkable if directed at other groups. The episode unpacks the deeper forces driving this shift, economic insecurity, media failure, and political opportunism, while challenging the myth that far-right figures represent “ordinary people.” Antony also traces the historical roots of these narratives, from the War on Terror to Australia’s offshore detention regime, and how Western immigration policies have influenced global approaches to borders and refugees. Ultimately, he argues that the current debate is not a calm discussion about immigration, but a broader ideological battle over multiculturalism, colonial legacy, and the kind of societies Western nations want to become. Credits: Produced by Lem Zakharia and Lena Helou.
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