Fear of immigrants almost always comes materially from economic forces. They’re not just becoming spontaneously more racist.
I think you’re underestimating how much of the rise of the far right is being caused by the loss of Russian oil and gas and grain and even tourism. The sanctions put pressure on prices and employment all across the European economy; cutting off their nose to spite their face. The conditions are created by the fear of competition for limited energy and resources, and conquering Russia would end the sanctions and open up their defeated neighbor for superexploitation and the extraction of superprofits.
It’s all a fantasy, of course. Russia will not become an imperial conquest that they can loot to alleviate poor economic conditions.
Fear of immigrants almost always comes materially from economic forces. They’re not just becoming spontaneously more racist.
I think you’re underestimating how much of the rise of the far right is being caused by the loss of Russian oil and gas and grain and even tourism. The sanctions put pressure on prices and employment all across the European economy; cutting off their nose to spite their face. The conditions are created by the fear of competition for limited energy and resources, and conquering Russia would end the sanctions and open up their defeated neighbor for superexploitation and the extraction of superprofits.
It’s all a fantasy, of course. Russia will not become an imperial conquest that they can loot to alleviate poor economic conditions.