Materially, it makes little sense for blue-collar workers to vote for Modi, Orban, or Trump, a billionaire whose platform is to cut taxes for the rich. Hitler and Mussolini had their share of support from the poor too.

What are some of the theories of why this happens?

I know scapegoating foreigners for poverty is part of it. Wilhelm Reich wrote The Mass Psychology of Fascism but I haven't read it.

  • MerryChristmas [any]
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    edit-2
    2 years ago

    Most of the radical leftists I know are also poor. I think there is just something about living in the margins that pushes you to the extremes, and outside of the four years you potentially go to college you are going to get far more exposure to the far right than even the most milquetoast leftist positions.