Summary
Germans voted in a high-stakes election on February 23, with conservative Friedrich Merz poised to replace Chancellor Olaf Scholz amid a far-right surge.
The far-right, anti-immigration AfD is set for a record result, fueled by security concerns after attacks by asylum seekers.
The vote also unfolds amid tensions over US-Europe relations, as Trump signals a shift in NATO support.
If mainstream parties fail to counter far-right momentum now, analysts warn, the AfD may entirely dominate next time.
I keep seeing this sentiment over and over and over: “I don’t understand how so many people are duped.” It’s bizarre, and seems to defy our common sense. So, maybe it’s time to consider other explanations, and there are some which are backed by scientific research. I’ve been flogging this article since it was published, because it’s the only one that I’ve seen so be far that talks about it:
What Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orbán Understand About Your Brain
One key element here is that the mind hack needs an ‘in,’ like fear, to get started, which explains why it affects some kinds of people so much more than others.