[lbo-talk] the Bulgarian right

[Wendy Lyon]

On 3/15/06, Julian Gollop <gollop at bol.bg> wrote:
> John, you might be right, but Bulgaria has a particular problem because
> Volen Siderov simply doesn't face the same level of restraint that Le Pen
> does. A recent study of ethnic attitudes in Bulgaria show that 27% of ethnic
> Bulgarians support expelling the Bulgarian Roma population. Ataka's support
> is based on a very high level of racism and intolerance. Roma already suffer
> from 95% unemployment and discrimination in housing, welfare and education.
> Another significant issue is there is no effective political competition to
> Ataka, either on the right or the left. The right wing parties are weak and
> divided. There is no left wing polical force of any substance. Instead, most
> political parties occupy the 'middle ground' with no clear ideology.
> Corruption and poverty are rampant. In other words, there is fertile ground
> for fascism here.

I read some time ago that anti-semitism largely failed in WW2 Bulgaria
because the people simply refused to buy into it.  Many gentiles wore
the yellow star themselves, in solidarity, while others went out of
their way to be friendly to people wearing it.  Is that accurate?  And
if so, what happened in the last 60 years?  I don't imagine there was
that much less corruption and poverty back then.