From the London Telegraph.
I wonder which is more likely in response to the severe economic crisis: A rise in fascism or a rise of the extreme Left? Or, is it just a crap shoot and the only thing that can be said with any certainty is that a severe economic crisis will lead to a rise in extremism?
A return to class struggle (real "far left" stuff, not hooliganism) and popularizing Das Kapital would be nice, to go with bankrupting "social democracy." While racist sentiments can and have already manifested themselves, the socioeconomically fascist reaction just isn't there, because the corporatist base has already been established by the authorities and is being opposed.
Extremism of all sorts can take off during bad economic times. Left or right, it's still fertile ground. However, it's amusing hearing this from someone who's quite happy to support people being held without charge for over a month and issuing everyone with identity cards.
We already have identity cards: "sin" cards (Xian End Times pun intended).
They don't really identify you, though. They contain in themselves no information about you. The new UK ID cards will be different.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_national_identity_card
Thus far there are not enough people starving. Wait until 30% unemployment and then see what happens.