Over the last few years Western Europe has changed on a political level.

Every election that we see in Europe in the past year — whether it be in Britain, France or Germany, we in the United States have been holding our breath hoping that racist far-right parties don’t win elections.

Why is right-wing populism becoming so intriguing in the voting booths these past election cycles?

Why was far-right and anti-islamic candidate Geert Wilders in the Netherlands considered competition in the 2017 Dutch elections?

Why was french National Front party leader Marine Le Pen well popular and a runner-up in France during its election earlier this year?

How did the far-right populist party, Alternative for Deutschland -now the third largest political party in Germany- been able to obtain 88 seats in German parliament, the first time in over 70 years!?

There’s a few answers but one is primary:

The political left’s unwillingness to reasonably discuss migrants, Islam and terrorism.

The fear of discussing Islamic terrorism has become a deep wound in the left’s rhetoric.

This is said, knowing people will strongly disagree with me and even may want to shame me into silence.

The political left is hesitant to make a connection between the rise of terrorist attacks it has endured on a monthly basis and the pouring on mass of migrant refugees without proper vetting.

The unwillingness to actually discuss a proper vetting process allows psychopath to take over the conversation and make no bones about their plans for a society where moderate Muslims wont be able express thier faith.

It’s understandable, the well-intent of an open border policy to those fleeing mayhem. The men, women and children who have no where else to go and want to live in peace away from war.

Sadly, jihadist jackasses who take advantage of this policy, come into the west and do harm against civilians for theocratic means.

This has to be addressed and the far-right are the only ones who are willing to have that conversation, and they’re having it with absolute ugliness.

Their manifestos are insanely anti-Islamic. It fights against one of the main ideals of the age of enlightenment, namely, freedom of religion.

Voters know this, but vote for them any way because they’re the only ones welling to talk about the rise of terrorism in their country.

People are afraid to associate Islam with terrorism and it’s reasonable, to an extent.

There are obviously those who are actually bigoted agaist Muslims, and jump at any given chance to shit on Muslims.

Those people do a poor job at making distinctions between ideas and people.

But we cannot let them guide the discussion in that direction and us, the left, not talk about it in fear of the “islamaphobic” accusation, only gives those said bigots the upper hand.

It must be said that we must be comfortable to talk about that which is uncomfortable.