You see article after article like this, where leftists claim the "far right" are taking advantage of frustrated communities. When they have to explain why most people in Ireland agree with the "far right" sentiment that Ireland shouldn't take any more migrants, they always say it's some kind of mistaken outlet for their real concerns which have nothing to do with immigration:

"The people who are drawn to protests in Ireland against asylum seekers and refugees are mostly those who feel powerless and frustrated in their own lives and communities."

Maybe the people drawn to protests against asylum seekers just don't want busloads of economic migrants dropped into their communities? Shouldn't left-wing journalists who present as the voice of the people actually listen to their concerns instead of trying to make them fit into their Marxist assumptions about how working class people think?

It's ironic because later in the article Fintan writes:

"The far right simultaneously degrades and elevates its followers."

Isn't this exactly what left-wing journalists like Fintan do? He presents this idealised version of the working class as class-conscious, plucky, colour-blind folks who who are also so stupid and easily misled that they keep mistakenly blaming their economic problems on asylum seekers and falling for the tricks of the "far right". So much so that 3 in 4 people have now been tricked into holding far right views on immigration!

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2023/06/03/fintan-otoole-the-far-right-gives-power-to-the-most-obnoxious-little-gits/