…and the Dodo media.
The world seems old and tired but one thing that appears
renewed and full of energy is hatred.
As one of the last Nazis, Reinhold Hanning, was convicted
in Germany, the horrors of a divided Europe awash with xenophobia, racism and
right wing aggression, seem to be a groggy memory. If nothing else, it’s worth
remembering that this 94-year-old was/is an ordinary man – a retired dairy
farmer. He was 18 when he volunteered to join the SS where he worked herding other
human beings into gas chambers.
As the far right ascend again and bigotry and hatred are
unleashed on a global scale, where is the strong calm leadership to challenge
the fear and intolerance? In the UK, mainstream politicians – in an effort to
crisis manage the rise of the right – have tried to appease the bigots and the
racists rather than challenge them.
As the vicious right with their bad hair and barely hidden
inadequacies whip up homophobic hatred, twisted nationalism, racism (just
replace Muslims with Jews and you get the picture) are we really destined to
repeat repeat repeat?
Make no bones about it, we are having a referendum because
of a failure of leadership in Britain. (See last week’s blog immediately below).
Cameron states that he has a set view on remaining in Europe. Well – that
should have been in the Tory election manifesto in 2015. He seems to think that
being in government is like running a permanent political version of X-Factor
In the US Dump is ratcheting up the ignorant bullish
aggression. Here in the UK Farage and the Ukippers are feeding and fuelling the
fears of the ignorant and levering themselves up in the backs of the most vulnerable.
With his Enoch Powel poster (Farage was a big EP fan at school) Farage pedals
the lie that your worst enemy is someone with even less than you. The truth is, those who legally ‘steal’ state assets,
strip companies and keep uncountable wealth for themselves are the ones who actually affect
our ability to provide for everyone and create a stable world where people
don’t have to become refugees.
And – shamefully, on Europe’s borders, human rights
organisations report more shootings and indiscriminate killings by Turkish
guards of refugees fleeing violence in Syria. Turkey has its 30 pieces of
silver and the price is keeping refugees contained in hellish conditions.
As the Dodo media simply parrot the squawking of the
extremes and the fear-mongers on either side, it is no wonder the country is
gripped by anxiety.
Years ago when I practiced law there were solicitors who
were known for simply passing on the whining of their clients in costly
correspondence, waiting for the solicitor on the other side to do the same
before asking their client what they thought and then repeating the process.
They never did anything that could be classed as ‘legal’ work or gave ‘advice’.
We called them post-box lawyers. They made a lot of money as their cases tended
to run on the longest. Similarly, the Dodo media. No journalism involved – just
passing the megaphone from one side to the other. Honking the message. During
this referendum the Dodo media have shown themselves as never before, fat with
resources, stupid, incongruous, morally flightless and in terms of usefulness -
extinct.
Like washing up liquid, there are ‘new, improved’ types of
hatred. When I was a city councillor in Newcastle in the late 80s/early 90s I
received anonymous racist hate mail. OK. I was the first
black woman elected to that city council. No mystery there. But until the
appalling, senseless death of the young mother and MP in Yorkshire, I had no
idea that the British fascist group Britain
First reserved a specific hatred for white left wing activists.
Who thinks this shit up?
It is time for the good people to stand up. (see blog 152 Could the Nice People Speak Up Please)
It is time to stop pandering and placating and appeasing the Farages of this
world. We need sensible leadership. We need leadership full stop. Many of us
feel that Europe is on the edge of a precipice it should never have been pushed
to.
To misquote The
Matrix
“(We)
have been down there…
(We)
know that way
(We)
know exactly where it ends
(We)
don’t want to be there.”
Remember to vote on Thursday.