Tony Burman writes that those who think the New Zealand mosque shootings were the act of a lone wolf have their facts wrong. Those facts show that White Supremacy is on the march:
In the words of the Anti-Defamation League, the shootings in New Zealand are the latest indication “that violent white supremacists pose an international terrorist threat … (who) can inspire others like never before.” In their crosshairs are Muslims, above all, but also Jews and other minorities.
And ominously, this has been a crisis largely allowed to fester in full view. A toxic mix of indifference, complacency and complicity by governments and police have provided the spark.
The man who always gets his facts wrong -- Donald Trump -- claims that the movement represents "a small group of people." But Trump himself has fanned the flames of bigotry:
In truth, it has actually been Trump’s policies and rhetoric that have emboldened the white supremacist movement. Does it surprise any of us that the alleged New Zealand shooter described the current U.S. president as “a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose.”
In the United States, white supremacists and other far-right extremists have killed far more people since 9/11 in 2001 than any other category of domestic terrorist. The Anti-Defamation League has reported that 71 per cent of extremist-related deaths since 2008 were committed by members of the far right or white supremacist movements — compared with only 26 per cent for Islamic extremists.
Although U.S. studies indicate there has been a gradual decline of left-wing violence in the past decade, violence by white supremacists and other far-right groups rose during Barack Obama’s presidency, and has surged since Trump took office.
There are several reasons for the white supremacist surge:
They include growing public fears about the increase in immigrants and the far-right’s sophisticated use of social media to inspire each other.
But they also have been given virtual free rein to operate with very limited police oversight.
In fact, their threat has been largely ignored by political and police authorities in the U.S. and Europe. Instead, the obsession since 9/11 has been to demonize Muslims and to place the counterterrorism spotlight overwhelmingly on extreme Islamist groups.
Significantly, this has not been due to mere oversight on the part of public authorities. In many cases, it has been wilful.
It's not just white supremacy that's on the march. Wilful ignorance marches proudly beside it.
Image: Our Weekly
4 comments:
There's a definite Lord of the Flies aspect to this, Owen. What worries me most is how this will evolve in the coming decades as social upheaval spreads from climate migration, resource shortages and exhaustion, and environmental degradation. Let's face it - the no longer unthinkable prognosis is bleak. Organizational orientation is already shifting from relatively cohesive societies aligned to the nation state into sub-national factions, tribalism, fueled by fear, anger and paranoia. It can be no accident that these tribal groups can spawn cells that can threaten the state's traditional monopoly on violence, one small step away from insurgency. And what government is rushing to the defence of liberal democracy in this emerging moment of peril?
Golding understood that the decent ended tribalism ended with burning down the island, Mound.
The white supremacy movement is working for someone and it isn't necessarily those who are committed to the white supremacy ideology. this works for corporate types. It works for Russia and other nations wishing to destroy nations which stand in their way. While G.B. had its brexit, in my opinion it had more to do with racism and the deterioration of G.B.'s relationship with Europe. The question is, who does it benefit? Who wins when G.B. leaves the E.U. Aaron Banks is now being investigated for excessive "spending" on the campaign. why would an insurance executive spend millions of pounds on it? what does he get out of it. May simply ought to stop the whole process and hold another vote. The first was tainted. While all the politicians in Parliament are neglecting their duties to run the country, other influences will come to play and the country will continue to go down hill. Enough.
In my opinion many of these white racists are tools of some greater game and they in their hatred of others are destroying their own countries, economies, etc. and in the end, they will have gained nothing. While we're all taling about white racists other things are being neglected in our communities and countries.
If countries are eliminated and we see the rise of the City State, who wins, who looses. Who controls the majority of wealth? who makes the most gains? Will it be easier to control the masses in a city state or a country?
Good questions, e.a.f. But people are not thinking very far ahead.
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