Fake & Furious: the politics of hate

When Islamic extremists commit acts of violence, right-wing politicians declare it’s all down to Islam being what it is. But when racist extremists commit acts of violence, right-wing politicians ignore racism, and tell us to focus on the ‘real’ underlying causes (by which they mean ‘immigration’).

So how is immigration causing racist violence? Is it because foreign students are paying higher fees to study at our universities and thus help sustain the higher education sector which has been severely underfunded by the government? Is it because carers come from abroad to provide the much-needed support for our frail and elderly population? Is it because the NHS only functions thanks to the dedicated work of doctors and nurses who have moved here? Is it because immigrants pay taxes that contribute to our public finance?

It turns out it’s not immigration, but the negative perception of immigration that is connected to racist extremism. And what causes that negative perception? Here are four main factors: 

[1] Hate-carriers

There are people who are plagued by an emotional void that can only be filled by directing hate at a group of scapegoats. When they pick on immigrants, it gives them a sense of superiority. By being hurtful about people they can falsely depict in negative ways, they feel better about themselves. They then set about infecting others with hate, and rejoice in their twisted camaraderie. 

[2] Scapegoat-hunting politicians

There are politicians whose priority is to help the rich and powerful. They lower taxes for the wealthy, deregulate for large corporations, and underfund public services. Then in order to deflect public discontent, they tell people to fear and resent immigrants and refugees, and blame immigration for the problems caused by privatisation and austerity.

[3] Enemy states 

From fuelling anti-EU rage to stoking riots, Russian-linked activities are known to have been promoted to destabilise the UK. By spreading lies about immigrants and refugees, stirring up anger and hate, enemy states sharpen social divisions in our country. Ironically, many self-styled nationalists on the Right in the US and Europe have become pro-Russia because they welcome their support in demonising immigrants.

[4] Social media profiteers

Profiteering owners of social media platforms are well aware that in enabling people to send messages anonymously to spread false information, promote racial hatred, and incite violence, they are causing psychological and physical damages to countless innocent people. But they continue to prioritise their profit-making at the expense of others’ suffering.

If we are to tackle the causes of negative perception of immigration, we need to deal with the four factors outlined above. Hate-carriers need to be isolated from infecting others. Their attempts to radicalise those susceptible to such manipulation should be tracked and stopped. Scapegoat-hunting politicians should be exposed for their insidious agenda to weaken public services and mislead people into blaming immigrants. Enemy states’ role in promoting anti-immigration lies and propaganda must be widely flagged up so people can see where the real threats are coming from. And social media profiteers will only take their responsibility seriously if they are sufficiently and swiftly fined for allowing hate-mongering to flourish through their platforms.

To get tough on racist extremism, we do indeed have to get tough on the causes of racist extremism.

Is Englishness Your Cup of Tea?

Some people are worried that the notion of England and symbols such as the flag of St George might have become too closely associated with a form of intolerant nationalism; and that it would be better to speak of Britishness rather than Englishness. 

Then there are those who insist that being ‘English’ is all about colonialism, imperialism, and class oppression.  And one should only mention it in an apologetic tone and never express Englishness with pride.

But surely how a national culture is defined cannot be left to people who try to hijack it for their own jingoistic fantasies, or to those who can see nothing but torturous nightmares in its history. Of course England, like any other nation, has good and bad elements. Yet while we should condemn wrongful deeds and prevent their recurrence, we should also celebrate the momentous and the inspirational.

When we reflect on our Englishness, what shines out?

Our capacity for integration. From the arrival of the French Normans in 1066, intermingling with Celts, Angles, Saxons, Danes, to subsequent enrichment with people from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Netherlands, other parts of Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, the Indian sub-continent, the Far East – giving us an incomparable cultural richness.

Our firm stand against arbitrary rule and oppression. We produced the Magna Carta in 1215; we rid ourselves of two unacceptable monarchs in the 17^th century; we abolished the slave trade in 1807; we resolutely fought the Nazis and fascists; and through the guidance of our MP for Liverpool West Derby, we helped to establish the European Convention for Human Rights (ratified in 1953).

Our inventiveness in creating a better society. Look back on the reformists who improved factory working conditions, and advanced public health; cooperative pioneers who shared returns more equitably; innovators in community land trusts to widen access to housing; and the politicians who created the National Health Service.

Our internationalist and compassionate outlook. We co-founded the United Nations. England is home to Eglantyne Jebb and Dorothy Buxton who founded Save the Children in 1919; to the establishment of Oxfam (Oxford Committee for Famine Relief) in 1942; and to Peter Benenson who set up Amnesty international in 1961.

Our scientific heroes. Francis Bacon and the Royal Society he inspired; Isaac Newton and the laws of physics; Charles Darwin and natural selection; Michael Faraday and electromagnetism; Francis Crick and the genetic sciences; Tim Berners-Lee and the World Wide Web. To name but a few.

Our creative geniuses. William Shakespeare, Henry Fielding, Jane Austen, George Eliot, Charles Dickens, H. G. Wells, Agatha Christie, George Orwell, Arthur C. Clarke, the list of writers alone goes on and on. Then there are the incredible filmmakers – Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, Danny Boyle, Carol Reed, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan; the painters, the sculptors, the television show creators, the composers, and the great bands such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Genesis, Pink Floyd, the Specials, Queen, U2, Blur, etc.

What appeals to some of us may not appeal so much to others. But then again, diversity is a recurring feature of English achievements. We can each mix and match to come up with our own favourite brew of Englishness – to savour and to praise.