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.