Clive Bibby: Mobsters by any other name

Lushington Brady writes an incisive piece about the anti-semitic hate speech that is fast becoming common place throughout the western world. 

He identifies capitals and major cities (including one or two of our own) where rallies have been held that allow high profile politicians (often government members) to spout their shrill, targeted chants without fear of being held to account. 

It is a sad commentary of what we have become. 

Frighteningly, this planned mob hysteria has more in common with those rallies that occurred in Nazi Germany prior to the outbreak of WW2 when the Jews were being scapegoated as the sole reason for society’s ills. 

Yet our leaders appear unwilling to use the laws against hate speech to stop this regrettable movement in its tracks. And as a result, the activists involved become emboldened to the point where we are in danger of lurching into anarchy. 

For too long the authorities responsible for policing society have preferred to isolate the perpetrators of these unlawful acts into categories which are in fact, misrepresentations of who these people really are. 

We are told that they belong to misguided groups of ordinary folk who are only executing their right to free speech. 

Unfortunately, the policing of the law governing free speech almost inevitably sees those who are judged to be “right of centre” being apprehended before things get out of hand while those on the left are able to pursue their agendas without restraint. 

It doesn’t and shouldn’t need to be this way. 

There are simple remedies that are available to the authorities that would go some way to ensuring the law is seen to be administered fairly and without favour. 

The first thing they need to do is to stop this farcical pigeonholing of groups of extremists into categories that fit with traditional media references to those of either “left” or “right” political persuasion. We are told that the more radical elements of each category represent the extreme wings of the ideologically driven groupings. Hence the references to “far right” extremists although we hear little about their counterparts on the other side. 

Because the truth is that these extreme individuals fit neither of these categories. They are in fact mobsters who have no sense of decency or individual responsibility towards their fellow man. They are consumed by hate and driven to exterminate those who are perceived to be responsible for societies failures. 

The Christchurch mass murderer is always referred to as a right wing extremist which is a gross insult to all those who believe in conservative progress towards a truly egalitarian society.
We need to have a long hard look at the way we here in our own country are dealing with this problem. On examination, it may be revealed that we have a long way to go before we can safely say that the real extremists amongst us have been held to account for their own unlawful activities. And you may be surprised to learn who those people are.

One thing is for sure, few of them are likely to be identified as Jews or Muslims. More likely that some will be discovered as the neighbour who operates in a clandestine manner using the indifferent attitudes of authorities to literally get away with crimes against humanity.

Think I’m joking? I kid you not! 

The evidence shows we are on the edge of a moment in time when those who believe in freedom are called upon to shape up or ship out. 

Make no mistake - this situation is the result of governments that appease those that would want to do us harm rather than acting in defence of its citizens before it is too late.

We, in this country, have taken the first step in righting the ship but it will take a lot of courage from the new government to ensure we are heading in the right direction. 

They need our support.

Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who lives in Tolaga Bay.