Human Rights Under Attack

CBC Ideas program have a full hour of Gareth Peirce On The New Dark Age.  It is worthwhile listening to entirely.

We are getting reports from the US, Canada, the UK and Europe about violence breaking out.

In the thirties Jews were targeted in Europe. African Americans were targeted in the US. Forced starvations were organized in Russia. First Nations and Japanese were targeted in Canada.

With each decade a demographic was denied dignity, imprisoned, murdered while mainstream voices who spoke out against the violence were ostracized and punished.

Now the White supremacists have organized hate marches.

The conversation about how we can heal the conflict, comfort the afflicted and move forward doesn't seem to make the headlines. So what is wrong with this picture? What is the nature and the name of the elephant in the room?

Hate has been whipped up throughout the centuries and after the slaughter, the fear, the bloodshed and displacement, there is work to rebuild, with the mantra "never again" will we fall for the hate-mongers, Then discontent creeps in, social systems break down and the hate boils over again.

This sounds like it's an organic thing. Individuals no matter how enlightened can't reach the thugs or the fascist supporters.  But is it natural. Or is it stirred, organized and presented as a grass roots eruption which we must accept as human nature.

I think that is a cop out. I think we know about how tensions, fear and hate is whipped, where it comes from and who benefits.