ANOTHER INVASION

I came down to breakfast this morning and found this leaflet on the kitchen table.

Celia had gone off to her exercise class and left it prominently displayed so as not to be missed. Hope is something we have discussed before, in relation to my rather downbeat and depressing views expressed in my various blogs. She is right of course. 

The majority of people around the world are not considered poor. Apparently only 9.9% of the world's population live in poverty. Indeed, when I go out and about, most people I see are going about their business with positive intent, wither going to work, shopping, jogging, interacting with others, on their phones, sitting in cafes and restaurants, driving here and there. Most are just generally living and going about their endeavours, on the whole without revealing whatever slings and arrows of outrageous fortune they may face on a daily basis. We do not, on the whole, choose violence to end our sea of troubles, but rather find some other way to improve our lives. The pursuit of reason, education, compromise and alternative  solutions to problems are the general go to tactics. We preach the avoidance of conflict and the loving of our neighbours as the highest ideals. Fortunately the majority of us do seem to accept  rules of law and adherence to the duty of care we owe to each other.

I do have hope, but there is a persistent nagging in my brain that the daily perception of what I witness when going outside exists on the most fragile of foundations. So fragile that a number of organisations have formed with a view to strengthening the ties that bind democratic societies into maintaining a social contract strong enough to resist an onslaught of those who seek to establish a hierarchical rule based on power and control over the freedom of thought and action.The policy behind this system is “You will be free so long as you believe what we believe and behave in a way that is consistent with how we think you should behave, and we will provide you with the means to live a good life under our beneficent control”.

The propaganda behind the leaflet I found on the kitchen table is explained on their website:

At HOPE not hate, our mission is to work tirelessly to expose and oppose far-right extremist.
Our work focuses on the organised far right, the communities who are susceptible to them and the issues and policies which give rise to them. We build skills and resilience across communities and civil society organisations, creating an alternative narrative of togetherness and unity.
We leverage the power of HOPE by creating a platform for ordinary people to do the extraordinary. That includes supporting the wider sector to have greater impact in opposing hatred in all its forms through more effective collaboration and sharing of skills, promoting social cohesion and defending Britain’s multicultural and multiracial society.
Through our work, we defend, champion and promote democracy and the rule of law; speaking out against anti-democratic and authoritarian forces and policies.
To do all of this, we work to build, nurture and safeguard a powerful team of staff, volunteers and supporters, including investing in staff and volunteer learning and development.
With our roots firmly and proudly in the British antifascist movement, our approach is always to use a strategic approach, remaining agile and meeting and overcoming threats to this day, continually researching and reassessing the political and extremist landscape we face, ready to meet the challenges we face.
HOPE NOT HATE TODAY
We are living in rapidly changing and unpredictable times. Longstanding problems of racism, divided communities and the economic and political consequences of globalisation and de-industrialisation, are now supplemented by new pressures and trends. The growing threat of international far right terrorism, particularly amongst young people, and the mainstreaming and the increasingly complex and sometimes unconventional nature of hate rhetoric in public discourse, generates new fears and challenges.
Our first priority remains the organised far right, the communities who are susceptible to them and the issues and policies which give rise to them.
Our team includes researchers, educators, community activists and policy experts, as well as specialists with inside access to far right groups.
We realise our vision through challenging racism, hatred and extremism in all its forms. We always look to leverage hope – supporting and empowering people to build the stronger, more resilient, inclusive and hopeful communities they want to be part of, where the power of hope overcomes hate. We work to support powerful and effective local, national and international political, societal and economic ecosystems, and we challenge attempts by promoters of hateful ideology to gain public platforms, both online and in real life.
HOPE not hate represents a value system, a framework for society and how we want to live our lives within that. It is about community not individuals; peace not conflict; solidarity not self-interest; respect not abuse; resilience not fragmentation; togetherness not isolation; collaboration not competition.
We are passionate, committed and determined.
And in these increasingly unstable and uncertain times, we are here to offer hope, to demonstrate that hate and division can be overcome.

 
I personally find nothing wrong with the aims of this anti-fascist organisation. It is similar to the aims of the Antifa organisation in the United States. In that country, the current establishment views Antifa as a terrorist organisation and spit out the word ‘Antifa’ as an insult to democracy and align it with Hamas, Houthis, Hezbollah, al-Qaeda, Palestine Action, all proscribed terrorist groups. To me this demonstrates a lack of reason or rational thought of any kind in America. The vehemence with which the current Trumpian Regime attacks diversity and inclusion is pathological. It is as if the Invasion of the Body Snatchers has actually come to fruition. But there is hope: