Extremism is no longer restricted to the Far Right. It is alive and well amongst the “normal” Conservative Party rank and file.
I am deeply ashamed to admit that I know some of these people.
I try and avoid discussions with those whose views I find distasteful, but somehow I got drawn in recently.
Apparently all two million inhabitants of Gaza are terrorists, and genocide is a perfectly reasonable reaction to the recent slaughter of Israeli citizens led by Hamas.
The endless bombardment of Lebanon by the IDF is fully justified self defense. Asked whether the Sabra and Chatila massacres were also justified, I was met by bewilderment.
The US is entirely right to bomb Iran and slaughter its leaders and military as well as thousands of innocent civilians.
Israeli military operations, escalating settler violence, and the extensive expropriation of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians and widespread displacement. Once again, this is all perfectly acceptable to the local Tory politician I was speaking to.
Talk, negotiation and the barest human decency has, apparently, never worked and never will.
There is little more I can say.
I am deeply, deeply disgusted.
I would give you a like, but there is nothing to like here. As you say, it’s all too deeply disgusting.
Sigh. Atrocious
Similar attitudes probably exist within the conservative parliamentary parties in Australia.
But they represent last year’s voting.
In just six months, a right wing party has swung from around 6% support (in national voting intention surveys) to 30%. This has occurred despite an apparent widespread disdain for Israel’s actions among Australian voters.
It’s hard for me to comprehend why hate, envy and bigotry now seem to have fairly widespread voter appeal.
I’m dismayed at sad. Its a happening everywhere. I’m puzzled as much as you are and have no answers. It’s so easy to see how the genocide of the Nazis took place.
Extremism in any form is dangerous. A healthy democracy depends on respectful dialogue, mutual understanding, and rejecting hatred, regardless of political affiliation.
It is especially scary when a supposedly educated establishment figure (even if a very minor one) expresses such views. I am reminded that it was the smaller people in Nazi Germany who enabled the atrocities. Gauleiters, petty officials, railway men, police and so on. I am still deeply shocked and revolted and I suspect his views are widespread in this country. As they were in the 1930s.