Reply To: Is it really because you are the problem?

[Gurnelista]

Race and ethnicity are quite different. Race has to do with physical differences, ethnicity has to do with language, culture, heritage and so on.

Ethnicity frequently includes religion, but not always. So, some of the same ethnic group might be Christian, others Jewish or Muslim, etc. For example, Nigeria has various ethnic groups, often with different religions. Syria does, too.

As for the right to say ‘I don’t like’ someone’s beliefs’, that’s fine. But the problem is that it’s frequently exploited by the political right to criticise and denigrate others. For example, the conflation of Islam with violence, radicalism and terrorism, Isis, ‘river to the sea’, etc. As a result, Muslims get denigrated and smeared, as if they’re all on the same spectrum.

It’s the same when others deny the holocaust, or claim the Jews are to blame for the evils of western society.

This sort of casual conflation of a particular faith with violence and subversion is as mad as saying ‘all Brexiters are bad and dangerous, like the guy who killed Joe Cox’.

Point is, they’re just opinions. There’s no facts, reason or respect, but opinions are popular, because they free you from the responsibility of thinking critically.

And this is the crux of the problem – that opinions like these appeal to unthinking, base instincts. They criticise those who have much less power. They distract and encourage people to ‘look down’ and blame those below, rather than ‘look up’ and blame those with power; those who brought the country to its knees after 14 years.

Millions accept this invitation to look down every day in papers like the Daily Mail, or tuning to Gbeebies and others, attracted by their respect for opinion over fact, and their swill of conspiracy theories.

Stupid but popular views are also highly profitable – they sell copy and get viewers. But it’s led to the decline of serious journalism, the decline of the Tory party, and the rise of Trump, Johnson, Braverman, Truss, Farage… the ‘underpants on head, the pencil up nose’ brigade even in some sections of the church, as well as a coarsening of political debate, and a growth in political violence.

In sum, it’s led to the undermining of social cohesion. That is the real problem when mainstream media gives predominance to opinion which masquerades as free speech, over fact.

There really are only two types who should be following opinions over facts; billionaires and stupid people. And if you’re not sure which you are, check your bank account.