Sunday 2 November 2014

The politics of fear.

The UK Foreign Office has warned Brits living or travelling abroad to be vigilant. We are, we are told, targets for terrorists all over the world.

I have two huge problems with this. Firstly, it is evidence of our government's hubris to suggest that we stand out in a western crowd. Whatever the wrongs and rights of military action against the Islamic State we are not acting alone. Our media might suggests that we are planting the democratic seeds of Westminster unaided, but that is rubbish. We are a little cog in an international wheel, and are no more at risk than Americans, French, Germans, Canadians, Australians ...

Secondly, the Foreign Office is promoting a climate of fear. Look over your shoulder, they are saying. Everyone is out to get you. You are only safe if you retreat into the sanctuary of your British castle.

How dare they?

Yes, there is a world-wide rise in terrorism. But there are millions and millions of kind, generous, curious, ambitious people all over the world, in every country, of every skin colour. By suggesting that we should look first for terrorists and only once people have proved themselves innocent can we engage in discourse can only promote suspicion. We will all end up clinging to the wreckage of mistrust unless we bypass such instructions and engage with the wonderful, exciting, liberating exchange of differences.

I want to live in peace as much as you do. And I want to do it by fostering an understanding of the miraculous diversity of the world. Of all its colours and mysteries and beliefs. I want to share all our multiple wonderfulnesses. I refuse to believe that terrorists lurk around every corner.

18 comments:

  1. I'm cheering here, Jo! It's happening in the Netherlands too much to my horror and dismary. Well done and well said!

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    1. Thank you, Val. Just hope it's not infecting the whole of Europe.

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  2. Well said. The politicians, or whoever has come up with this, are just projecting their own fears. And that is not a fear of terorism but a fear of not being in power any longer. Make people scared of the bogeyman and hope they vote for you, the strong man.
    25 years since the Berlin wall came down, we are erecting walls around Europe faster than we can blink. (I have had a bad day, sorry.)

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    1. No need to apologise - I agree. Make sure everyone is afraid and they'll agree to anything. They tried it with the second war in Iraq and it didn't work then. It worries me that so many seem to be giving in to it now.

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  3. I'm so with you on this one, Jo!!!

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  4. An excellent point. I am one of the many who have taken their warning at face value and thought, "Better stay at home" but you are absolutely right. It is the politics of fear and we must carry on or the terrorists will have won.

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    1. Thanks for rethinking, Ros. I know the world can be a scary place, but it can also be wonderfully welcoming. And only by understanding our differences can we begin to sort these wretched confrontations.

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  5. There is a number three. It is a rather subtle number three, I hasten to add. You are only a target if you LOOK like the idea they have abroad of a British tourist. I carry a British passport and I am a naturalised British citizen. However, if I keep my passport away from prying eyes I will be able to pass off as many things, but not as the IDEA people in other countries have of what a British tourist looks like.

    Good post. My question is: how far should we go in acting on our fears? Locking ourselves up at home without never leaving the house? :-)

    Greetings from London.

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    1. You're right. The implication that I'm at greater risk than you because I'm white and therefore look British, and you are black so you don't. So it's racist as well as instilling fear. Makes it even worse.

      But you won't catch me locking myself away. I want to be out there, trying to understand our differences than kowtow to anyone trying to tell me what to think.

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  6. I think much of the fear of terrorism is a government/media orchestrated for their own means, but I won't expand on that too much, here!!!

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    1. Expand as much as you like, Terry!! Or, if you do it on your own blog, do give me a nudge and I'll drop by to agree - long and loud.

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  7. Here here .... it is only a short step away from demonising any ''group'' ...such as Romanians or maybe disabled people ...oh...wait...

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  8. I'm with you Jo. I'm sure this culture of fear is deliberate. You wouldn't want to be in Brisbane as we prepare for the G20. Boy, are they expecting the worst! It would almost be disappointing if something bad didn't happen.
    But this has been going on for a long time. Look at the travel advisories--our governments always warn us not to travel to certain countries (because they don't have a democracy blah blah blah.) When we first travelled to Fiji I was expecting the military to meet us at the airport. Instead there was a lovely group of Fijian singers seranading us. Only saw soldiers one, out doing their shopping. What propaganda!!

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