“Hate speech” is ok, if it’s right on

Why is the Left so obsessed with “hate speech” and “hate crime?” If I am injured, I want justice, whether my attacker was motivated by hate or merely indifferent to my plight. If my goods are stolen, I don’t care if the thief was driven by envy, hatred or greed. I just want my stuff back and the thief out of circulation. If anything, while most of us would prefer to be loved, surely hatred is better than indifference?

So what is it with the Left and “hate?”

The Labour Party is having tactical discussions at present about Gordon Brown’s recommencement of hostilities (as if there was ever a truce) in the “class war.” The Blairites may point out (sensibly) that it is a turn off for floating voters, but class war is no mere option for Labour. Trust someone who grew up in the Labour heartlands; it is no aberration - it is its vile beating heart. Never an hour went by in my Northern school without some snide class-based remark from pupils or teachers. The enemy was invisible (there were no “toffs” in our bog-standard comp, comrade) but the hatred was relentless. It bound the tribe together. Denouncing someone as a “toff” was enough to make him or her an enemy. No further discussion was needed. I was caught up in this hatred myself for some years. Only gradually did the obvious strike me. It is no more logical to be proud of one accident of birth than another. Proletariat-worship is - ironically - a weird kind of feudalism.

It’s quite simple really and dangerously so. Without the bourgeoisie (the baddies) there is no justification for the violent dominance of the proletariat (the goodies). Just like those action movies that begin with the hero’s wife/girlfriend/children being killed/raped/mistreated by the “bad guys,” it’s a plot device to justify the vicious excitement that follows. Just as the dehumanisation of the “capitalists” - their conversion into stereotypical hate figures - makes them like robots or aliens in a sci-fi movie or video game. You can attack them gleefully, without shame or remorse because they are "other." It’s all deliciously tribal. Post-Soviet Socialism has consisted largely of a search for new hate figures; racists, homophobes, islamophobes, AGW deniers, smokers etc.

Hatred is actually the Left’s vice. It's hard, in a chicken and egg sort of way, to know which came first. I suspect that the malicious are actively drawn to left-wing thinking by the endless opportunities for hatred - of class enemies, of class traitors, of scabs, of blacklegs, of anyone - in short - outside the hate-defined tribe. Hatred unifies, purifies and creates all-important solidarity. Perhaps it is simply seen as a weapon too valuable to be available to the enemy?

When negotiating an agreement, the parties spend a lot of time worrying about how the “other side” might do them down. Their respective advisers get a lot of insights into human insecurities. One of the clearest lessons my 27 years as a commercial lawyer have taught me is that people fear most the wrongs they are themselves most likely to commit.

If you want to know what to fear from a man, look at what he fears in others.

Comments

[Moggsy]

A few good hits in this post, calling it how it is for sure.

What really amazes me is Gordon is now busy telling us Labour stands for the people with aspirations when we all know they actively smash down anyone with aspirations for themselves or their children.

[John Demetriou]

This is an excellent piece and it sums up my thoughts on Labour and 'hate crime' perfectly. I couldn't agree more.

Great stuff, Last Ditch.

[Navigator]

I was pondering this same subject today, when seeing headlines about the uselessness of the police 'service' given their New Labour mandate to enforce political correctness above actual crime, and also another court case, or perhaps more properly a tribunal hearing, regarding failed humour about someone wearing shorts. Mr Paine's experience on New Year's Eve is also, regrettably, a part of this awfulness.

I know this is a little off point, but my mind got to wondering how we change the prevailing winds? I haven't come up with a good answer. As Mr Paine will confirm, my first instinct is to abolish all of the laws that create such pathetic interactions between citizens; I also suspect another of mandating deportation for any complainants would not be electable (and where could they be sent?); so trying to come up with something that could perhaps be done (by definition, an imperfect solution) the best I could think of was to mandate that the maximum damages for any hurt 'feelings', in any forum, and for any reason, should be a pound, and the complainant, even if they win, pays their own legal costs.

Otherwise my grave fear is Tom is right. The direction we are currently in, can only lead to encourage the feckless and lazy to seek advancement using a system that destroys self respect and what little of the social fabric of this country remains.

[Katabasis]

I hear you Tom.

I fell for this myself for a few years in my younger days. And then I started noticing the "prolier than thou" posturing occuring amongst the very obviously middle class leaders of the socialist groups.

This also reminded me of a quote I saw recently, attributed to an anonymous Chinese official. Whether it is genuine or not I don't know, but the possibility that a Chinese official may have said it intrigued me as it is a powerful quote:

"Where there is a middle class, there is hope."

[Old Holborn]

Labour DEMAND that you like tomatoes.

Luckily the Lords managed to throw out a law just six weeks ago that would have made negative criticism of Tomatoes a criminal offence. I kid you not

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8356093.stm