Fascism also works when good people stay quiet. I’m a recent joiner of F***book, just to get advice about my new motorcycle. I have been shocked and appalled at the abuse that exists, I am all for free speech but some posts incite, and promise violence.
Locally we have a very vocal Fly the Flag “organiser” who has morphed into Restore campaigner. Him and his followers were active in Makerfield, his tactics mostly being live streamed bullying. I have hesitated to engage as his supporters appear violent, however…
Picking my grandson up from school the other day I got talking to another parent who I have seen many times, he is originally from India and had recently been back for a holiday. We had a wide ranging pleasant conversation and I’m sure we will have many more.
That evening I made my first post on his FB page (the Fascist) polite and factual but pointed, comparing him and his uniformed crew to Oswald Mosley. So far I have not been replied to as he appears to only respond to people who abuse him. He has been live streaming from Chesterfield town centre the last couple of days, singing a song “about round them up and ship them out”.
If you can stomach it, look him up, James Henry Holmes.
If you believe in Britain and humanity, we have to engage in other places than this echo chamber!
He has been live streaming from Chesterfield town centre the last couple of days, singing a song “about round them up and ship them out”.
Surely that's enough of a bar for the police to have words?
He has been live streaming from Chesterfield town centre the last couple of days, singing a song “about round them up and ship them out”.
I have no understanding of the law here, but can't help be reported for hate crime for doing that? I appreciate it's live streamed but surely there will be a recording of it somewhere?
Are you sure you didn't join Facebook to seek out drama?
Some people do seek out drama, same as some people are chronically offended, either for themselves or on behalf of someone else.
It's a very real thing - so a valid question.
Deciding to stick my neck out against Fascism is not something I want to do but feel it necessary. Believe me, after a lifetime as a Union member it should be younger ones and there shouldn’t be such a worry over the future.
Does that answer it for you? Now look at the top two posts and apply your mind to those!
He has been live streaming from Chesterfield
Ah.
If you can stomach it, look him up, James Henry Holmes.
Had a quick look. His Companies House records came up too - lots of past and present businesses, from tanning and nails to property. Seems a charmer.
OP I posted about the problems with social media imbalance on here a year or two ago.
On one hand you have retired people of all socio economic backgrounds, business owners, manual labour, self employed trades, unemployed, other workers outside the professions etc .
While their comments remain legal they're not really at much risk of losing income or their professional qualifications over what they do online.
Without workplace professional standards reaching into your private life you can basically say what you want provided it doesn't break any criminal law and for the avoidance of doubt I mean that on ANY standpoint / space on the political spectrum / societal issue.
You can be extraordinarily knowledgeable and polite OR you can EFF and Jeff, throw abuse, make wild statements and accusations, post stuff that is blatant lies and misinformation largely without consequences.
Contrast with those in the professions.
A surveyor, accountant, lawyer, chartered anything, doctor etc. They have rules and often their online persona is publicly identifiable to an employer/regulator. Their authorising bodies have rules on professional standards that go 100miles beyond the workplace.
So you've got a lump of well educated and qualified population with actual expertise in economics, business etc who are generally not consuming social media/AI generated waffle as their primary source of factual information.
BUT (leaving aside the "enough of experts" stuff)
Many of these people don't necessarily want to engage in those more toxic channels or discussions. I've had this discussion with many of my peers.
The possibility of vexatious complaints to employers and regulators and the risk of censure from regulators that puts them out of work. This is a risk many don't want to run (I have two qualifications/ sets of regulatory rules I have to work in and both have "no harm to the profession through anything you do in any element of life" requirements).
All my opinion
This is really tricky. I totally agree that "deciding to stick my neck out against Fascism is not something I want to do but feel it necessary" but there are times when discretion and valour, etc. Equally we have a saying at work (OK, mainly H&S driven but applies all over) "The standard you walk past is the standard you accept".
Now, you could just not go on those Facebook sites and therefore not be walking past it, but in ignoring it are we accepting it anyway? I think in general terms the SM loudmouths are doing it in that way because it's sort of negative virtue signalling, with low real risk; equally they have no actual intent to enact what they are posting, so they aren't really that much risk of actually being physical until the mob Carling moment hits, and very unlikely to be seeking counter arguers out specifically. It's just a place to be all brave and angry but as the marches have shown, they're outnumbered 10:1 when it really matters.
Similarly I've told about the time my wife and daughter had to get a train to London on the day of the Sept 25 Unite the Kingdom marches, and there were lots of false brave people made brave by numbers. Individually I'd challenge them but as a lone voice on that train on that day, I'd have kept my head down too.
Continue to be a good person and let your values and opinions show through what you do, not 'just' arguing in places where you won't win. That's what'll make a difference in the end.
