Geert Wilders, The Australian, free speech and my unpublished letters
Posted by John, February 21st, 2013 - under Far right, Fascism, Geert Wilders, Islamophobia, Racism.
The Australian has been promoting the racist Geert Wilders as a man of peace and respectability and using the hoary old free speech argument to justify his racist rantings.
This is part of The Australian’s agenda – to nurture and encourage the extreme right in case big business needs a battering ram to smash workers’ unions and their mass political parties to drive down living standards and restore profitability.
Pandering to Wilders under the guise of ‘free speech’ is part of that tactic of building up the strong man in reserve if needed.
So have you noticed any letters in the Australian critical of the racist Wilders? Any articles attacking him for what he is – a member of the extreme right? No. I tried. I sent 3 letters to the editor, not in any expectation of publication because when it comes to free speech Rupert holds all the cards, not me. Free speech in Australia is for the billionaires and those who agree with them or fit into their agenda.
John
Letter 1 18 February
It is no surprise that The Australian – the 2013 version of Le Figaro in the early 1940s – gives space to the fascist Geert Wilders in it pages. The relationship between big business and fascism is often close, especially during times of economic and consequent political turmoil.
Nurturing fascism enables the ruling elite to unleash its Nazi attack dogs on workers and their political and industrial organs in times of deep economic crisis to drive down workers living standards and so restore profit rates.
So The Australian’s mollycoddling of this fascist has to be seen for what it is – an insurance policy for big business for the future if fascism is needed to destroy the Left in all its forms. Having imprisoned and killed the organised defenders of the working class the fascists can then cut wages and social spending markedly.
History is repeating. The economic crisis in Europe is seeing the rise of racist and fascist groups across the continent. The rise of the fascist Golden Dawn in Greece is but one case in point.
Wilders racism is a convenient tool for helping both attract support from sections of the middle class in decline and backward sections of the working class. He blames ‘other’ peoples rather than capital for the problems of capitalism. This is just the message big businesses like News benefit from spreading.
Letter 2 19 February
Geert Wilders is a racist and a fascist. How appropriate that The Australian gives him so much space.
A response
The letters editor responded to my short outburst on 19 February with:
Hi John
I’m sure you can do better that (sic) this
G
I replied : I did, in a previous letter but since you didn’t print it maybe length was an issue. Hence my short one this time.
Letter 3 20 February
After reading your editorial praising Wilders and re-reading his recent article in your august journal of record, I decided to replace the word Islam in Wilders’ piece with Judaism and other variants. Here is how some of Wilders’ article reads with that change.
‘Europe is going through a Judaification process which makes our continent less free and less safe. …. Judaism, rather than a religion, is a totalitarian political ideology.’
Sound familiar? Of course any ‘respectable’ politician who uttered such filth would rightly be branded a racist with fascist tendencies. Why then is it OK in the eyes of The Australian to attack Islam in terms redolent of the Nazis?
Could it be because this oh so respectable man is garnering the forces of the extreme right in preparation for a rerun of the 30s. The idea of ‘the other’ in this case resonates with the downwardly mobile middle classes and backward sections of the working class – the very social groups Hitler appealed to before winning the support of big business – is no longer Jews but is now becoming Muslims? The ultimate beneficiaries of this trend to fascism would not be the backward racists but big business.
It is important to protest against Wilders and his filth to help stop history repeating. If that makes me an extremist as you call people like me in exercising our right to protest and speak out against racism and in defence of Muslim Australians then so be it. It is a badge of honour.
Like all posts on this site comments (see the link under the heading) close after 7 days.
Advertisement
Comments
Comment from Kay
Time February 22, 2013 at 9:48 am
Anti-Islam feelings in the community are based on fear – following the well-publicised terrorist attacks of 9/11, Bali, Madrid, London and ongoing terrorist activities in Muslim countries. Fear is a very easy to understand emotion.
Fascist persecution of the Jews was based on envy and religious persecution, and was fully supported by the Catholic Church.
It takes a Socialist to somehow blame big business for everything!
Comment from Leo Lane
Time February 22, 2013 at 11:06 am
John, It is great to see that “The Australian” rejects your baseless ad hominem attacks on someone who is attempting to do something about a runaway problem which will only become worse with the “hands off” approach which the craven Left seek to impose.
The actions of the jihadists speak for themselves. There needs to be a united rejection and condemnation of their intimidatory, criminal actions.
Geert Wilders is to be admired for his stance, and deserves support, rather than defamatory attacks from people like yourself.
Comment from Kevin Bennewith
Time February 22, 2013 at 12:17 pm
I totally disagree with you. You are still fighting a battle of the nineteenth century, which was won by socialism over one hundred years ago. There is no real right wing party with any influence in today’s world. Australia is a social democracy, a welfare state. Your version of socialism is a totalitarian state, the USSR no longer exists because of its inherent contradictions. You are in bed with the Islamists because you see it as a way to destroy our way of life and replace it with your version of socialism, but I can assure that you will regret it. They will eat you leftists alive. Islam is far more dangerous than Nazism. You only have to look honestly at what is happening in the world to see that your ideas are wrong. Islam is a totalitarian ideology with a thin veneer of religion. Muslims in general are peaceful people, but they are being led astray by extremists. Islam is incompatible with democracy, and we don’t need it in the West.
Comment from Ben
Time February 22, 2013 at 3:00 pm
John you publish the most diabolical rubbish, and yet you down cry someone who is prepared to address a world wide epidemic. Dear Me.
Comment from George Gell
Time February 22, 2013 at 4:47 pm
What nonsense.
If you have read the Koran and cannot see in its teachings facism intolerance, sadism sexism, and its incompatibility with progress of the human race then you thinking is perverted. You look at at a dogs hind leg and see a straight line.
Comment from jack
Time February 22, 2013 at 4:53 pm
hey John
you surely don’t expect the Australian to publish drivel such as ‘Nurturing fascism enables the ruling elite to unleash its Nazi attack dogs on workers and their political and industrial organs in times of deep economic crisis to drive down workers living standards and so restore profit rates’
You and your kind are dinosaurs with your worn-out ideologies and ‘double-plus-speak’.
Come into the 21st century – hell, come into the 20th century – you’re that far out.
Comment from John
Time February 23, 2013 at 7:08 am
Yes Gregory Gell, I have read the Bible too, and I can ‘see in its teachings facism (sic) intolerance, sadism sexism, and its incompatibility with progress of the human race.’ That doesn’t mean I go around the country railing against Christians and Christianity.
Comment from John
Time February 23, 2013 at 7:14 am
Jack, if I am so old fashioned and out of date, explain to me the rise of the explicitly Nazi group Golden Dawn in Greece with 7% of the vote at the last election, armed thugs patrollin the streets, attacks on immigrants and tghe left, and now perhaps with up to 17% support? Explain also the rise of SYRIZA, the coalition of the radical left and the likely next Government of Greece. My explanation of crisis, of disillusioned middle classes and backward workers being their support base, and the ruling class considering using them to smash all working resistance to austerity and thus driving down living standards, stacks up pretty well. I look forward to your post-modern alternative coherent explanation.
Comment from peter d jones
Time February 25, 2013 at 8:39 am
Same here – tried three papers but they won’t print any of them or critique of Christopher Monckton from similar stable on the Far Right. People need to know the flaws in their arguments and who is behind these characters.
Comment from Jawahar Gandhi
Time February 25, 2013 at 5:15 pm
John,
I must say you are a brave soul trying to fight out a horde of propagandists who are well paid to spread Islamophobia. These propagandists sit glued to the internet scanning all blogs and posts; they have only one mission: to denounce any body who dares to criticise the Zionists or Israel. They believe that the Muslims got inspired by the Islamic/Koranic teachings to fight back against the zionist atrocities, hence Islam is their target of attack. These propagandists are Hasbara operatives working for the Zionist Propaganda Machine. They are ardent religious fascists but just to prove their fake credentials they pose as atheists, ex-Muslims or conservative Christians. Many of those who have written back to you are Hasbarats including Geert Wliders and Rupert Murdoch, see for yourself below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MgSUnq7_5Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeLs6C2hYC8
http://maxblumenthal.com/2010/12/the-great-islamophobic-crusade/
http://www.bollyn.com/eric-hufschmid-and-rupert-murdoch-agents-of-deception
So, dont be disheartened, KEEP ON DOING THE GOOD WORK
Comment from Walter van der Cruijsen
Time February 21, 2013 at 3:58 pm
Excellent read. Indeed, if you replace islam with judaism, the true nature of Mr. Wilders is revealed. Although he calls himself a friend of Israël, most jews see him as a arsonist who presents himself as a saviour.