Recently, Dr. Barbara Perry, Director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University, wrote an essay for Maclean’s Magazine, “Far-right politics will fuel extremism.” [ See FAR-RIGHT POLITICS ]
Dr. Perry states the roots of right-wing extremism, and hate, in our society stem from a range of sources, from Donald Trump to COVID-19 to the rise of far-right groups. There is no disagreement with Dr. Perry’s claim but she may be too myopic in this claim. Her claim is based on the alarming growth of hate crimes within the last decade, the same period where the use of electronic devices and posting to social media also rose at a phenomenal rate.
The sources of hate are not the cause but are the leading age symptoms of this age of hate in which we live. Hate has been sown by people, parents, politicians and teachers. All these social factions have increased their use of technology and that use has given them the opportunity of publishing outlandish, polarized commentaries on social media, anonymously without repercussions or accountability. Social media became the Wild West of extreme opinions with no accountability, no answerability. In its early days, anyone could write whatever extreme view they wanted without worrying about defending themselves or justifying their position. Today some Internet-based companies are being called to question what they permit on their sites and with their apps.
The wild west of technology grew wilder! People wrote without regard for ethical considerations, moral gauging or social principles of justice, equality and fair play. The atmosphere on the Internet became open season for prejudicial racism and social denigration. The earlier days of social moderation of outlandish announcements disappeared. The parents, teachers and leaders who admonished such misbehaviour were gone. Those who taught the young behaviour based on respect and regard for authority were no more and youth will test the waters, and push the envelope to see what limits exist when unmoderated and taught.
Thanks to that changing atmosphere, those who respect authority with “Yes sir; no sir; I’m sorry; I apologize,” are the minority and diminishing in number with the rise of the use of technology. Where are the majority of teachers who taught courtesy, manners and decorum? The teaching of etiquette and manners died with Emily Post, ‘The American Mistress of Manners.’ Parents reprimanded children sent home for misbehaviour at school long ago. Today, the teacher is at risk of repercussions for reprimanding misbehaving students.
The seeds sown above grow deeper with the anonymity of the Internet. A remark of questionable offence that would not see the light of a second day in past times, today finds the critic of the remark chastised and criticized. No wonder the authors of Internet hate feel free to write as they please. Worse still, these same writers see themselves as independent, totally free of authority. They are independent autocrats without applicable social or political controls. They have total ownership of ‘free speech,’ saying what they want with total disregard for any moderation or limitation. Anonymity, the added bulwark to their free speech means unbridled autocracy under the guise of ‘personal freedom.’
The vicious circle grows as more volatile hate is spewed on the Internet. The leaderless vacuum in which this hatred is published has no parental or classroom controls imposed on the young minds that develop in this uncontrolled environment. Those who might speak out in defence of respect and decorum are intimidated and bullied into muted submission.
Dr. Perry, take a closer look at the sources of right-wing extremism and hate in our society. There may be other more likely possibilities than those you claim
