<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/10/the-guardian-view-on-far-right-violence-digital-radicalisation-is-threatening-democracy>
"Masked men who drive terrorised families out of their homes cannot be called
protesters, since the word implies legitimate grievance. The outbreak of racist
violence in Northern Ireland this week is connected to the politics of
migration, but not in the way that the mob and those who incited it claim.
The ostensible trigger was a brutal assault, partially captured on video. A man
of Sudanese origin has been charged with attempted murder. The footage was
widely shared online. The attack was depicted as part of a wider threat to
white Britons by foreign “invaders”. Far-right agitators summoned vengeful
crowds. Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, the activist who campaigns as Tommy Robinson,
was instrumental in this process. So was Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X,
whose platform helped mobilise racist fury.
Mr Musk habitually intervenes in UK politics. Last year, he addressed a rally
organised by Mr Yaxley‑Lennon via video link. He called for the removal of the
current government and warned against the threat from “uncontrolled migration”.
He told the crowd “You either fight back or you die”. He reposted that line on
Tuesday.
Mr Musk shows no interest in the reality of life in the UK, preferring to
amplify dystopian myths. Mr Yaxley-Lennon styles himself as a patriot, but his
racially charged ultranationalism is hostile to traditions of British pluralism
and tolerance. His true ideological affinity is revealed by the trip he made to
Moscow last week with the goal, as he put it, of admiring “the beauty of a
civilised society”. That is not how most British people would characterise
Vladimir Putin’s repressive authoritarian regime, which murders dissidents and
invaded a neighbouring democracy to steal its territory."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
