On the seductive nature of hate

This first day of the Christian season of Lent, when we are enjoined to self-examination and turning away from the evil all humans inevitably take on and foster in the societies we create, I offer for reflection a Twitter thread by a British author, podcaster and musician. Musa Okwonga writes:

Today in Berlin. Was getting a cab to see the preview of a new TV series, on the evacuation of Jewish refugees from Marseille in WW2. Had a great chat with the cab driver about society. Just before he dropped me off, he stated the main problem for the world’s ills: the Jews.

We had been chatting for a good fifteen minutes before that so I didn’t explode at him, I patiently explained why I thought he was wrong, in the same tone we’d been using before. Sometimes this stuff feels like defusing a bomb. 

 

The guy was young, smart, otherwise progressive. It shocked me because of how casually he said it, and also because I have been feeling recently - just this weekend, in fact - that so many of these old cruelties are reviving themselves.

 

I know this thread is anecdotal, so you can say, okay, pinch of salt; or, it’s just a data point. But there have been a few data points like this of late. Like the furious rant against gender and LGBT people by a loved one. The rage isn’t new. What’s new is the boldness.

 

I had a chat with a friend and I said, I think it’s partly this: if you look around us, there aren’t that many winners, are there? Many people aren’t getting what they want and never will - they won’t own homes, their workplaces are brutal to them. Where do they get their wins?

 

A lot of people will get their wins from counting their blessings. But a lot of people will lash out at others to get their wins. People who are trans, black, Jewish, or any assortment of those are an easy win for people like that. And the wins sound so satisfying. So cathartic.

These last few days have really reminded me of the seductive nature of hate. I just thought I would put this down here before I forgot about it. It feels like a moment, and not a good one.

Never heard of Mr. Okwonga before I happened on his tweet. But his thoughts seem a good introduction to the season.