Warwick McFadyen writes in The Age,
29th July 2018:

"There's something rotten in the state of this country's
politics when fear is the driver of word and deed.

Throw fear into a person's mind and it takes root and
spreads until it sublimates reason. It clouds judgement.
It can direct a person's behaviour towards an outcome
that promises the removal of that fear.
To increase fear's potency, magnify the threat. Do not
talk softly, use megaphones, and repeat the message:
fear lives in Melbourne.

Some Sudanese young people have been causing trouble.
They have been smashing up short-term rentals, being
engaged in carjacking, home invasions and the vicious
robbery of jewellery stores. This is not mere shoplifting.
Victims are being left traumatised.

However, Sudanese make up 0.1 per cent of the state's
population (6,000 people). Figures from the Crime
Statistics Agency show that Sudanese young people are
over represented in some areas of crime, but the numbers
are very small. The top 5 offenders are - Australian
(overwhelmingly so), New Zealand, Vietnamese and then
Sudanese.

Their criminal actions are amplified beyond the scope
of crime. Fear one, fear all.

They're different aren't they? It's a despicable
association of word and guilt association - African,
foreigners, tribes, gangs. Thus an entire community becomes
the target for the broadbrush of demonisation. And from
demonisation you create fear of all. And, in the most
disturbing aspect, from that fear comes control.

It is in these conditions that it's seen as quite acceptable
and justifiable to try to win office by tossing fear and
terror into homes where no fear used to exist. Eat out?
Perhaps we'll stay in tonight. It allows, for instance,
the Liberal Party to distribute leaflets of hooded men
saying: "A Liberal government will give police the power and
support they need to break up gangs and stop them hunting in
packs."

What is the imagery there but of wild animals, red of tooth,
thirsty for more prey? The innocent white folk. What is the
intention? Clearly if you do not vote for us, the packs will
keep hunting.

cont'd...

cont'd ...

"GetUp! human rights director Shen Narayanasamy says it
was "designed to dehumanise African Australians and
other migrant groups."

Edward O'Donohue, shadow minister for community safety
says, "What we are concerned about is gang violence and
gang behaviour by anyone, no matter where they're from
or their background."

Enter Peter Dutton. Sudanese teenager Laa Chol was found
dead on a Saturday morning in the Melbourne CBD. On
the Sunday Dutton issued a statement Chol's death was
"a tragic and needless loss of a young life."

But then, Dutton added that, "There is a major law and
order problem in Victoria and more people are going to
be hurt until the rule of law is enforced by the
Victorian government."

Why comment at all if not for political gain?

Dutton allowed the balm of a reasonable thought to
massage the message. "Don't allow the bad actions of a
small portion of the population wrongly define the vast
majority of the Sudanese community, who are law-abiding
and hard working."

Which is true. But it's no more than an off-ramp from
the highway along which fear-fuelled politics is driven
in a stream of comments and statements all heading for
the one destination - the polling booth.

It's only going to get worse prior to the next election.

//Yes perhaps some individuals on the "so called right" are sometimes a little silly- but I suspect they would overwhelmingly hold a dim view of those sexually abusing children and would act to prevent it.//

Yeah, so would those on the "so called left". Everybody takes an overwhelmingly dim view of rock spiders except for NAMBLA, you naughty puppy. At some point in life, on the road to maturity, one has to accept the simple and self-apparent fact that the other side of political fence are, for the most part, not suffering from any serious mental illness or personality disorder. They're just regular people... that you disagree with. Possibly because they're idiots, or dicks, or you just don't like the cut of their jib... but not actual monsters who should be locked away.

You get that, right? Please tell me you get that much, at least.

//This fear is not coming from the nationalists- the nationalists are just voicing the concerns of the normal people.//

Ha!

F*&k off mate, we've all read your posts. The empirical data is there for all to see: you wouldn't know what a normal person was if one bit you on your nethers.

Foxy - Your article is biased and does not touch on the none criminal Sudanese and what they are doing to address the problem.

I would say without a doubt the parents and others know who the trouble makers are but do nothing.

Toni Lavis- I'd love to see your review of the data. Thanks for your feedback.

Foxy- There are those that seek to dehumanize the west.