Holocaust Day 2025 - Drawing parallels

Six millions Jews were killed in The Holocaust.

We said it would never happen again in the free world.

We said that we would stand up to discrimination, hate and ethnic cleansing.

We said that western democracy would provide a defence against extremism and bigotry.

And yet, as we look across the western world, we see extremism coming to the fore. Politics has become polarised into far left and far right leaving a vacated space in the moderate middle.

In the UK, last year, there were around 3000 reports of antisemitic incidents. British political parties, for so long an environment where three main parties mainly were situated at or near the centre of the political spectrum, have been disrupted by the creation of two parties which are at the further ends of the political spectrum, one mired in allegations of antisemitism, the other mired in all forms of bigotry and prejudice.

In the US, which throughout my life has been looked to as the so-called 'Leader of the Free World' we have ICE agents going door to door arresting US citizens whose only crime appears to be not being ethnically white. Two innocent people have been murdered for no good reason other than they refused to buckle under the jackboot of oppressors and bullies dressed as agents of the government. If this sounds horrifically similar to something out of the Diary of Anne Frank, you're right. That is precisely what is going on here.

It's barely 80 years since the appalling evidence of the concentration camps were scrawled across the faces of a sickened world. How can this have happened? How can we have forgotten so quickly?

For decades, people of colour, gays, and other minority groups had been oppressed, denied the right of equal existence and otherwise made the subject of discrimination and hate. But then, in a rare period of enlightenment, the world (well - most of it) realised this was unfair and fought to achieve genuine equality. The problem with that is: Equality is a myth. It is a mirage, a state of idealism that cannot be attained. And so, instead of accepting that basic principle and taking reasonable steps to mitigate it, as a society we decided to enforce equality - at least superficially. So instead of having a mature adult debate about race and racism (for example) we just developed a culture where any deviation from an accepted script resulted in the malfeasant being cast down and "cancelled".

Inevitably, some railed against this. Instead of having that adult debate with them, they were simply told that they were wrong. Frustration and resentment went into overdrive, and their sense of grievance multiplied exponentially. Eventually, perhaps inevitably, they came across individuals, who in normal circumstances would just be dismissed as dangerous lunatics, but instead they found like minds, willing and pliant to be weaponised against those they now regarded as their enemies. Science-deniers, anti-vaxxers, flat-earthers and other nonsense conspiracy enthusiasts joined in to create a stew of malcontents, eager to lash out at those who exposed their ignorance.

In the absence of a mature debate nationally, their numbers grew. They knew how to manipulate social and other media to bend to their bias. The screamed about illegal immigrants, cynically taking attention away from the fact that society was subliminally becoming more polarised. And suddenly one day, they had created the scenario they most desired - Us versus Them. A battle. A fight. Confrontation. Chaos. If you didn't support "Us", you must be with "Them" and therefore you were the enemy. An enemy to be despised. An enemy to be pursued. An enemy to be defeated.

There was no living in the middle, where compassion, thoughtful consideration, and decisions based on logic, intelligent analysis and raw hard data resided. You weren't allowed to live there. You had to be with one side or the other.

And then comes election time. Along comes a clever manipulator who knew how to push your buttons and make you see "Them" as dangerous and toxic. He promises you that he understands your world when in reality he hasn't been anywhere near your world in his entire privileged and wealthy lifetime. Like a perverted pied piper, he whistles your tune and you follow, intoxicated by the fact that you might finally be able to beat 'Them'. He plays to your innate prejudice and bullies all and any who speak up with words of compassion and moderation. He belittles and demeans anyone who does not follow his narrow path of compassionless bigotry. By this time, you are so drunk on his brew of lies and mythology that your usual grounding of common sense has disappeared, replaced only by a veil of lies and deceit you cannot see through.

And within a few short years, you have ICE Agents killing innocents in the name of "getting rid of the illegals". They go door to door pulling parents away from their babies, tearing families apart and spreading mayhem, chaos and unrestrained misery. At first, you nod, feeling that its about time "They" were dealt with. You see Subject Matter Experts and educated masters being dismissed as shills just because they knew more than "Us" and you felt a degree of "serves them right".

But eventually, somewhere, deep down in your soul where common sense and compassion now start to awaken from their induced sleep, you start to feel that something is wrong. You start to realise that this is not a crusade against those who are here illegally. You start to wonder if this is simply a persecution of anyone who is not one of 'Us'. And then one day you have an epiphany: It is ethnic cleansing. It is a purge of those who are the wrong colour and you know it is wrong. Morally, ethically, humanely. You know it is wrong.

But you now can't do anything about it because the perverted pied piper keeps whistling his tune and those under his spell pay no attention to facts, truth, or the vaguest sense of reality. Your shouts of fairness, compassion and common sense are drowned out under the boots of those demanding their pound of flesh. Their better judgement is subsumed in an industrial vat of hate and bigotry and his tune keeps them hypnotised and dazed. You argue against it and suddenly, dramatically, they turn against you. You are now one of "Them" and you are investigated and persecuted, your only crime being that of a compassionate soul.

And while people sit compliantly under their spells, such matters as the Epstein files, domestic economic concerns and the cost of living are suppressed and cynically diverted away from scrutiny.

For now it is Trump and Farage but it could equally be those on the far left once the political pendulum swings their way, probably as a backlash against the excesses of Trump and Farage. Sadly, instead of the pendulum stopping in the middle, it always swings to one extreme or other.

For now, it is Trump and Farage and their rhetoric and heady brew of nationalism, racism and vindictive sense of grievance keeps them in power. But only for now. And eventually as it did with the Nazis, their day of reckoning will come.

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day.

We must never forget the lessons of Belsen, Dachau and Warsaw, and yet it feels to me like that our memory is being clouded and less clear. We cannot arrest people just because of who they are. If we think there is a problem, how about we address it in moderate tones, with thoughtful analysis and humane solutions?

We have a choice as human beings. Yes - of course we all have grievances and yes - of course it always seems like "they" get whatever they want and it's unfair. But I promise you, "They" are thinking exactly the same: that everything is biased towards "Them", and by "Them" they mean "You". The only way to bridge the gap is to throw open the window of enlightenment and let compassion and common sense drive our debates.

Please, I beg of you - choose to be the one in the middle. Choose to be the person who opts for compassion and logic. Choose to ask for reasoned arguments and thoughtful analysis. Choose to be swayed by intellect and not emotion.

You want a better, fairer society?

Choose compassion. Come and join me in the middle.

It's up to you.

Stay Strong. Fight Hard. Laugh Lots.