Is that burning Reichstag that I smell?

Whoever was responsible, nobody debates that in retrospect it was a windfall for the Nazis, as it gave Hitler the excuse to introduce sweeping new powers through parliament that silenced all dissenting voices and ultimately dissolved the democratic process.

No doubt the new powers seemed like the only sensible response at the time. Fear of “Communism” and “the Jews” had become all-consuming. The good citizens of Berlin needed someone to protect them from these uncontrollable terror attacks that were taking place in their city. Thank goodness that one man, Adolf Hitler, had the courage to stand up against the godless Communists and violent ethnic minorities that were threatening to destroy the peaceful way of life enjoyed by the German people.

OK. We all know how that story turned out. And I’m not wanting to pretend that we’re living in Nazi Germany or that the Australian police bear any resemblance to the SS. Having said that, there are certain parallels in these two scenes that can’t be ignored.

Racial violence is exposing deeply held prejudices within the population that have never been adequately addressed.

The population seems to be gripped by the fear of terror attacks, and willing to let the government do whatever it deems necessary to maintain stability.

Sweeping new police powers have been introduced rapidly with very little opposition. Indeed, in the case of our state parliament in New South Wales, the only objection from the leader of the opposition was that the new laws didn’t go far enough.

Perhaps the most disturbing thing I’ve noticed is the way in which the race riots and the “terror problems” are all being lumped together as a part of some great “Arab-Islamic-ethnic” issue.

The assumption on the ground seems to be that the rioting Lebanese boys were all Lebanese Moslems. The burning of the church building would be taken as obvious evidence for this. The link was then made to other Islamic extremists currently on trial, and it all started to look like one enormous Arab-led axis-of-evil conspiracy to destroy the happy, peace-loving lifestyle of the Australian people (ie. white Australian people).

The truth is, of course, that the rioting was far more complex than any axis-of-evil type explanation would suggest. From what I’ve picked up, a lot of the gang violence has to do with traditional issues of territory and the associated control of the drug trade in suburban areas. And of course not all the rioting young men were Islamic. Neither were they all Lebanese.

There are deep and serious issues in Australian society. No one should gloss over this.

There is a deep spiritual corruption among our young people, associated with an abandonment of all faith and youthful idealism and the entrenchment of a “sibling society”, that is increasingly aimless and narcissistic.

“Multiculturalism” continues to be a concept that is officially enshrined but never discussed, and I have little doubt that the underlying tensions will continue to bubble to the surface in various destructive ways until this is addressed honestly and openly.