A Little Bit of Hatred Goes a Long Way...

So, now that we're out of the EU, who's next up to be the focus of British hatred?  After all, Britain's right wing media seems to run on hate - the objects of its hate happily provided by Tory politicians.  Think I'm bring cynical?  Just look at the parade of groups targeted for hatred by successive Tory governments since 2010: the disabled, the unemployed, the poor, Muslims, immigrants in general, illegal immigrants in particular, oh and the EU.  All have been the focus of campaigns both by the government collectively or individual ministers, to try and shift the blame for the country's ills from their own policies to vulnerable minorities.  Of course, another terror attack has presented the opportunity to stoke up a bit more hatred toward Muslims and anybody who isn't white, but clearly the right are going to need something else to fill the void left by the EU.  Not only are 'Islamic fundamentalist terrorists' a pre-existing object of hate, but they are getting a bit long in the tooth.  As time goes by it gets harder and harder to sustain the high levels of hatred toward them: unless they allegedly commit a really appalling atrocity, that is, which surely nobody wants, (or perhaps Network-style, we'll see media organisations creating their own terror incidents in  order to provide copy).

No, they need something or someone new and fresh or, at the very least, a minority that hasn't been targeted for a while.  I can't help but think that maybe the coronavirus outbreak in China might provide the right with a possible path to new hatred.  All it will take is for a British person to die of it, here in the UK and next thing you know, any vaguely Chinese-looking person seen sneezing in public will be stoned to death by a mob.  The right wing tabloids will be inciting their readers to boycott Chinese restaurants and the usual idiots will be forming mobs to burn down aforementioned restaurants and takeaways, Iit will make a nice change for them, from burning down mosques or synagogues).  Yes indeed, the Chinese have had it too easy for too long.  Just when they thought that those Fu Manchu stereotypes had faded into history, they could easily find themselves as the right's favourite new hate group.  Coronavirus could be just the trigger it needs, on top of all the fears about Chinese tech firms spying on us, their economy growing stronger than any in the west with the concomitant threat to jobs, not to mention their military build up and increased agressiveness in the Pacific region.  Before you know it, the yellow peril will be back to provide the UK's right with a new tonic of hatred.