Trolls are real mummy...

It’s astounding to read the redneck comments all over the web. Anything even remotely left is considered something to be vigorously and vociferously pounced on; Marxism, socialism = bad. “You must be some kind of communist” is a heinous accusation and one from which at all costs you must avoid even the mildest taint of possible accuracy sticking to your Armani suit.

Really? McCarthyism? Are you completely serious?

I beg to differ. Socialism and Marxism are actually good ideas. I don’t know that much about communism other than it didn’t really work and human nature emerged (greed, corruption, embezzlement…) instead of caring for the masses as leaders were charged to do if in a position of power. The whole idea was to be fair to all and provide a level playing field for particularly the poor. It didn’t work too well but really the hatred provoked by the mere mention of the words and you’ve got to wonder what the hidden agenda is.

Is Capitalism so threatened by other political philosophies that it must shoot down all proponents forthwith and violently?

But I digress. I actually wanted to discuss trolls.

I am of the old school and understood these to be rather tiresome creatures (and grossly ugly) intent on preventing you from getting what you want; ie to cross the bridge to the sweeter grass on the other side, to cross the perilously narrow walkway to the entrance to Kazakdoom and thereby your freedom… that sort of thing.

And as it turns out, I’m not quite wrong in my assessment of the tiresome nature of the modern troll. They are most assuredly still intent on preventing you from escaping to your freedom and keeping you imprisoned in an endless cycle of debate and wasted energy in fighting this faceless fairytale figure of cyberspace.

I have found myself on occasion, upon receipt of an email, completely incensed by the content; xenophobic and slanderous lies under the guise of being a “true Australian”missive with genuine, kangaroo leather concerns. Smack a title of “The Yellow Peril’s Back” on it and you about have the right of it, only you may swap black or brown or any other colour you care to experiment with for yellow, but not white of course; the colour of purity and blamelessness.

I become so incensed I could quite literally strangle someone (preferably the writer of the aforesaid trashy email) with my bare hands for a good minute and a half or so before hopefully coming to my senses. But then I realise that that is the point; to incense the reader and have them pour their energy into their way of thinking. 

Much of the dross that passes for commentary on the web can only come from paid, right-wing agitators. If you can stand back and view this piece of work objectively, you can often begin to admire the pure genius of it, the artistry and the loving care with which the lies and half truths have been carefully crafted for your viewing anger; the skill of harnessing the innocent and well-intentioned vehemence of the unknowing public; the fuel that feeds the powerful.

If these writers are so incensed by the bloggers why don’t they make any comment on content rather than the personal attacks that only go to prove their trolling origin? These are the usual rightwing attacks aimed to maintain the status quo. These are incendiary word bombs that paid blog commentators provide as fodder for the unthinking masses to become incensed over.

Thus infuriated, good, well-intentioned people inadvertently begin to fight to support and maintain the world of the militaristic, capitalist, wealthy, powerful unseen puppet masters. Worlds fed by the unthinking masses who obediently waste their energies on the tea-party slogans these commentators provide... “fight terrorism”;“you're a traitor if you question the status quo (government, reigning religion, oligarch…)” (smacks of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt- hello America? Who’s the big bad wolf now?)…

...and whose main intention is to discredit those like American Guardian Commentator, Glenn Greenwald, who are voices in the wilderness that fight to protect the innocent and voiceless.

It’s interesting to see that in the attacks on him they also attack his “lefty paper”-one of the last bastions of free speech in the world; an independent newspaper not the mouthpiece of Murdoch et al.

Goats unite! Don’t be caught out by the sensuous lies and manipulations. See off the trolls and cross the bridge to freedom of speech and thought.