I hate to bang on about populism and the rise of  the right wing in virtually any theatre of affairs from Chemnitz in Germany, the junta in Myanmar, to football in England.

Right wing extreme views, I fancy, are virtually always born in fear and self defence.  Defence against those who are different from me, whether it be colour, creed, wealth or beliefs.

I must be careful not to be too simple in this analysis and drift into the idea that populism and fascism are born necessarily to the deprived and the disadvantaged.  Elitism is frequently the seed for hate. Where the two  meet is in the sharing of their fear or disgust of things that are not understood.

It’s Ok for me to shout, ignorance is bliss, which I often have done in the past, but it is a huge issue.   You would think that the second World War would have been enough to stop  anyone from repeating the mistakes of the past but it seems, not so.

There is no mistaking that the fundamentalism that is now threatening many parts of the world is tribally based.  It is often point and counterpoint, exacerbated by the modernism of ultra-mobility.  Tribal or religious boundaries are no longer valid but tribal loyalties strive to survive in hostile environments.  Consequently, there are all over the world communities that look inward and fail to integrate into their new environments.  This in turn alienates the larger community who see the new comers as failing to embrace the culture of the hosts. The great migrations from Africa, the Middle East, and South America see swathes of millions stressing further the tribal paradigm.

This alienation or fear extends beyond the boundaries of immigration and is certainly seen in nations and even continents.  The middle east has long been a struggle where the imposition of western values has been rejected by a huge minority and even nations i.e. Iran.

The right wing mobs, or the authoritarian leader, an Ayatollah or a President, is this the choice?  I’d like not to think so, but democracy as I know it certainly has a scrap on its hands.

The healing, as we adjust to the new world of amorphous ethnicity, must start somewhere.  Will it start with you and me?