Divided Voice: How a Union Campaign Ad Reopened Old Wounds

20 June 2015

This essay, by Jesse J. Fleay, responds to the recent publication of a campaign advertisement by the South-Australian Branch of "United Voice"

We are in an age of convergence: a competitive global matrix in which multiple parties find themselves justifying their very purpose and their identity. If we learned anything this month, it’s that the global human still has much to learn from the past.

A recent campaign advertisement by the South Australian branch of United Voice lashed out at a number of minority groups, as if they are unworthy hindrances, sickeningly stereotyped and in the way of a very dirty form of mob rule. This is not what democracy was ever meant to be about, nor the labour movement that the union known as ‘United’ Voice is meant to represent.

A general precedent of union activity is to act for the benefit of all people in the workforce, not for the humiliation and the intimidation of particular individuals, for personal motives. It is trivial to say the least, that a mob of outrageous left-wingers would lash out at the individuals that they claim to represent in their Marxist hegemony.

But when it comes to their disturbing portrayal of my mate, the Jew, they have really overstepped the mark. In a distorted and malicious stroke of cruelty, reminiscent to the ‘Eternal Jew’ of Nazi Germany’s exhibition and film, United Voice reopened old wounds and showed us a glimpse of the deeply embedded prejudice that still exists within Australian society. We see a stereotyped Jew, reaching in a beggarly way, much like that of a desperately uncreative campaign organiser, who is here today and hopefully gone tomorrow.

There was nothing to like or commend about the campaign ad at all. Ultimately, the purpose for the exploitation of human diversity was not a worthy cause and nor could it ever be for obvious reasons. It was evidently a shocking attempt to be seen as hard-hearted, even Machiavellian, in a now competitive political system of polarised division and manipulation. This is pure insanity, especially from an organisation that calls itself ‘united’.

If the South Australian branch of United Voice has any shred of moral fiber, their leaders—especially those responsible for the campaign—will apologise without qualification to the Australian Jewish community.

Anyone who has watched the full ad knows that apologies should not stop there, but that is a matter for the other communities that took a beating this fortnight. I say now, outright, that a shred of maturity from the extreme left is long overdue.