Cyber Bullies publicly declare an open-ended war, a crusade against basic human rights via the practically lawless, anything goes Internet 'playground'.
Their actual method - aim low, hit hard. Their battleground - International cyber space. This space shared by over 3 billion users and climbing, exhibits alarming echoes of past oppressive regime tactics, cunningly utilised today by Cyber Bullies to shut down people so that they do not exercise their own freedom to speak and express.
Most people targeted by this cyber abuse choose and are often advised to keep their heads down, withdraw, not engage, hence their freedom to speak and express diminishes in the same way that people in oppressive regimes are not given a voice - for when they speak they face threats and in the extreme - death.
History keeps repeatedly showing us that creating and maintaining a democracy is not easy. False stories, accusations and terrifying threats were all standard practice in controlled regimes - the true purpose is to impede and keep people passive, crush democracy and essential human rights, and withhold the grace to practice basic human principles of social equality.
Cyber Abusers, employ many of these 'favourite' pastimes and for one reason or another remain immune to prosecution. A German anti-Nazi theologian famously said about Fascists: "First they came for the Jews." Cyber Bullies seem to replicate this - although they target a particular person or a group, in truth their scattergun abuse is gunning after the rights of All.
Employing harassment of both individuals and groups with the threat of public naming of names that invariably scares people silent is deeply devious, because once you are targeted and you are on the 'list', it is hard (if impossible) to get off - the yellow Star of David with 'Jude' inscribed effect!
Targeting individuals or groups was the same practice wielded during the Second World War as Cyber Bullies, our modern day Gestapo operating independently, go for anyone who does not dovetail with their terms and conditions. Nazis (but not exclusive to them) for instance had their terms and conditions as to who was worth living and who was not. Cyber bullies also take it upon themselves to be the enforcers of who can speak and who cannot in cyber space. In a sadistic way Cyber Abusers seek to punish people, often without obvious or rational reason, inflicting personal or professional loss and even to catastrophic effect with loss of lives.
Cyber Bullies also take advantage of modern press' proclivity for sensationalism over truth by propagating fake news and false allegations. Sections of the media solely through lazy copy paste style journalism create a stream of relentless false information that deliberately makes it harder for people to sort out truth from untruth.
Yet in this day and age, as one MP said to me, one would think it unthinkable for press members to be 'waltzing' with bullies. But we have been witnesses and know it is not an uncommon occurrence for the real news to be superseded by fake news. As John Pilger recently reminded us: "Journalism needs to teach the young to be agents of people - not power".
To deny Truth to Humanity whose only entitlement is nothing but the Truth, has to be a crime.
Cyber Abusers love throwing mud left, right and centre on those they target, again a method historically proven to do harm like nothing else. Purpose? Make it super hard for ordinary people to tell real news from fake. Result? Eventually people give up on seeking Truth and demanding accountability.
We are only just beginning to wise up to the true horror and extent of Cyber Abuse, in the same way that we did to Fascism, nevertheless, Humanity remains deeply vulnerable to the violent, dictatorial system that cyber bullies are marching on in favour of.
It is correct that nowadays with our judiciary system and greater democratic habits, it is highly unlikely we would allow for a scenario like that of a dictatorial state, but let's be cognisant of the fact that at first, with no gas chambers or barbed wires, even fascism looked 'normal' and it had many 'fooled' whilst the horror that was to be unleashed had been there all along.
Was it that we could not see it or was it our choice to not see it?
Our world has profoundly changed, and Cyber Abusers remind us this world is not yet a safe space. So long as our focus is on the X-factor results, the latest internet gadgets and coffee mornings, we keep missing the golden opportunity to see that we remain the by-standers, the silent witnesses and inevitably passive supporters in this crime against humanity, and with that, an opportunity to take greater responsibility for the change that is imminent gets missed and the wicked, unrestrained lies of the Cyber Abusers continue to rampage.
The biggest allies in all Cyber Abuse remain the by-standers. By observing and not saying 'No' to this behavior we too become their Goebbels.
Cyber bullies and trolls are indiscriminately 'at war' with all humanity and all that is humane, a war that seems like it has been going on for eons...which makes Cyber Abusers mere decedents of a physicalised force that would go to any length to incarcerate and oppose true freedom and true joy of every man and every woman.
Cyber Abuse crime is irrefutable and oceans deep.
Have we not learnt from history that not only does it not pay to keep our eyes tight shut in obvious presence and horror of abuse, of the kind that Cyber Abuse truly is, but that It Hurts us All Deeply.