What is going on?

Next week I am coming over the water to England to meet up with family and friends, yet despite the fact that I know I will enjoy their company, I am not looking forward to it.

I read about people being killed and attacked in Harlow where I spent the first years of my married life because they are Polish, then about a woman being kicked in the stomach in Bletchley, close to where I will be staying for part of the time, and losing her baby as she tried to escape from racial abuse.

Just why has the country become so intolerant of people who are not English? Yesterday I noted a person being attacked in Leeds, and it has become common to see reports of people trying to say they are better than others. Maybe the press have just seized on these troubles, but the police have reported a sudden and dramatic incidence of hate crime.

Yesterday Mme went to our French class, I was otherwise occupied, and told me that every single person there was looking into the possibility of taking on dual nationality, including our German who feels more at home here. When you consider that the cost can be considerable for some, it is an indictment of what the nationalism of certain elements is driving people to seriously consider.

While I see the extremes of right wing populists driving hate in the large cities here against the Jewish population, those who do not speak French perfectly, or those who are dressed differently, there does not seem to be a great difference in the degree of tolerance there, although the view is very different in these rural parts. I remember well that our own Hornette saying she was worried about the manner that minorities were being treated in the UK, yet things seem to be getting worse recently.

I don’t know if I am becoming less tolerant of intolerance, or I am reading too much, but I would much prefer to see people living alongside each other, no matter where they happened to be born, or what they believe, than be in a country that thinks it is so important, when in fact it is a small island. I rather thought the country was a more open society than it had been at certain times in it’s history, but it seems from outside to be regressing into a very insular and not happy place to live.

 

I think I read too much news too, despite the importance of knowing what is happening I fear the media just adds fuel to the flames.

I don´t like the sound of "home" either, better off with the Narcos here...OFH, I was In Harlow until I was just old enough to remember, 31 long ley. Nearly all my fam still live in ´Arlow, I don´t like the tension they mention sometimes now...

Every one needs a good pill to realise we are all one and humans together. It is the only way people might all see eye to eye.

I fear this is a dangerous time we are slowly entering after the wars in the middle east. Kicked a hornet´s nest there, downhill now until it is addressed in another way other than dropping bombs.

A police helicopter was dropped not far from here by Narcos a while back, however, in daily life at least things are "peaceful" amongst normal people.

I fear we need a holliwood alien invasion to unite earth...sad really...

 

On Sunday mornings we often take our 2 year old little boy to the park. It is a big park with a playground for children, big open spaces for football, rounders ( or is it baseball? ) and many other games. From the playground we walk across a large open space kicking a ball or making bubbles, which all the children, both big and small,enjoy chasing, to the big fish pond where our son studies the fish and after that the boating lake which in summer has all types of radio controlled craft. Some are exceptionally fast and some are very slow and some even go under the water. Last week there was a 6 or 7 foot long replica of HMS Ocean which was spectacular with it's array of vehicles and aircraft on deck, flashing lights and was playing military music, "The life on the ocean wave...." etc. All sorts of people were applauding it as it majestically sailed by. Please read on to see the relevance to this thread.
So, after the swings and slides, we made our way to the fish pond, ( about 50 yds x 20 yds ) when I was asked by a bearded gentleman to take a group photo of about a dozen of his friends and family. I pointed out that where they were standing was between me and the sun. This would lead to a short exposure time and their faces might not show up well on the picture. They replied, never mind, so I took a few shots hoping that at least one would have all their feet and heads in frame.I looked at the last photo and said that their faces all appeared rether dark, should I take another standing with the sun behind me. They all started laughing.
I looked up wondering why all the merriment, and immediatly realised why. They were all, how should I say, from the Orient !
All the laughter was very pleasant on a lovely Sunday morning.

 

Yes very sad... I am optimistic but there is a groundswell of populist opinion stirred up by certain factions.

I very munch enjoy living in Leeds with its multifaceted culture.

I cannot believe the way Polish people are now becoming the butt of racism. Such decent people who come to the UK and work very hard and old allies of the UK.

Parts of the media and some politicians have a lot to answer for....

Mind you it is years since I have been proud to be English and much prefer to think of myself a British.............

 

I don't think you ever remove prejudice against perceived "outsiders". It was powerful in the Middle Ages. It was voiced widely in the 1930s. What changes are the things that bring it to the surface and give not-very-bright people a belief that they can voice their prejudices in public. Whether we can quantify accurately increases or decreases is a little problematic in a country where even the BBC does not distinguish between crime and reported crime. The latter is always to some extent a product of the resources devoted to investigating it.

 

A prime example of that would be the leader of Scotland's Tory party, Ruth Davidson. Today she posted on Twitter to the effect that there had been a record number of 'racist' attacks on English people in Scotland, citing a Telegraph article as her source. Unfortunately for her, she obviously hadn't bothered to actually read the article - apart from the fact that it was printed in 2012, the police figures it quoted were for "white on white", specifying attacks by ethnic minorities.

So it's not just the BBC - the 'politicians' are to blame too. The sooner this one buggers off to contest the Witney by-election the better.

 

I'm not sure if Britain has become suddenly very different on this one. Many of us are old enough to remember the days when Paki bashing and Paddy bashing were national sports amongst some, disaffected elements of our society, and we mostly remember the 'No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs' sign which was brought to public notice in the late 70s. The English, particularly, have often needed scapegoats in the past whether it was the Unions, the loony Left, the EU. the immigrants, more lately the Scots - soon, if Britain breaks up and also leaves the EU. there will be none left to blame. We are seeing a rise in 'tribalism' in the World, whether national, racial or religious, which was not common 20 years ago - whether it is fear of globalization which is at the root ie. the feeling of helplessness about the loss of self determining communities I can't really say. But Britain has seen high immigration at the same time as its industrial past was being systematically dismantled (and the term 'working class' came to mean only poor). Is there really 'community' left in modern Britain ? Outside of in small villages that is. Where there is no sense of community then types of compensatory alternative sub groups will take root - ie. gangs, which can offer some kind of alternative status - normally driven by violence against outsiders of the group. If there were no Poles (the new Irish ?) there would be someone else.

 

I fear you are right Cologne.......

Alienation of the poor and disaffected fuelled by power seekers for their own gain..........

 

I do believe that part of the current situation is due to the crisis that all of the political parties are going through. There are open splits in all of them. The Tories are being taken down a road that a majority of their MPs don't wish to take, while Labour are trying to decide just which road to take. UKIP are in turmoil as leading members leave the party, while the Liberals and Greens have almost disappeared off the map. I cannot say what is happening in Scotland, just that they seem to be having economic problems.
While Westminster fails to show that there is stability for the country and gives a proper lead of proposals and opposition, then people will ignore the MPs because they just haven't a clue what is going on with their elected representatives. If you read some of the reports on debates this week it seems that the only place where common sense was shown was in the Lords.

 

I wouldn't say that at the moment, but Brexit will certainly mean serious financial problems unless Independence comes first.

 

The media, and the tabloids in particular, are to blame for stoking hatred.

We've suffered decades of the rags like the Mail blaming everything on foreigns/immigrants/asylum seekers/people on benefits/people on sick leave/etc...and it's slowly starting to have an effect on the psyche of the uninformed.

I honestly despair at the state of this country. The economy is slowly starting to fall apart too. What we definitely need is grammar schools though

 

What you said. Verbatim.

 

Really though, how can it all change?

That is the real niggler as there is no answer...

 

Oh yes.... the answer to all our ills

 

The sooner Sturgeon and all other bigoted Nationalists are marginalized by decent folk such as Ruth the better. Racism is rife in Scotland and being stirred up from the banter of the past to a real dangerous level by the Nationalists. There is no place for populism or Nationalism in any decent society. Nationalism is a sickness, a disease that should be eradicated and allow harmony instead.

 

Change the record!!! Independence would be the worst thing in the history of Scotland. We are interdependent and the sooner you Nationalists got real the better. Sturgeon today opened up to the truth, you Nationalists don't give a damn about the economics, the people of Scotland about anythingh in fact apart from the power and prestige of Nationalism, I completely detest this way and would gladly join the armed forces to defend against this scourge on society and regression to Germany of the 30s... Disgusting!!!

 

I have lived in Scotland for 35 years and the racism against the English is appalling in some areas of life. When I qualified as a teacher here all the jobs were given to Scots first! Catholic teachers got jobs in catholic schools, but not sure if that is racism or religiousism. I still cannot believe we have schools for specific religions, that can only be described as discrimination in my book and just breeds the sort of trouble that we have in Ireland and religious leanings of some football clubs. But of course if it's religion, it can't be discrimination or be criticised....

Rant over.

 

Scotland would be poorer than Greece if there were independence and they would not be a member of the EU either. I would review, or scrap even, the Barnet formula and cut the grant or make them submit a sensible budgetary plan requesting the money they would like and what they would spend it on.

 

What's that word for animal innards? oh yes - tripe.

Complete and utter...

 

Typical Nat reaction. They have no justification for Nationalism except ego. Sturgeon now admitting that Brexit, the economic case etc are irrelevant the only thing important to them is Nationalism. Nazi is short for National Socialist and fits very well hence the historic links between the SNP and the German National Socialists. Describe how the people of Scotland would be better of? You call it tripe that we are interdependent, sorry but that is the biggest load of Man Utd I've heard this year. On individual, family and societal basis we are interdependent and the interdependence of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is massive. The SNP were so wrong on the economics, so wrong on oil, have failed the NHS, have failed schools, have failed policing all areas completely in their control with tax raising powers to fund improvements if they wish i.e. already have control but refuse to do anything that would damage their populism. They're good at spending other peoples money but as is often the case when you do not have to generate that revenue they are terrible at investing for the people.