It is difficult not to ridicule when comments such as
Don't get me wrong about feminism. I'm all for women exercising their right to be mothers and homemakers.
Our leaders are well respected on the international stage... I'm really talking about the only international stage that matters: the United States of America.
American Mormons that I speak to absolutely love Nigel for his verbal attack on van Rumpuy et al. They say that they would much rather have someone like Nigel as their president than the Kenyan born CFR member president that they have at the moment.
in a reference to the conspiracy theory that Obama is not actually American born, which was refuted by a the poster iCod:
oh this is all a big myth.
i like the idea that mrs obama senior had the prescience of mind to FORGE a birth certificate just in case her newborn wanted to become presidentOk, these quotes were all from one rather strange poster, so perhaps we should look at the others.
What I find really "monster raving and looney" is how many of the posters on here think it's perfectly sensible to be a member of an institution so undemocratic (the EU) that it refuses to give the people referendums on whether they want to be in or out, ignores them when they do say NO (Eire),is presided over by unelected faceless bureaucrats on the gravy train who are paid more than than elected politicians, milks us for millions every year etc etc
The EU. The objection to the EU forms a large part of the UKIP policies. Particularly the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) is criticized as a waste of money. Now, I am not a fan of the CAP but then neither is the current government, who plan to reduce the CAP subsidies.
The UKIP want Britain not just to cut CAP subsidies, they want UK out of the EU altogether. This cost saving measure will lead to up to a third of EU born immigrants being sent home. This is tied up with their immigration policy, in which they aim to:
End uncontrolled mass immigration
· Introduce an immediate five-year freeze on immigration for permanent settlement
· Regain control of Britain’s borders to stop foreign criminals from entering our country
· End abuse of the UK asylum system and expel Islamic extremists
· Introduce a strict new points-based visa system and time-limited work permits
· Triple the number of UK Borders Agency staff engaged in controlling immigration (to 30,00
Now, I do have a problem with this, and a large one. The insistence that immigration is out of control, that immigrants are coming to UK to live off benefits and abuse the NHS is simple scare-mongering.
Which explains the shaming statistics that 59% of Brits think that there are "too many immigrants" in UK. Almost 25% of Brits do not think that immigrants should have access to state schools, even if they are here legally. 80% would bar illegal immigrants to free health care. These views are not shared with the rest of Europe, where they are far more welcoming towards immigrants.
Britain prides itself on being open and tolerant but these figures show a different, a shaming side to our country.Political parties such as UKIP and BNP, along with right wing tabloids, encourage British voters to fear immigrants.
We are told that immigrants want our jobs, our benefits, our schools, our health service.
These stories are a mixture of skewed statistics, misinterpretations and sheer bald faced lies.
But they are believed. More fool us.
When I was 19 years old I moved to Germany. I had intended to stay for one year but met a wonderful guy and stayed longer. I lived and worked in Germany, I paid my taxes, I contributed to the society. I married that wonderful guy and we had two children. We are now in Switzerland where we are able to work because we are EU citizens. Getting a work visa for an American citizen is much harder, many of my friends are unable to work in Switzerland.
Switzerland has a very high immigrant population, 20%, rising to over 30% in the Canton of Geneva. The unemployment rate is currently about 3.5%. So much for too many immigrants meaning higher unemployment.
If we allow immigration and let the immigrants work, then they are contributing as much to the country as the next person. Blocking immigration will mean that the country is short of skilled workers.
More than a third of immigrants living in UK come from the EU. So why do we have the image of immigrants being burka-wearing, benefit-cheating, bomb-making terrorists in making. Oh, that would be the Daily Express, of course.
The UKIP want us to believe that they are pro-British, not anti-foreigners. They want us to believe that they are different to the BNP. I don't think so. They share many of the same political ideals, but wrap it up in a blanket of patriotism and Best of Britishness.
Interestingly, the Conservative/Liberal Dem government is said to be cracking down on immigration and benefit fraud. Which makes me wonder if there is any important part of the UKIP manifesto that is still attractive to voters.
To be honest I'm sick and tired of foreigners coming and taking our jobs, in order to look after our elderly and sick....Who do they think they are?
ReplyDeleteI have two Polish gardners. They dont charge much. They work ferociously hard from 8 am until 5 pm. They are polite and smiley. They dont pester me for tea or coffee but I give them it anyway. They drink it whilst they work. They are well turned out. They are hones. They dont try to convince me they need to do this or that to earn more money .They are kind and considerate. They are reliable. They will go that extra mile to help me, a single parent out. When they dont garden they each hold down two other jobs. They have aspirations and they wish to better their lives. They are immigrants in Britain. I'd far rather employ them than anyone else.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I read the first one twice before I got it. Was ready to write a pithy reply.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine what would happen to all the working foreigners, if UKIP had their way. And the shortage of skilled and unskilled workers in UK.
ahem Switzerland is not part of the EU. You did realise that didn't you?? or are you so emeshed in your own little bubble of preconceptions? How does it feel living in a country which is not a part of your beloved EU??
ReplyDeleteGosh, you are amusing.
ReplyDeleteOf course I realise that Switzerland is not part of the EU. Where did I infer that I did not?
We are living in Switzerland because of my husband's work, and the only reason that I have a work permit is because I am a EU citizen. Friends from outside the EU are not permitted to work here.
Great post. It's been interesting living in England as a foreigner (American) for the last 4.5 years. The most interesting thing that happened to me in this regard was a comment I got last year when I wrote a post on the subject of feeling uncomfortable at the tone of the immigration discussion here. A commenter wrote in to say that American or Aus/NZ immigrants were not the problem, it was the Indians and Pakistanis that they wanted to keep out. I normally would have deleted such a comment in moderation but I decided to keep it as it so clearly reflects the current mood of a large proportion of Brits...
ReplyDeleteThanks. The comment that you received on your blog is sadly not surprising, but very depressing.
ReplyDeleteI cannot tell you how many rants I heard in Germany about foreigners, "but we don't mean people like you, of course". As if I would not be offended.
I think that casual racism is on the rise in UK.
I completely agree with the second comment. My gardener is also Polish and my housekeeper (bless her) is Latvian. Thank God for the EU I say.
ReplyDeleteI remember the bad old days when I was forced to employ English people. Their constant demands for tea and chocolate biscuits and a living wage was frankly intolerable.
Thanks for your comment. I always keep some Tesco Blue Label biscuits for the staff.
ReplyDelete