A quick viewing of the 21st Century 'Great' Britain

[Shi Huangdi]

Just so you know Rothy, immigration is likely to give the USA a non-white majority before the UK does. Of course, I don't what the situation is in England but immigrants to the USA have a much higher tendency to asssimilate.

[Starchild]

Go west? Oh yes of course, immigrants are good for America but bad for the UK.

Anyone want to bother and look up the facts? See how the UK relates to other developed countries in terms of benefits and protection for asylum seekers?

They get just £37 a week to live on. I live at home and have everything paid for me and *I* can't live on £37 a week. Of course, they could be allowed to work when they arrive, thereby sparing the tax payer and contributing to the economy but that would have people screaming about jobs being stolen.

Want more fun facts? Wigan Council's got an entire FAQ on it: http://www.wiganmbc.gov.uk/pub/counc...lumseekers.htm

The "great" in Great Britain isn't going to return by closing our borders and eating scones with jam while the system of protectionism, unfair trade, and the occassional bombing that we benefit from ruins the rest of the world.

I've lived outside the UK most of my life. USA, Canada, and I've traveled to third world countries. The UK is by far the best place I've been in. Canada is a close second but the UK crackles with potential. It's historically been a multi-ethnic, multi-language nation. The very concept of being British is based on seperate national and cultural identities adding to a greater whole. The liberal, cosmopolitan nature of British culture means it can adapt and embrace others. You get diversity and enrichment that just simply isn't possible otherwise. This country will be great again when it acknowledges and fully embraces its multicultural past and future.

I also can't help but think the tabloids that scream about asylum seekers also ranted on about Jews and the Irish at the turn of the century. Will we look back at the controversy of the asylum issue with the same unbelieving horror?

[MikeH]

Originally posted by Boddington's
The people who most abhor the views Rothy comes out with and the very same who whinge about American culture dominating other countries.

Some kind of hypocrisy there!

I've never complained about American culture dominating other countries.

The way I see it we should all embrace other cultures, it's totally consistent to say that we should embrace the cultures of people who come to the UK, just as they should embrace our cultures and Americans should learn from the cultures of other countries just as other countries learn from them.

I would say one culture trying to dominate another is always wrong no matter who's doing it or where.

[Solly]

What's so great about multi-culturalism? Seems to produce societal problems.

[MikeH]

No, what causes problems is cultural divides within society. That's not the same as multi-culturalism.

[Solly]

And cultural divides happen when we let in too many immigrants who then choose to live all in the same area.

[Az]

No, what causes problems is cultural divides within society. That's not the same as multi-culturalism.

What's the difference?

[MikeH]

Yeah, we need to make them feel more welcome so they don't feel like they all have to live together to feel secure.

[Kropotkin]

So the immigrants to britain moves to areas with other immigrants. Who can blame them? Who wants to live with english people all around?

[Az]

Yeah, we need to make them feel more welcome so they don't feel like they all have to live together to feel secure.

They don't live together because they're "insecure". I am/was an immigrant. I should know.

[Solly]

They are welcome so long as they integrate.

Why should I, as an atheist, be expected to show respect for Islamic or Jewish cultures whose views and arguments I often find reactionary and often despicable? Why should public arrangements be adapted to fit in with the backward claims that religions make? What is wrong with me wishing such cultures to 'wither away'? And how, given that I do view these and many other cultures with contempt, am I supposed to provide them with respect, without disrespecting my own views? Only, the philosopher Brian Barry suggests 'with a great deal of encouragement from the Politically Correct Thought Police'.

Against Multiculturalism

http://www.kenanmalik.com/essays/against_mc.html

[Solly]

Since Kenan puts it more eloquently than I or Rothy could...

What does it mean to live in a multicultural society? Few questions have been posed more sharply by the events of the past year from the riots in Bradford, Burnley and Oldham to the aftermath of the events of September 11.

There have, in recent months, been two broad responses to this question. The violence between whites and Asians in the northern mill towns, and the seeming rejection by some British Muslims of the core values of their chosen country, all reveal the failure of the liberal dream of cohesive, tolerant multicultural society.

[Kropotkin]

I don't know if I want to bother with that quote at all so I'll just roll my eyes around for a bit.

[Az]

Why doesn't this guy speak out against Churches and christians, as well?

[MikeH]

It's not just up to the newcomers to integrate, it's up to everyone.

Some things are clearly against the law here that aren't in other countries/cultures. Other things are a bit more flexible where we should just learn to respect each other. This concept that the only people who have to adapt are those who come in doesn't seem right to me. This country's not perfect, we can all learn from other people.

After a few generations here everyone kind of blends together anyway. A lot of the kids we went to school with would have been 2nd/3rd generation immigrants from the mass immigration of the 60s, most of them fit in totally normally with the rest of us. Well they did at my school anyway.