Multiculturalism
"the doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country."
That is the definition of multiculturalism but, how well does it work in the UK? Despite the conjectural pronouncements of the smug leftard middle-class, sitting on Mathew Burt bespoke furniture, in front of their 3D TVs and dressed in designer casual wear made in a sweat shop in the Far East by child slave labour, it doesn't.
The question should be, 'how well is it tolerated?'
This post is not about 'racism' but, the subject has to be addressed. Whether you, dear reader, want to admit it or not racism, - the belief that certain races, especially ones own, are inherently superior to others, - is rife in this country. The concept in itself is bad enough especially when, during the conflicts involving this country of the past one hundred and fifty years and more, people from British overseas colonies have flocked to our shores to offer their assistance. Be it in nursing, the docks, shipping, on the land, public transport or the Armed Forces.
It is even more insidious when racism is used for political gain.
The 1948 British Nationality Act allowed 800 million subjects of the British Empire to work and live in this country without a visa. They were used to fill the gaps in the unskilled job sector, alerted by advertisements in the press in their homelands they saw an opportunity to better themselves and give their families a better way of life. These Commonwealth economic migrants numbered 3000 per year in 1953 and by 1961 had risen to 136,400 per year.
The Labour Government were frightened by the influx from the Caribbean and the Indian sub-continent and a 1950 Cabinet Committee stated that ways which might be adopted to check the immigration into this country of coloured people from British Colonial Territories, must be found. They did not want a repeat of the race riots of 1919 which took place in several towns and cities throughout Britain. The link gives details of these riots.
http://www.heretical.com/British/riot1919.html
It is obvious that from as early as the 1920's multiculturalism, diversity, racial integration, whatever label you wish to put on it, was not working in this country.
So, to the question, 'how well is it tolerated?'
The answer has to be, 'not very well.'
Whilst I am very proud of this country's history and heritage I do believe that we struggle to accept multiculturalism because of Empire. We have become victims of our own success and arrogance and, by that I mean, because we created the biggest Empire the World had seen the subjects of that Empire became inferior to us. We exploited the mineral and agricultural potential of the land and used the people of those countries to do so. People, like the minerals etc which we were exploiting, became a commodity. Even after the abolition of slavery we exploited the peoples in a number of ways which modern day Human Rights administrators would frown upon.
The same, 'syndrome', if that is what we can call it, exists in the deep south of the USA. The Whites believe that they are superior to Blacks because the Whites were, for centuries, the masters.
What can we do to address this situation in this country? Better education helps but tolerance needs to be taught at home, in the community and in the media. The forced, unrestricted immigration that we have had to endure in this country over the past fifteen years from Europe has not helped the situation.
Tolerance though is a two-way street. Where racist attacks / insults occur, be they upon coloureds or whites they should be treated with the same seriousness. Unfortunately they are not and this causes bad feeling in both communities.
I would like to think that the majority of people in this country are not racist and are open to multiculturalism. We always have been a diverse nation comprising, Angels, Saxons, Norse, Celts, Romans and many more. It depends on how far back you want to go.
Since 1997 we have had an influx of 3 - 5 million people from Eastern Europe with the potential for another 5 million coming once border controls are scrapped at the end of this year.
I am not suggesting for one minute that the whole 5 million will queue to get into Britain on the 1st Jan 2014 but, if only 1% decide to come to live here that is 50,000 people.
Multiculturalism or, diversity as New Labour insist on calling it, is fine as long as integration takes place at a sensible pace. Expecting the people of this country to accept mass immigration at a time of austerity when job prospects are low and so to is the chance of getting Social Housing is a step too far. We live on a small island on the edge of the European continent and whilst our leaders think big the sad truth is, we no longer are. They have given Britain away to a Federal Europe which is rife with corruption and ill thought schemes.
The prospects for the indigenous population are poor, especially in these austere times, so when they are told by their Government that they have to accept people from foreign countries because they are 'good for Britain', hackles quite understandably rise. This is when all of the old post Empire prejudices and jealousies come to the fore. To be told that you are racist or homophobic should you complain against the influx is a red rag to a bull and another valid reason why multiculturalism is not working in this country as well as our peers would like it to be.
A sensible immigration policy whereby we have control over our own borders, a limit on the amount of people whom we accept in a year and selective as to which of these foreign nationals are allowed in based on skills and skill level. This would go a long way to making multiculturalism acceptable along with the ability to send back those Foreign nationals whom are deemed to be detrimental to the country.
People want to be valued, they want a Government that puts the indigenous population first, a Government which recognises the worth of the people who voted then into power and a Government which is prepared to invest in its own people before those of another country.
In summary, I believe that we are victims of our own arrogance and, whilst we would be nowhere had we not had the Empire, we need to realise that it is gone. Perhaps then, multiculturalism would be a success.
The 1948 British Nationality Act allowed 800 million subjects of the British Empire to work and live in this country without a visa. They were used to fill the gaps in the unskilled job sector, alerted by advertisements in the press in their homelands they saw an opportunity to better themselves and give their families a better way of life. These Commonwealth economic migrants numbered 3000 per year in 1953 and by 1961 had risen to 136,400 per year.
The Labour Government were frightened by the influx from the Caribbean and the Indian sub-continent and a 1950 Cabinet Committee stated that ways which might be adopted to check the immigration into this country of coloured people from British Colonial Territories, must be found. They did not want a repeat of the race riots of 1919 which took place in several towns and cities throughout Britain. The link gives details of these riots.
http://www.heretical.com/British/riot1919.html
It is obvious that from as early as the 1920's multiculturalism, diversity, racial integration, whatever label you wish to put on it, was not working in this country.
So, to the question, 'how well is it tolerated?'
The answer has to be, 'not very well.'
Whilst I am very proud of this country's history and heritage I do believe that we struggle to accept multiculturalism because of Empire. We have become victims of our own success and arrogance and, by that I mean, because we created the biggest Empire the World had seen the subjects of that Empire became inferior to us. We exploited the mineral and agricultural potential of the land and used the people of those countries to do so. People, like the minerals etc which we were exploiting, became a commodity. Even after the abolition of slavery we exploited the peoples in a number of ways which modern day Human Rights administrators would frown upon.
The same, 'syndrome', if that is what we can call it, exists in the deep south of the USA. The Whites believe that they are superior to Blacks because the Whites were, for centuries, the masters.
What can we do to address this situation in this country? Better education helps but tolerance needs to be taught at home, in the community and in the media. The forced, unrestricted immigration that we have had to endure in this country over the past fifteen years from Europe has not helped the situation.
Tolerance though is a two-way street. Where racist attacks / insults occur, be they upon coloureds or whites they should be treated with the same seriousness. Unfortunately they are not and this causes bad feeling in both communities.
I would like to think that the majority of people in this country are not racist and are open to multiculturalism. We always have been a diverse nation comprising, Angels, Saxons, Norse, Celts, Romans and many more. It depends on how far back you want to go.
Since 1997 we have had an influx of 3 - 5 million people from Eastern Europe with the potential for another 5 million coming once border controls are scrapped at the end of this year.
I am not suggesting for one minute that the whole 5 million will queue to get into Britain on the 1st Jan 2014 but, if only 1% decide to come to live here that is 50,000 people.
Multiculturalism or, diversity as New Labour insist on calling it, is fine as long as integration takes place at a sensible pace. Expecting the people of this country to accept mass immigration at a time of austerity when job prospects are low and so to is the chance of getting Social Housing is a step too far. We live on a small island on the edge of the European continent and whilst our leaders think big the sad truth is, we no longer are. They have given Britain away to a Federal Europe which is rife with corruption and ill thought schemes.
The prospects for the indigenous population are poor, especially in these austere times, so when they are told by their Government that they have to accept people from foreign countries because they are 'good for Britain', hackles quite understandably rise. This is when all of the old post Empire prejudices and jealousies come to the fore. To be told that you are racist or homophobic should you complain against the influx is a red rag to a bull and another valid reason why multiculturalism is not working in this country as well as our peers would like it to be.
A sensible immigration policy whereby we have control over our own borders, a limit on the amount of people whom we accept in a year and selective as to which of these foreign nationals are allowed in based on skills and skill level. This would go a long way to making multiculturalism acceptable along with the ability to send back those Foreign nationals whom are deemed to be detrimental to the country.
People want to be valued, they want a Government that puts the indigenous population first, a Government which recognises the worth of the people who voted then into power and a Government which is prepared to invest in its own people before those of another country.
In summary, I believe that we are victims of our own arrogance and, whilst we would be nowhere had we not had the Empire, we need to realise that it is gone. Perhaps then, multiculturalism would be a success.
Very Interesting and sensible post. The Keyword: "Integration". As you've explained, we have lived in a multicultural society for years. Successive waves of Empire & other world migrants have arrived and integrated with few problems. Thousands of Chinese, West Indian & people from the Indian sub-continent arrived. They came here for our way of life & culture. they contributed to it, but didn't change the status quo, as it was a gradual process.
ReplyDeleteThe waves of immigration caused by Labour & EU policies have swamped us in a few short years. Segregated pockets of communities are springing where hardly an English word is spoken. Add to that the rise of Fundamentalism, world terrorism & the like, the indigenous British can feel under attack. The Islamic Fundamentalists state quite clearly that they are going to destroy our culture, Law & Society.
These are the seeds that the extremists feed on to spread their bile. We must not let them spread their ignorance. The only way is to stop immigration now, and stop the spread of Fundamentalism too.
If not, then we're on an HS2 to disaster.