To think most peoole are racist and scared of " other%."

The problem with this post is you’ve described anyone who wants a legitimate discussion around immigration to not be racist - just ‘deeply ignorant’.

Yet none of the examples you describe are founded in anything even remotely resembling objective economic discussion.

So I’m left wondering who is indeed deeply ignorant.

I think this is the part where there may be a disconnect:

Given that this started in the 1980s the problem will inevitably start to ease off as the elderly come to the end of their lives, although complicated by Japan having one of the longest life expectancies.

The problem is not expected to ease off. Fewer people are being born, in Japan, every year (and people are living longer). The problem isn't expected to ease off but instead to get much worse, quickly. This poses a threat to all areas of the economy (you can't fund pensions or a welfare state if the number of workers is getting smaller every year, and the number of retired people are increasing (as a proportion).

Japan has indeed realized that it is facing economic and potentially societal collapse so, yes, as of last year they invested billions into initiatives to try and boost the birth rate (by easing the financial burden on married couples). In the first year since this investment, the birth rates dropped again, but it'll be interesting to see if they can turn it around.

It's one thing to opt against immigration purely for the sake of growing the economy but, as a working person, I'd prefer to have enough immigration to prevent population decline (which in the UK means net migration of about 0.5m p/a) because it's a choice between having enough immigrants or having more taxes on working people. We're not talking more taxes in the short term, either, but ones that would increase exponentially over time as the population continues to get smaller and older.

Japan's current investment might be too little, too late but at least they are trying to make it financially easier for people to have children. Reform's Thatcherist policies go the other way, so not only would they be slashing immigration but making it economically harder for most people to have families.

I'm not a big fan of the SDP but they at least recognize that, if you want to cut immigration you need to boost birth rates, so are proposing significant financial support to married couples (I think it was $500 per month, per child). They recognize that falling birth rates likely need to be addressed by some degree of wealth distribution. Reform, on the other hand, are going all in on the sorts of policies that have led to declining birth rates in the first place - they would be a disaster for the future of the country.

Well, no. Not "most" because if it was most then reform would have won the general election wouldn't they?

There is racism out there, but I will say much of what I hear stems from deep ignorance, not hatred as such.
Our government has done so well as creating an us vs them between everyone that sadly, that viewpoint isn't entirely surprising.

For example, MIL "we've never been entitled to benefits!" Goes on to explain that so and so receives thousands each month. That thousands each month in reality is a percentage of their rent which they top up and a small amount of their personal allowance after their wages have been deducted... closer to £1200 if I remember correctly.

The "top" up of their rent is more than MIL ever had to pay on her mortgage for a bigger house than the people she's talking about. I should be so lucky to be handed that money she says.
If they're not British born, and in a similar position....I've never received anything and worked for over 40 years!! They haven't paid in for 40 years have they! I'm struggling too. What about me.

I think it's a bit like that accross the country.

Everyone's in their own bubble, only know what and who they know, there's jealously, there's unhappiness and whoever is seen to be having an easier or better life is on the firing line of people's vitriol.

It’s not racist to say that we don’t have anything like enough reasonable, affordable housing for so many people already here, whether native or not.

True - by delaying the problem, it does make the problem bigger in the long run. But Western politicians don't care about the long run- only the period between elections.

Japan for whatever reasons chose not to import the missing workers and instead opted for lower economic growth.

Who cares for the imported carers and their families when they need care - and on and on

@ClawedUkelele

"Apologies but I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic? Japan is facing a major crisis."

Apologies if you misunderstood my post. I didn't say that Japan was not undergoing a crisis of a declining birth rate and ageing population.

What I was discussing was the potential solutions were to this. Rather than import the missing birth rate rate through immigration, Japan has instead gone through stagnation in economic growth.
Given that this started in the 1980s the problem will inevitably start to ease off as the elderly come to the end of their lives, although complicated by Japan having one of the longest life expectancies.

The biggest cause of the low birth rate is the decline in marriage rates, with out of wedlock births quite rare in Japan. This has resulted in more government spending on pensions, healthcare etc but less on say education and childcare.

My point being that there is a choice between importing people to counter declining birth rates. Or working through the demographic change over time but at the cost of lower economic growth.

Apologies but I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic? Japan is facing a major crisis.

@ClawedUkelele

"If the government can find a way to address our low birth rates without immigration, great."

Japan has addressed low birth rates and an ageing population without immigration through reduced economic growth.

If the government can find a way to address our low birth rates without immigration, great.

But cutting immigration to net zero will mean the retirement age will have to be significant raised immediately, with further rises occurring frequently after that.

Coupled with the general Thatcherism in Reform's "contract", I fear a Reform government would mean a country of proles, working for shit pay until the day they die. Not for me, thanks.

The full clip is not much better. Wishy washy colour blind nonsense, and he didn't even answer his own question.

That's a bit naughty - you need to hear the whole clip love - come on grow up

Nigel Farage when asked what he would do for the black community;

x.com/afpost/status/1808931725453447645?s=46&t=roDeJ8lNY1suZljI8XTTQg

The government needs the population to keep rising to sustain the ponzi that is the uk economy (spending, state pensions, NHS etc). The uk birth rate is falling (possibly because a lot of average couples can't afford to have children). So the alternative is to import people from abroad. The government actually loves migrants - legal, illegal, fake asylum seekers, all helping prop up the system.

"Consider how bad your life is that you think getting on a leaking boat is the best option."

It's the best option if you're a lying scumbag who plans to pretend to be fleeing danger.

Otherwise you can come here as a tourist showing your passport and then ask for asylum, but then they will know your real country of origin.

They are in the boats because that way they don't have to show their passport.

If they did we'd know they were not fleeing danger and we'd tell them to go home. So the boats are part of the plan to break in like a burglar climbing in an upstairs window.

I'm going to have to insist that from now on you keep your front door open to let burglars in safely.

If one falls you'd be a murderer and all for greedily wanting to keep the house you paid for and the property in it that you paid for and not letting other people share it.

Oh and any man off the street has as much right in your daughters bedroom as you do. Even expressing the smallest doubt that that is ok is racist and shameful.

100% agree with you. And a lot of the racism is 'stealth racism'.
I heard from multiple people who said that they voted Labour was due to...in a polite way - Rishi being of Indian descent, and so that he "is not their PM".
Pretty disgusting really.

Maybe seeing multiculturalism over the last 50 years failing in some parts of the country and seeing unemployment stats and benefits stats and crime stats by ethnicity make people fearful of a whole new wave. The internets fault for allowing everyone access to things folks have never seen before.

I think there is a lot more racism in our society than we want to admit or many are aware

from the anger and blaming some display which is obvious and may lead to voting for a party like Reform to the dismissal of racism when it is underhand or not perceived as that bad

all of it is damaging

They need to stop the boats because it's dangerous and benefits people smugglings - but therefore there needs to be proper systems where people can apply for asylum from outside the UK. Consider how bad your life is that you think getting on a leaking boat is the best option.

This is ironic. Sunak is the child of immigrants and has a string work ethic. Yet most of this website hates him.

Yes I believe this works for a while

Are their husbands earnings good wage or do they need top up benefits?

Once processed and if asylum is granted then they would be eligible for benefits but subject to the same requirement to look for work as anyone else. It is only whilst stuck in the system waiting for their claim to be processed that they are unable to work and are a drain on the country’s finances. If their claim is rejected they are not entitled to anything.

I literally said they should ne encouraged to work. They should be supported on the reasons that exclude them from the workplace.

And is it all SAHMs you think don't contribute or just Pakistani SAHMs? If they receive child benefit they make NI contributions.

Absolutely, but again it’s an oversimplification. You can be highly skilled (or young and ambitious and ready to work) and still come via an illegal route because it’s the only one open to you. In some circumstances can come via a legal route and have no skills or any intention of working. It’s the whole picture that needs to be looked at.