To despair at the growing level of racism and xenophobia in this country?

[AlexaShutUp]

I have just been told by the security guard at my local shop that the coronavirus is a "good thing" because it will stop people from traveling and it will therefore "keep them foreigners out". I am ashamed to say that I couldn't think of a good response quickly enough, and just muttered something disapproving but pretty incoherent back to him. Have so many much better responses going round in my head now, and I am annoyed that I didn't challenge him in a more articulate manner.

I know that there have always been racists and xenophobes, but I'm sure that there was a time when such hideous views would not have been expressed to a stranger in public. Over the last few years, it seems that there have been more and more comments of this nature, and it makes me so sad to see the ignorant, unwelcoming little nation we have become.

What sort of fuckwit thinks that a global pandemic is good news? And what sort of society makes people think it's ok to voice such opinions?

I agree.

What makes me laugh (hollow laugh) about the new immigration points system is that the people who designed it don’t seem to aware how much less attractive the UK has become as a destination. And I don’t mean in terms of freebies before someone says that. The last three years have been very damaging and we are now viewed as petty and isolationist. Great - locked up with a load of inward looking Rees-Mogg types .

to be aware

the new immigration points system is that the people who designed it don’t seem to aware how much less attractive the UK has become as a destination

That, and the system is designed only to attract those to fill higher paid jobs, and it's actually not that difficult to provide "evidence" that the person is needed. This means those better paid jobs are going to immigrants and the low paid jobs nobody here seems to want to do are left for UK citizens. Those who have been crying about the "flood" of immigrants stealing our jobs, surely didn't expect only the lower paid jobs would be freed up because of controlled immigration.

The UK is objectively not racist vis-à-vis the European continent.

I agree, it’s made things awkward between myself and certain family members as they’ve become increasingly racist, xenophobic and right wing over the past few years. My own father who I love with all of my heart said last week that the only reason Parasite won awards was because “they have to pander to the blacks and show they’re not racist” he actually thought it was impossible a non English language film could be good enough to win an Oscar and he has a degree and is a professional, so he’s not stupid, I just despair sometimes.

My own father who I love with all of my heart said last week that the only reason Parasite won awards was because “they have to pander to the blacks and show they’re not racist”

There was quite a lot of navel gazing over the lack of diversity at the Golden Globes. Parasite was a great film and I'd not say it was undeserving, but it was undoubtably convenient for the Academy to put a foreign film in the best picture category.

I didn't, Rosita. I was so taken aback that it didn't occur to me, but I may go back and report him tomorrow. I wish I had responded with more presence of mind at the time.

They've always been there, but Brexshit has given them permission. They can do what they like now believing they are in the majority, there's an open racist in 10 Downing Street and who can stop them?

@ProgrammableMagneticStorm Tbh I would give him the benefit of the doubt if he had actually watched the film or any of the other films in the category, hadn’t used the word “blacks” and hadn’t expressed a lot of racist views in the past. It was a knee jerk response based on him thinking any time a non white person wins an award it’s because of “racial pandering”.

A random security guard told you that?

They've always been there, but Brexshit has given them permission.

That doesn't explain how the UK is one of the most tolerant places in Europe.

If you want to cite hate crimes as an example then it includes the trans debate and the 55% rise in homophobic hate crimes in london.

I'm not white, but this 'i heard a security guard' is just a typical 'that happened' internet comment.

I can't imagine how that conversation came about

You don't need to go back in to repost him. An email with details will do and they will sort it with the company they use to provide security.

I've worked on security, no-one ever talks go the security guard in a shop, ever.

Regrettably it turns out that a large proportion of our fellow countrymen are pretty unpleasant people. The truth is that they always were. They just used to be a bit ashamed to admit it.

I am ashamed to say that I couldn't think of a good response quickly enough, and just muttered something disapproving but pretty incoherent back to him.

What did you mutter?

I’ve never heard anyone IRL, nor anywhere else, actually use that phrase.

I did! Once. She blushed when I pointed out I am "them foreigner"😂

That doesn't explain how the UK is one of the most tolerant places in Europe.

That will get you nowhere with the majority on this site, they have their fixed ideas and one isn't expected to deviate.

"I say the least racist (country) is still racist" as sung by the rapper Dave

Dave the rapper seems a bit of a dickhead, and he might call his self Dave but it's not like he's like beyonce he's always gonna be called Dave the rapper.

Racism in this country is low compared to places like France, Italy, Germany, hungary but you can keep pointing to us leaving the EU as being racist when the remaining members tend to be worse than us.

Oh FFS, the "it didn't happen" brigade are here. Except it did.

This is a small shop, I'm in there a couple of times a week. I have spoken to this guy a couple of times before. I sneezed, he said "bless you" and started talking about the cold that he had recently got over. That led him onto the subject of the coronavirus, and ultimately his comment.

If you don't agree with my point, then tell me I'm being unreasonable by all means, but don't try to tell me that I'm making it up because I'm not.

Yeah and calls his brother a hero and dedicates such performances to him whilst he’s serving life in prison for one of the most brutal gang murders witnessed, Dave is not one to take guidance from.
Racism is not at a ‘growing level.’ Compared to when exactly?
Does it still exist? Yes. Some people are absolute twats.
A random conversation to have with a security guard though.

I’ve never heard anyone IRL, nor anywhere else, actually use that phrase. I don’t believe a security guard said that to someone he doesn’t know.

Don't think I'd ever heard it before in quite those terms either, but whether you believe it or not, he said it to me today.

Worra, I don't remember exactly what I said, something about the virus being bad for all of us if it spreads, and about lots of immigrants bringing benefits to the country. It was a crap response, but I was genuinely taken aback.