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?

Exactly programmable. We need to stop paying bottom dollar for our skilled workers. We get the nhs at a bargain price and it’s ridiculous we don’t see what a problem it causes.

How does it cost a tax payer? Have you seen international student's fees

I agree. Except some have suggested that they're too onerous and we should be doing it for free to save the UK from itself. Upthread a bit.

The extra bodies thing is a problem for me too. Nothing to do with racism. We are a small country and we are losing all of our green spaces to housing. France and Germany have much lower populations and twice the land masses. We can’t keep expanding at this rate forever unless we the whole country to be one big city - especially when we are crap at investing in infrastructure and planning development.

I work at a University. My department is the richest in the university due to the huge influx of fee paying foreign students. If some of them chose to stay in the UK they would make a very valuable contribution to the country.

I agree.

We should have our doors open to paying foreign students, provided that we have prioritised our own national training interests. This is an essential core to the British university system.

I was responding to Moose's post that the fee structure is unfair to foreign students and a blight on our talent pool.

The myth of immigrants and social housing

The article in the link was written in 2009 - using data from 2006/2007.

Of course your not, you decided to make a signal call om MN instead, you conveniently ignore the actual rise in racism across the eu and pretend it is just a UK issue,

The spike in hate crimes across all protected characteristics that was associated with the Brexit referendum is an issue for us, as a country, to consider though. There is clearly more racism, homophobia etc lurking under the surface than many would like to believe. Pretending it's not there is not a solution. Pointing to other countries and wailing that they're worse is also not a solution.

I think one reason people not going into nursing is not just pay. (They are paid better then my job.) Think it,s more likely 12 hour shifts. 9Thats what killed it for my sIL)

Yes I know Clavinova, I posted it as an example of Labours policies

Funny how people like you never try and learn the facts, or find others- just pick at little shitty bits like that as a distraction. It would be terrible to have to admit your prejudicex are based on nothing but that, wouldnt it?

What a load of old shite, Sarcelle, you hid myths like 'Asian no go areas' (dont exist) in thereand put things like 'county lines' after 'asian grooming gangs' to try and make them sound connected.

Helgahere, sorry, what 'left wing bias' is that? 85% of UK media is Right leaning.

The BBc and guardian are left. BBC are pretty all encompassing so count for a large proportion.

The BBC is left? Christ.

The BBC actually gives the Tories more of a voice, according to studies. The UK also has the ost right ing media in euroe, nd as I said, 85% of media is right wing. The BBC is very uch not all encompassing. Youre counting your outdated opinons above fact.

www.huckmag.com/perspectives/opinion-perspectives/micha-frazer-carroll-right-wing-nation-the-uk-media-is-broken-and-biased/

'British media most right wing and bias in Europe'

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/british-media-is-the-most-right-wing-in-europe-yougov-finds-a6859266.html

I despair too. Any time my local newspaper posts about a criminal that is of Asian heritage you get so many racists writing utter drivel, calling for them to be “deported”.

@olivehater en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_Union_member_states_by_population

Yeah I did wonder about that population comment

Isnt it funny how all those who had to endure the torture of being told to stop being bigoted for all those years, who 'had their experience denied' are now accusing the OP directly of lying about their experience. These things work both ways

Isnt it funny how all those who had to endure the torture of being told to stop being bigoted for all those years, who 'had their experience denied' are now accusing the OP directly of lying about their experience. These things work both ways

Don't worry, Patroclus, I'll get my Daily Mail sad face on.

Patroclus
Yes I know Clavinova, I posted it as an example of Labour's policies

Nonsense - you posted;
"The government wants to give local people greater priority for social housing but research shows that only 5% of new lettings are currently going to foreign nationals.That study found that more than 60% of new migrants who had come to Britain in the past five years are living in privately rented accommodation, and most newly arrived migrants and asylum seekers are actually banned from access to social housing.'"

"only 5% of new lettings are currently going to foreign nationals/last five years" - the study took place in 2006/07.

"most newly arrived migrants and asylum seekers are actually banned from access to social housing.'"

This isn't an example of Labour's current policy though - pages 70/71 of their 2019 manifesto:

^"We will scrap the 2014 Immigration Act introduced by the Tories with their Liberal Democrat coalition partners. We are for a levelling up of rights, not a race to the bottom. We will not tolerate
a two-tier system for those entitled to be here."^ ...
"Once here, refugees will have the right to work, access to public services" ...

Yeeeeeeeeeeees I was talking about Labour's previous policy. What are you witterring on about?

Yeeeeeeeeeeees I was talking about Labour's previous policy.

Oh I see - Bring Back Tony Blair!

It's patently obvious that racism is far more overt these days.

You only need to read this thread...

Read "me and white privilege". It is out now. Elizabeth Gilbert (eat, pray,love) , is heavily promoting this book, and she is saying that she is doing white privilege work on herself (challenging her own thoughts).

We need to challenge our own attitudes