'Like many of you, we at the Academy of Ideas are still working through what we think.'
Well put, too many people know everything already and shape events into their existing narrative. Racism is bad, rioting is bad, do I have to say that? Yes I think I do. Having said that I have been opining about the problem(s) of anti-racism for about 40 years. Today I'm not alone, there is something resembling a movement of black people many of them young, who are tired of being pigeon-holed and defined by 'blackness', and who are tired of being regarded by 'progressives' as in need of rescuing and protecting. Yesterday's channel 4 news was was a difficult watch; there was an undercurrent of glee, 'see we told you so' (as if they ever doubted themselves) real racists attacking ethnic minorities. Who will save us (ethnic minorities), channel 4 news will, the Far Right will be crushed by smugness and self-righteousness. Journalists have given up any pretense of journalism, simply parroting 'Far Right' at every opportunity. In recent times the progressive establishment has labelled as Far Right everyone from Nigel Farage to anyone who believes that a country is entitled (or is expected) to protect its own borders, this seamlessly leads us to an equivalence with Hitler, Nazism and Fascism.
Those of us who oppose racism in all its forms now have to distance ourselves from the ideology of 'anti-racism'. Today the Far Right in the UK does not have the potency of the Far right of the 1970's and 80's. Back them we feared that the Far Right on the streets had allies within the establishment; in government and the police force for example. Thankfully there were courageous anti-racists who stood up to this threat. Today's anti-racism provides the establishment with a moral purpose. Today the state is uncertain of its role, the state has taken on the role of protector, the exaggeration of threats serves the authority of the state. I know young Muslims who are now frightened to go out due to what they saw on the news, despite the absence of Far Right activity (and considerable anti-racists protests) in their areas. Of course we should be alert to threats, but there are those who have vested interest in exaggeration. The incessant noise of unconscious bias, DEI, white privilege, anti-colonialism, and critical race theory annoys me and I'm black, with the closing down of discussion, something will give, if people cannot express themselves in a legitimate way they will rebel. The Far Right can and will fight their own battles, they may even have walked in to a trap, as the clampdown comes. What shouldn't happen is a clampdown on free speech and on those who haven't rioted and who continue to believe in argument and debate to express their disaffections and bring about change.
You are absolutely right. It is a very complex problem.
I was wondering what can be learned from integration or non-integration of workers who came in large numbers in the 70’s (from Turkey and Morocco especially) to Germany and the Netherlands.
Some integrated very well, others not. There are still some issues even with 3rd generations.
Has the ‘othering’ of people through EDI caused this problem to worsen?
I’m not sure about the term anti-racist for these people. It’s not racist to question the huge numbers of non-Europeans arriving in our shores every year, the majority of whom have no intention of integrating into British society.
The same NGO’s, Trade Unions, Far Left Marxists have filled our streets with hate towards Israel & Jews since 7th October 2023, culminating in Ricky Jones (Labour Councillor) calling for his supporters to ‘cut their throats every one of the fascists’. Charming!
I’ll take the ‘Far Right’ (whoever they are) over these despicable people any day of the week.
'Like many of you, we at the Academy of Ideas are still working through what we think.'
Well put, too many people know everything already and shape events into their existing narrative. Racism is bad, rioting is bad, do I have to say that? Yes I think I do. Having said that I have been opining about the problem(s) of anti-racism for about 40 years. Today I'm not alone, there is something resembling a movement of black people many of them young, who are tired of being pigeon-holed and defined by 'blackness', and who are tired of being regarded by 'progressives' as in need of rescuing and protecting. Yesterday's channel 4 news was was a difficult watch; there was an undercurrent of glee, 'see we told you so' (as if they ever doubted themselves) real racists attacking ethnic minorities. Who will save us (ethnic minorities), channel 4 news will, the Far Right will be crushed by smugness and self-righteousness. Journalists have given up any pretense of journalism, simply parroting 'Far Right' at every opportunity. In recent times the progressive establishment has labelled as Far Right everyone from Nigel Farage to anyone who believes that a country is entitled (or is expected) to protect its own borders, this seamlessly leads us to an equivalence with Hitler, Nazism and Fascism.
Those of us who oppose racism in all its forms now have to distance ourselves from the ideology of 'anti-racism'. Today the Far Right in the UK does not have the potency of the Far right of the 1970's and 80's. Back them we feared that the Far Right on the streets had allies within the establishment; in government and the police force for example. Thankfully there were courageous anti-racists who stood up to this threat. Today's anti-racism provides the establishment with a moral purpose. Today the state is uncertain of its role, the state has taken on the role of protector, the exaggeration of threats serves the authority of the state. I know young Muslims who are now frightened to go out due to what they saw on the news, despite the absence of Far Right activity (and considerable anti-racists protests) in their areas. Of course we should be alert to threats, but there are those who have vested interest in exaggeration. The incessant noise of unconscious bias, DEI, white privilege, anti-colonialism, and critical race theory annoys me and I'm black, with the closing down of discussion, something will give, if people cannot express themselves in a legitimate way they will rebel. The Far Right can and will fight their own battles, they may even have walked in to a trap, as the clampdown comes. What shouldn't happen is a clampdown on free speech and on those who haven't rioted and who continue to believe in argument and debate to express their disaffections and bring about change.
You are absolutely right. It is a very complex problem.
I was wondering what can be learned from integration or non-integration of workers who came in large numbers in the 70’s (from Turkey and Morocco especially) to Germany and the Netherlands.
Some integrated very well, others not. There are still some issues even with 3rd generations.
Has the ‘othering’ of people through EDI caused this problem to worsen?
I’m not sure about the term anti-racist for these people. It’s not racist to question the huge numbers of non-Europeans arriving in our shores every year, the majority of whom have no intention of integrating into British society.
The same NGO’s, Trade Unions, Far Left Marxists have filled our streets with hate towards Israel & Jews since 7th October 2023, culminating in Ricky Jones (Labour Councillor) calling for his supporters to ‘cut their throats every one of the fascists’. Charming!
I’ll take the ‘Far Right’ (whoever they are) over these despicable people any day of the week.
For intellectual food on this, I'd recommend Pierre Manent's little book, Beyond Radical Secularism, https://www.alibris.com/Beyond-Radical-Secularism-How-France-and-the-Christian-West-Should-Respond-to-the-Islamic-Challenge-Pierre-Manent/book/33571735?matches=5 which combines his usual political philosophizing with good policy suggestions regarding the civic identity of large Muslim minorities In European nations.
For musical food, I'd recommend Morrissey, and reflection on the suppression of his music for nearly three years now. I have two essays on this, the latest in time, https://pomocon.substack.com/p/update-on-the-suppression-of-morrisseys?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2 and the first, on his song "Bonfire of Teenagers," https://pomocon.substack.com/p/carls-rock-songbook-no-131-morrissey
Your integrity shines ever brighter as the night falls. Love you, Claire, even when we disagree deeply.
Thanks Claire - this is very helpful
I’ve yet to establish exactly what Islam offers a western civilisation…?