Here in Ghana people are stunned by the announcement that a bond of £3,000 will have to be submitted by visa applicants to the UK, redeemable on return.
It is unpleasant for a nation to be singled out as comprised of particularly untrustworthy individuals against whom special measures are needed. Theresa May appears quite deliberately to be singling out countries whose citizens are normally black or brown – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ghana and Nigeria. They are all citizens with extremely close ties to the UK. For example, all of those countries supplied large numbers of men to British armed forces in two World Wars; with little resulting gratitude.
The true level of Britain’s regard for the Commonwealth is disclosed in all its arrogance; citizenship of the Commonwealth countries with the longest link to the UK will become a positive disadvantage in visa application. Israeli settlers living in Occupied Palestine on the West Bank, incidentally, will still be allowed to enter the UK without any visa at all, despite membership of neither Commonwealth nor EU. Paradoxical, isn’t it?
The measure shows the arrogant British disdain for these countries – of which India pre-eminently but also Ghana are fast growing and important trading partners. Undoubtedly Ghana will retaliate with measures which hurt British businesses; many of my good friends are senior Ghanaian politicians, and they are all furious. The rhetoric the British employ about transformation from colonial status to a modern partnership of equals is exposed for the tissue of lies it has always been. This is a straightforward racist measure, aimed at securing the racist vote to the Tories.
Not does it make any sense. If you are intending to enter the UK under false pretences, and have the intent illegally to settle and start a new life there, then £3,000 is scarcely a deterrent given the substantial economic gains you intend to make over the long period you intend to stay. It will rather seem a good investment; people will find the money. The people it will deter are those who never intended to overstay. The extra cash upfront, to the businessman for a business trip, for the student coming to study, for the tourist will drive them to go elsewhere, to the UK’s net loss.
More cruelly it will deter decent middle class people from coming to see grandchildren in the holidays, from going to the niece’s wedding, from going to graduation. Those things will become the prerogative of the wealthy, those with plenty of cash to spare.
This does nothing to deter illegal immigration. It merely demonstrates populist racism, demonstrates contempt for some of the UK’s best-disposed friends, and demonstrates that the government thinks the right to travel is only for the rich. It is contemptible.
Habbabkuk is a ‘professional’ poster, a kind of gatekeeper, herding the conversation away from any embarrassing and awkward truths and towards more ‘media friendly’ territory (i.e. the official line). A quick scan of his previous contributions will bear this out, he is at least consistent.
“This is a pilot scheme, starting in November, involving just the six countries listed by Craig. If successful it may well be extended to other nations.”
Please define ‘success’ in this context, and tell us how it will be measured.
Just got in after a long day under the sky.
Skipped through the thread and found a new arrival.
@ David
Welcome to Wonderland, where the real and surreal constantly mingle.
You may be bemused by the reception you received at 5 46pm. Please don’t let it discourage you.
The ecology of these threads is stranger than most mortals could have imagined, but there are rare treasures freely shared and a unique virtual community that lurches magnificently from highly informative through to insanely delusional at a pace that would stretch the understanding of a genius.
You arrive in the middle of a bun-fight and have been mistaken for me, the (some say) disgraced Kibo and my former alter ego (sock-puppet) Sofia, the now retired fictional 13 and a half year old daughter of one of the blog’s most regular commenters.
This accounts for the rather unexpected welcome you received:
“Villager. 5 37pm
I have it reliably that the sock-puppet Kibo Noh has now turned up as ‘David’. Expect a strong rebuttal. But, Jon, perhaps you can double-check this and confirm? This time more promptly and clearly?”
If you wish to understand why you now stand accused of being me you will get a flavour of things on the “Preparing to Bomb Syria” and “Work for the UN” threads.
I urge you not to take things too personally. Keep your passion. Challenge false narratives and try to avoid trading insults. Many of us are serial failures on that score, but take it from me, who has fallen into that hole enough times to speak from experience, life here improves when that stuff is left behind. Above all don’t take us all too seriously.
Jon, the moderator has a difficult and largely thankless task, but aside from the occasional purge on our postings, he leaves the threads to evolve in all their anarchic spendour.
I wish you well and look forward to more glimpses into the world from your perspective.
I offer you two links which, if you have not already read them, may provide insight into some of what goes on here.
Pages 8 and 9: http://www.scribd.com/doc/53789685/Hasbara-Handbook-Promoting-Israel-on-Campus
and
http://www.mepc.org/articles-commentary/speeches/hasbara-and-control-narrative-element-strategy
Peace.
We are charging £3,000- we hope you enjoy your
stay. You are free to move around, please join all of us.
As always respect our laws, fellow passengers are our responsibility.
Deck chairs to be kept in current designated areas.
Our Captain will be on hand shortly.
HMS Socrates!
Bunch of pikers! If you knew what you were doing you’d sterilize em, like we do!
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-gave-birth-control-to-ethiopian-jews-without-their-consent-8468800.html
And don’t say it’s racist, either, it’s not! We need it to level the playing field. We’re all shooting blanks here. My little Yuvals can barely make it down the chute. Got carried away with the depleted uranium when we were exterminating Palestinians, and now we’re all dying out, http://www.palestinercs.org/en/adetails.php?aid=11
At this rate we’re going to have to start proselytizing door-to-door like Jehovah’s Witnesses. When you shake a Palestinian silly it only lasts for a couple days, so it takes a lot of manpower to keep ’em all brain-damaged. And those bulldozers don’t drive themselves! The winsome human-rights activists just keep coming no matter how flat you squash ’em.
According to Doug Scorgie (protected asset) the word ‘them’ is now connotative of xenophobia. Could he suggest another pluralistic pronoun to replace this offensive word so that we can refer to a specific group of people without offending his racial sensibilities?
It’s a pity he also won’t accept Australian dollars. Euphemistically racist? Only he knows for certain.
To be fair our language is use is always ambiguous.
Much the same as history can be taken as symbolic.
Where we are now spiritualy and demographicaly, should see us set precedents to past teachings to encompass all our elders teachings.
Considering knowledge on a scientific basis to be limited to the lab, teachings should remain a useful tool to continue creativity.
‘Them’ being one.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah's_Ark
@ Doug Scorgie
Still endeavouring to maintain civilised and enlightening discourse, I’d like to make a couple of points in reply to your two posts (above). BTW, I’d be very happy if other regular commenters, including of course Flaming June, were to join the discussion.
re your post at 23h21 :
1/. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to use the pronoun “them” to denote a different group of people already identified (Jemand makes the same point at 06h41) rather than to repeat a series of nouns once again. But if you can find a different way, do please suggest it and I’m sure it’ll be taken on board.
2/. I doubt if this is a racist measure, although it is very probably an attempt to meet a popular perception from which UKIP is seeking to draw profit.
The list of countries which will be affected at a first stage has been kindly supplied by Kempe. On the assumption that sensible govts take measures with the intention that thy should succeed, it would follow that the UK authorities have come to the conclusion that the 6 countries concerned are seen as a particular risk as far as over-staying is concerned. I could imagine that the language factor and the presence of substantial communities from those countries in the UK already (including, possibly, family members) lend weight to that assessment of the risk. So, to repeat, I don’t think racism is a direct factor here.
re. your response at 00h19:
With great respect, I’m rather doubtful about your reaction here, because accusing a question of being ‘loaded’ in order to avoid answering doesn’t really help to advance a discussion and understanding of a theme, does it?
The two questions I asked seem rather fundamental to any discussion of the theme and no reasonable person should be reluctant to give an answer, surely? So I hope that you’ll think again about your refusal and (I hope with others) come back to those two questions.
Thank you.
Habbabkuk 7.50am.
So if it’s not direct racism then might it be indirect racism aimed at the Little Englander demographic?
Either way it leaves a sour taste and i can’t believe for a moment the Tory strategists would have somehow missed either potential dimension.
Habbabkuk 7.59.
Enough already of the teacher’s pet routine.
Jon will mod as he sees fit i’ve no doubt.
Did you used to grass other kids up at school for smoking behind the bike shed?
In Amerika.
Published on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 by The Progressive
A Shameful Supreme Court Ruling on Voting Rights
by Matthew Rothschild
In its 5-4 decision along partisan lines, the conservative majority tossed out the Act’s insistence that nine mostly Southern states and a few other cities and counties with a history of racial discrimination must get pre-clearance from the federal government before changing their voting laws.
Justice Roberts, writing for the majority, called the relevant section “unconstitutional” and the (Photo: SEIU International/ Flickr)calculus outdated.
But what’s really unconstitutional is the way that many Republican-dominated states are already raising barriers to voting, barriers that are aimed at African Americans, other minorities, and other groups that vote disproportionately Democratic.
[..]
But much, much more seriously, the result will be an impairment of our democracy—and once again a racist one.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/06/25-6
“Bluetooth range is normally stated as 100 metres max for a Class 1 Device.”
My transistor radio will pick up reception from a transmitter a hundred miles away.
It doesn’t work at all in my car. That’s why you see all those cars with aerials on the outside of them for the radios.
Doug Scorgie 26 June at 11.41 pm.
““Does the Home Office operate a system of racism (religionism if you like) against Islam?”
It is only a stupid question insomuch as everybody knows the H.O. does operate a system of racism, but they are not going to admit it. The two following questions reveal the answer anyway. We have Acts to protect groups of people from Racism and legislation for Religion and Belief equality.
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/about-us/vision-and-mission/our-business-plan/religion-belief-equality/
The Home Office and all other government departments should be free from discrimination against race and religion. I believe with this FOI and a similar one I raised with the same questions to the FCO regarding rendition and extradition the departments are going to have to change or someone with the right legal expertise will take them to task. Perhaps in their deportation of Trenton Oldfield they are trying to redress the imbalance so they can answer my question.
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/theresa-may-home-office-stop-the-deportation-of-trenton-oldfield?utm_campaign
Don’t look at us, the undeserving rich not paying tax and destroying the welfare state. Instead, look there’s a darkie coming for your job!
The question of bonds payable by Israelis, lack of, was raised in Craig’s post, so I assume it is completely legitimate to point to this:
http://israel.usembassy.gov/consular/niv/nonimmigrant.html
I wonder how many Israelis are currently working illegally in this country? Sightings of stalls selling Dead Sea products, eg, welcomed…
I saw the irony in the juxtaposition of these two links on the BBC UK website on the day after Gideon’s AUSTERITY announcements.
Payday loans in competition inquiry
The Office of Fair Trading refers the payday lending industry to the competition authorities over “deep-rooted problems”.
Queen’s income to rise by 5% in 2014
The Queen will receive a 5% rise in her income next year after the Crown Estate, from which she is paid, reported an increase in its profits.
Sky News is now full of ads for payday loans, Wonga, Quick Quid etc. and when the racing from Ascot was on Channel 4, you could not tell the difference between the live transmission and the ads from W Hill, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, BetFred, Bet this, Bet that which kept appearing in the transmission. There were no actual ad breaks as such.
One of the Cameron advisers recently left to join Wonga as their lobbyist. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/9642807/David-Camerons-senior-adviser-leaves-to-lobby-for-Wonga.html
This morning on Radio 4 Today it was appalling to hear Vilderberger Balls (remember him on the stage at the Trafalgar Square Israel 60th birthday celebrations?) agreeing with Gideon’s plan to extend the waiting time to obtain benefit after becoming unemployed from 3 days to 7 days, It has been condemned by the TUC as cruel. Balls would not support Frances O’Grady. There is no Labour partei. We only have one partei now. Fascism in action.
‘Here’s Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary, on the SR.
This is a toxic mix of bad economics, nasty politics and dishonest presentation.
The last thing our struggling economy needs is further cuts to spending to try to close a deficit made worse by the Chancellor’s earlier cuts. When the medicine is not working and side effects are choking the patient you need a change in treatment not more of the same.
Many services will be hard hit. Worst of all is a new attack on some of the most vulnerable in our society through the seven day wait and other conditions for social security payments. The chancellor may think attacks on welfare go down well with voters, but these will lead to parents not having enough cash to feed their children.’
Guardian live blog yesterday
PS Gideon was photographed with burger and chips and diet Coke two nights ago, whilst working on his plans. The photo op has backfired as it has been leaked that his burger was not the usual MacDonald’s £1.99 jobbie but one costing £10 from a local up market place near Whitehall.
Austerity for some. They are all in IT together.
PPS Nadine Dorries has announced that she will no longer claim for personal expenditure but will rely on her MP’s salary. This follows from the pressure she is under from her gains from Oz jungle rubbish. Doubtless she will continue to enjoy freebies such as trips to entities like Israel.
Cylinder head gaskets are still blowing on the dregs of the Work for the UN thread!
http://www.inminds.com/article.php?id=10497
Ethnic cleansing of E. Jerusalem continues – just in time to scupper any idea of peace:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/26/us-palestinians-israel-settlements-idUSBRE95P18A20130626
…as promised.
Israel owns the Tory Party. Israel also owns large chunks of Labour and the LibDems, so you can say they own the UK parliament.
Tech Savage at 12.44 a.m. “Watchman” I think rather than “Gatekeeper”.
“Cylinder head gaskets are still blowing on the dregs of the Work for the UN thread!”
Don’t be silly, Mary. There’s nobody blowing a gasket there at all.
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2013/06/work-for-the-un/comment-page-5/#comment-414809
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/26/official-dutch-report-calls-for-break-with-uncritical-approach-to-israel.html
The report’s analysis and policy recommendations were truly surprising, running counter to more than 40 years of uncritical pro-Israel policies of successive Dutch governments. Yet the international press did not make much of it. Now that the text has been translated and made available in English and French on the Council’s website, the important shift it represents should become more widely known.
Hope springs eternal: here’s the report, to save you clicking –
http://www.aiv-advies.nl/ContentSuite/upload/aiv/doc/webversie_AIV83_ENG%281%29.pdf
No need to click on the “How to Spot A Sociopath” popup, either. Simply look to the left of this comment for his portrait.
Giles
26 Jun, 2013 – 8:06 pm
“The naivety of some of the Murrayistas is truly breathtaking!”
How so?
You don’t explain.
Anon,
http://www.ibtimes.com/michael-hastings-car-hacking-theory-latest-attempt-explain-suspicious-death-richard-clarke-says
Sayanim ensemble
27 Jun, 2013 – 7:23 am
“…damned muzzies…” “…wog immigration…”
I suggest this language should not be tolerated on this blog.
I do not believe in 100% freedom of speech.
Spending review was a manifestation that the Tory’s still target the poor and the elderly, well, not all.
The richest woman on earth, who could pay off our national debt tomorrow, gets a 5% hike from the Crown estate.
Now much of their profits come from us the taxpayer, via large wind power installations in the North sea, so we get fleeced properly, i.e. twice.
Do explain Giles, when you say ‘“The naivety of some of the Murrayistas is truly breathtaking!”
Do you mean Bill Murray?, Murray mints?, Andy Murray?
Dreolin, that link is the most annoying I’ve clicked on. Audio adverts turn themselves on without any perceivable way of shutting them up.
However all cars are probably being built with cyber-technology giving the manufacturers and their approved proxies the ability to override user capability, as with phones, computers &c and their service hosts. The message is “behave yourself and you will have no problems”. Those of us who choose to disobey can prepare for a bumpy ride. Or choose not to use the technology. I often leave my phone at home on purpose. I’m teaching myself to live without it. Whether that is how they killed Michael Hastings is impossible to know.
John Goss 12.06pm,
Interesting post John.
I can foresee a time in the not too distant future where it will be a crime for a citizen not to carry a smartphone etc..
They can certainly,at present,be used as listening,watching and locating devices.
God knows what they’ll be like in the future.
“that link is the most annoying I’ve clicked on. Audio adverts turn themselves on without any perceivable way of shutting them up.”
Yes, John, but it’s happening all over the place. I click on a link and it turns out that the web page has a video embedded and it’s set to auto-run. So I can’t scroll down the page to read it until that’s finished loading. And then the plug-in decides to fail … It’s a pain in the neck. It seems that some sites have decided that folks just *can’t* read any more, so they have to be given a video or audio version of everything. (I just flick my sound off.)
As for Michael Hastings, I was suspicious from the get go. It’s interesting to see someone like Richard Clark confirm that interference with his car was far from impossible. But of course any evidence will have been burned to a cinder.