I am delighted by the apparent sea-change in media opinion on the treatment of refugees, but concerned that in modern society compassion only seems able to operate in a wave of emotional hysteria rather than as a fundamental, underlying everyday principle. There is also a danger that those arriving in the Mediterranean and Balkans are viewed, quite wrongly, as in some way different from those in the awful camps at Calais, who have been demonised all summer, reaching its peak when a child being killed by a train led to vicious media headlines about delays to British passengers.
Cameron and May’s apparent willingness to budge at least minimally in admitting more from Syria must be matched by a willingness to admit those from the Calais camps who are genuine refugees. I still have a home in Ramsgate from which you can actually see France. I for one am willing to make accommodation available at no charge to help out in the crisis.
These are troubling times. In London the National Youth Centre has cancelled a play, Homegrown, which explored Islamic radicalism, because it had an “extremist agenda”. By this they mean that it did what it was meant to, it explored the reasons that attract young people to terrorism including a revulsion at western foreign policy and the alienation from society of urban youth in a society that values materialism above all but increasingly restricts access to prosperity and choice. These are precisely the issues that modern playwrights ought to be considering, if they are worth anything.
However it goes against the government’s insistence that radicalisation is nothing whatsoever to do with our invasions and bombings of Muslim countries or the huge and burgeoning wealth gap in our society. We are supposed to view terrorism as a spontaneous outbreak of pure evil, for no reason. So the play was cancelled, after consultations between the National Youth Theatre and the Metropolitan Police. When you have the police deciding on the content of plays, you really are on the road to being a fascist state: we already have the police involved in what can be said in universities under the government’s definitively illiberal Prevent strategy.
Just as there is still no official admission that our invasions and bombings greatly boosted terrorist organisations, so there is still no official admission that the wave of terror and destruction we helped unleash on the Middle East, either by direct invasions or bombings or by proxy, by funding and through the Gulf States, is the root cause of much of the refugee crisis. It is good we are moving a tiny way towards helping. We should do very much more. And acknowledgement of our own culpability in the crisis should be an essential part of a new attitude.
The troll is flyposting his absurd ‘challenge’ to me on this thread now as well as twice on the previous thread. I think my posts reference Israel must have irritated him.
“A scandal erupted at a panel discussion held in the Wolfson Yeshiva in Jerusalem, when the chairman of Lehava organization Benzi Gopstein openly declared his support for the torching of churches.
https://uprootedpalestinians.wordpress.com/2015/09/03/burning-of-christian-churches-in-israel-justified-right-wing-jewish-leader-benzi-gopstein-says/
Imagine if a Muslim said the same.”
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Which some of the more extremist Muslims do, of course. Except they are doing more than just talking when they destroy Shia mosques (if they are Sunnis) and Sunni mosques (if they are Shias) and Christian places of worship (if they are both). Or even calling for te killing – and putting their call into practice – of apostates.
“Anyone else noticed that when the BBC interviews a migrant it is usually an attractive young Syrian Christian woman rather than one of the aggressive young Muslim men who make up the vast majority of the migrants?”
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I have not, but your question – which I do hope will elicit some responses from the Original Trolls and Excellences on here – reminds me that I’ve been meaning to ask the following: is it possible that ISIS might be using this crisis to slip some (young male)terrorists into the EU for use in the future?
Typical Habba load a shite.
The blame for this situation lies with the neo-cons and neo-con supporters like yourself. You should be the ones offering to put people up. Or even vacate your homes and give them up for the more worthy.
Corbett and Co discuss the refugess crisis, msm coverage and the broader context.
Starts at 3.21mins in:
https://www.corbettreport.com/interview-1085-new-world-next-week-with-james-evan-pilato/
Mary you ought to be flattered if you are good enough to have a personal devil stalking you ! A personal trainer, and all for free ! Just think the clown is a tool for you to improve your truth and righteousness muscles and to sharpen your knife that cuts through spin and falsehood. Only dont evict the devil from his place on the sofa overlooking Gaza or it might come back to England.
Glenn
“Comrades – anyone know how we’d go about donating things like feminine hygiene products to these miserable wretches? We could buy some stuff locally and post it I suppose, but surely some organisation is arranging a bulk purchase/delivery which would be much more cost effective.”
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I mean this sincerely – thank you for that post/question.
It is a good example of how people could complement their outpourings of righteous wrath (and blame it all on the West-ism) with something practical.
ATTENTION certain commenters!! (you know who you are..):
“In response to an appeal on Facebook, Syria Calling, 5000 families in Iceland have offered their willingness to take Syrian refugees into their homes.”
If they can do it, could not we?
(Thank you to Rehmat for drawing our attention to this)
..there is still no official admission that the wave of terror and destruction we helped unleash on the Middle East, either by direct invasions or bombings or by proxy, by funding and through the Gulf States, is the root cause of much of the refugee crisis
Ultimately do we accept the distortion of intellect & morality that empties noble words like democracy and liberation of their true meaning that says it is wrong for a terrorist to kill innocent people and right for a government to commit the same crimes in our name?
The answer is that we need not accept any of this if we recognise there are now two superpowers, one is the regime in London, the other is public opinion, now stirring all over Britain perhaps as never before.
Make no mistake it is an epic struggle, the alternative is not just the conquest of Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Iran, it is the conquest of us, of our minds, our humanity and our self respect.
If we remain silent, victory over us is assured.
RobG
“Suhayl, when the Daily Mail (or BBC) did a piece from Calais they always showed black Africans, and not the Middle Eastern people who were there.”
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Same with much of the Continental press, Rob, so it’s probably not so much disinformation as the reality.
Tell me something – have you actually been to Calais to have a look for yourself? You could do it in a few hours from your rural hideaway on that excellent French road system. And before you ask – I have.
I recall that a couple of threads ago you were telling us, with apparent pleasure, of the 5 bedroom house you are occupying in Poitou-Charentes (so cheap too!).
Have you thought of offering to accomodate one or more of those wretched people from the Calais squatter camps? I believe the French govt would be delighted to receive such offers of help for those who are being procesed and are willing to stay in France.
Netanyahu: one of the most repellent and dangerous politicians in the world today
Netanyahu has repeatedly manipulated Israeli public opinion into supporting ferocious and strategically meaningless slaughter in Gaza.
http://stopwar.org.uk/news/united-states-of-israel-how-the-great-liar-netanyahu-twists-america-round-his-finger
Harry Law
“This is Putin’s take on the Refugees “Of course, we know that there are different approaches to Syria. By the way, people are running away not from the regime of Bashar Assad, but from Islamic State, which seized large areas in Syria and Iraq, and are committing atrocities there. That is what they are escaping from,” RIA Novosti quoted Vladimir Putin as saying on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
“They [IS] kill hundreds and thousands of people, burn them alive or drown them, cut off people’s heads. How are people supposed to live there? Of course, they run away.”https://www.rt.com/news/314435-putin-isis-syria-refugees/”
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Has President Putin offered any thoughts on why they do not flee to the large areas of Syria still under the firm control of that most benevolent chappie called President Assad?
The immutable conservative solution to income disparity leading to poverty is for charity to pick up the bill for those citizens and refugees who seek aid. Our political leaders and lawmakers have taken the whole hog for themselves and now it’s up to the middle class (what remains of them) to share their neckbones and offal from the depleted carcass. It’s a shame we have to blame government for our ills, but they were paid well for their narcissistic ambitions, and they can spare a pork-chop here and there.
Its disingenous logic reeks of only one thing – synagogue of satan !! So Mary you also have a bespoke devil to help you build your spiritual muscles as well. Now if it were a freemason as well then I know Mary you are on a roll truly blessed to have the Good Lord lay such a devious obstacle course before you !!! You just have to look at the glass as if its half full (of habba and half full of Anon1) – a full glass of your very own personal training hill climb.
Pulcinella (14h06)
“It looks like they’ve heard from Tel Aviv to Whitehall . # Netanyahu WE don’t want you here unless it’s behind bars facing criminal charges !!”
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The “we” being a hundred thousand or so committed anti-Israel people and anti-Zionists.
The adult population of the UK is…?
Sorry to have to say it again, Pulcinella – the petition is now eligible for debate in the HoC. But I have 20 shekels which say that it will not be. In which currency do you want to lose?
10 steps seem rational for a united Europe (shall I call it Eurasia?) Isn’t that the idea behind the Eurozone?
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/04/10-ways-to-manage-the-migration-crisis
[email protected]
If you are interested to help the refuges.
What you can do and where to do it, or, how to start your own help group.
Clever lassie is Miriam Brett!
Mary
“The troll is flyposting his absurd ‘challenge’ to me on this thread now as well as twice on the previous thread. I think my posts reference Israel must have irritated him.”
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Not at all, Mary, I’m used to your anti-Israel stuff by now.
No, I was just wondering, since you have been so vociferous about the plight of the refugees, whether you would be prepared to help in a practical way by offering (only) one of them temporary house space chez vous.
In other words, I was just offering you a way of hepling in a practical and meaningful way as opposed to just bellowing away on the internet.
Craig is willing to do so, Phil (and perhaps others)do so, Mary, so what about you?
..there was plenty of evidence the British state was itself providing “extensive support” to the armed Syrian opposition.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/03/us-isis-syria-iraq
Thankfully I knew this 2 years ago..
A good example of satanic kempe disingenous logic, hot off the press.
“Has President Putin offered any thoughts on why they do not flee to the large areas of Syria still under the firm control of that most benevolent chappie called President Assad?”
There are approx 7.5m IDPs, most of whom are in Assad controlled territory and fed by the UN WFP operating under the assad governments protection. The 2.5m in Turkey,Jordan and Lebanon have simply crossed across, much easier if the UN is there too.
I just can’t get my head around, how quickly the right wing press, have changed their tune on refugees/immigrants.
Less than a week ago, their wasn’t the appetite to accommodate nevermind house those poor souls. Now the press can’t push the agenda enough for their liking, is it just down paper sales, or viewing figures or is their something more behind their agenda?
Or did the harrowing picture of the young child lying on the shore line stir up dormant compassion, in otherwise cynical hearts of stone.
Still photos do have a certain impact, that lets the viewer decide what could happen next such as Kevin Carter’s “The vulture and the child.” Which caused outrage throughout the developed world.
Mr Carter went on to commit suicide a short time later, due to criticism.
Whatever the reason for the right wing press, to take a sympathetic stance on the refugees plight, it must be seen as the right decision.
“Chris”
“Typical Habba load a shite.
The blame for this situation lies with the neo-cons and neo-con supporters like yourself. You should be the ones offering to put people up. Or even vacate your homes and give them up for the more worthy.”
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That’s what I mean, you see, Chris. Lots of vague bluster on the internet – to which you now add your voice (President Assad and ISIS are neocons, by the way? – but short on concrete, individual action.
Craig expresses readiness to help on a practical, individual level, Phil already does so (with the homeless), Why not those vociferous commenters who might be in a position to help?
I think my suggestion has embarrassed more than a few on here.
Republicofscotland
05/09/2015 4:27pm
“Or did the harrowing picture of the young child lying on the shore line stir up dormant compassion, in otherwise cynical hearts of stone.”
Don’t make me laugh.
Kind regards,
John
From the reactions (and the silence) of some of the Excellences on here I’m beginning to see why they prefer to post about eastern Ukraine, Gaza, the West Bank and so on – less risk of being asked embarrassing questions by the likes of me. 🙂
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RobG – any thoughts about that 5 bedroom house of yours?
” Lots of vague bluster on the internet ”
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Habb, don’t be so hard on yourself, occasionally you post the odd comment with substance, though not recently I might add, do keep striving, I’m sure one day you’ll surprise us all.
The charity of the ‘haves’ is encouraging altruism in the ‘have nots’. They are generous with their words.
A fervent wish what the Aylan Kurdi horror should really bring to fore, that ALL the 50k or so presstitutes,intelligence operatives,government and army appratchiks,etc who are privy to the falsehood and chicanery within the organs of power, would do a Warsi and resign saying they want to be able to see their faces in the mirror each morning. Fat chance, what comes to mind is the express pollard/pirro/geller woman, spinning that the Syrian cleric found Wembley must have been killed by assad who used to practice in the area as a dentist some thirty years ago, with the cattle around the table nodding in assent at a Beeb newspapers review. Sheer genetic evil.
Now that the UK govt is apparently willing to admit more refugees from Syria, I was just wondering whether those on here who are willing to send off petitions to the govt at the drop of a hat would not also consider getting in touch with the govt and/or their local council to signify their willingness to offer practical help to those refugees which are eventually allowed in?
John Spencer-Davis.
It sells papers.
It emotionally blackmails the public into giving.
Then again when a Petition has over 300,000 signatures the PR machine gets the government making tiny promises to get us off Cameron’s back.
Does it not?
Monteverdi, quite right to raise the issue of war-criminal Benjamin Netanyahu being arrested should he come to these shores. The latest information is that Cameron is going to increase security because of the planned protests. Parliament has not even debated the issue yet but, as with the other dictator Tony Blair and the Iraq War, Cameron has made his own decision.
We do not want this scum on our shores. They are polluted enough.