With A Lot Of Hesitancy

[poliphilo]

My sympathies are with the migrants. They're enterprising and brave.

My sympathies are also with the French. Why should they bust a gut to protect our borders?

Beyond that...

I do rather think the migrants are chasing after castles in the air. I'm flattered they think Britain is such a totally wonderful place to live but...

Channel 4 had a piece a few days back about migrants who had returned to their countries of origin. Apparently  northern Somalia is absolutely the place to be right now. They're rebuilding after the war and crying out for people. One chap had gone from being an estate agent in London to a camel herder on the edge of the desert. "This is paradise," he said. "No council tax. no bills..."

But look, this is the world as it's going to be. It's borders are porous and increasingly indefensible. As always the political instinct is to try and keep things the way they were by sticking fingers in dykes;  and as always it's an unequal fight. Sea v little Dutch boy- which are you going to back?

There's talk about deploying British soldiers to Calais. Oh brilliant! Is that really how we want to live?

Comments

[matrixmann]

One thing they all should do is let the Chinese do their projects in Africa that they do and not try to sabotage just because it's so-called fucking "communist" China which only brings evil to the world.
Not to mention, the destruction is produced by somebody else (*twinkle, twinkle) - when China decides on a project with locals, at least this project is going to be done and not abandoned after half of it because they ran out of money or because politically it doesn't stuit anymore, first they need to get a government down.
That's the only way you can help Africa - build factories there and get sure you can find profitable work there. Who's got something to lose won't probably make a headless decision to try to get to Europe just only to get a few bugs more.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't think China practises any kind of communism Marx would have recognised. More like an uneasy melange of capitalism and totalitarianism- not so very different, I suppose, from the old Imperial system.

But, yes, if they want to build factories in Africa I'm all for it.

[matrixmann]

How much it still is communism in fact and how much they have already bent towards capitalism and the money the acquired through playing the game, I won't vouch for it.
Something that is true but in fact is they do handle the subject of economy differently.
In Western states, the only long-time projects that exist are how to dismantle the benefits system and how to sell out the state to all kinds of powers - the Chinese indeed in contrast are capable to create plans for a 10-years-long period or longer and in practice they deliver in the estimated time without any buts to the subject.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Wherever Nirvana may be, it certainly isn't here in Cameron's Britain!

There's an element of the grass always being greener in all this- the reality must come as an awful shock.

British soldiers? What British soldiers? The Sun was talking about sending the Gurkhas and the racism involved in that piece of reportage just has me reaching for the brain bleach!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's right. There was some Tory backbencher frothing on Parliament Green about sending in the ghurkas.

They do't like it up 'em, Mr Mainwaring...

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Although why on earth anyone feels they've done anything to require it being placed up 'em is beyond me..........

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Whenever anyone talks about sending in the military I scent fascism...

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

You'n'me both.

[glitzfrau.livejournal.com]

There was a very useful article in the Guardian pointing out that it is only a tiny number of the total population of migrants coming to Europe actually trying to get the the UK. Most are happy to stay in Greece or Italy or France or anywhere that's not being bombed by ISIS and Assad in swift rotation - but Cameron and the Fail don't give a toss about the unimaginable conditions on Lampedusa and Lesbos, just about the plight of poor British holidaymakers. Those migrants who are trying to come here may well have a good reason to do so (family connections, language etc). The truly nuts thing is that there is absolutely no legal way to come here - none.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I understand there are about 2000 people camping out in Calais. A tiny number- and far fewer than other European countries have been taking in.

This isn't really about practicalities; it's about creating political drama- about Mr Cameron playing at being Churchillian and all that- and, of course, appeasing the frightened right.

[glitzfrau.livejournal.com]

You are entirely right.

[artkouros.livejournal.com]

I thought everyone in England was an immigrant.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Good point. And largely true.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Yes, indeed. Though why nobody points out that Spain and the rest of us southerners are deaing with this on a continuing and daily basis and that we, as economically depressed countries with over 20% jobless rates have nothing to offer when we can't even offer our own social support as before...it is a problem of many, not just one of a few.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The problem with media is they can only really handle one big story at a time. Now that they're fixating on Calais everything else- including ISIL and Greece are off the agenda. I'm aware there are economic problems in Spain and Italy, but I'm not getting that information from the British media.