The wealthy right-winger Yvette Cooper has just been on television intoning Labour’s new mantra “It isn’t racist to be worried about immigration.” This should be challenged robustly at all times. Above all, it is very, very racist for politicians to go around saying “It isn’t racist to be worried about immigration” when they are using it nakedly and cynically to bid for the votes of racists.
I can never recall any by-election that got as much BBC publicity as that in Rochester, not even Hillhead or Warrington. The BBC and media establishment are continuing their massive promotion of UKIP at all times. The Labour Party is responding by pandering to racism. Yvette spoke of the “race to the bottom in the labour market”. The country’s real problem is the race to the bottom in the fascist market.
Promising 1.000 new uniformed border guards as their headline policy initiative is a pretty impressive spurt by Labour in this fascist race.
It shows how sour politics have gone when it takes the Confederation of British Industry to inject some sense from a liberal perspective into the immigration debate. Over 60% of CBI embers say that immigration has benefited their company. Only 3% believe it has hurt their company. Immigration is a tremendous boon to the British economy. Without it we would be deep in recession. Nor is it in the least responsible for the growing wealth gap. The period of highest immigration into the UK coincided with the period when social mobility and social equality were making the most progress.
That people still fall for the old con-trick astonishes me. Don’t blame Britain’s 100 billionaires, multi millionaire bankers or grasping landlords for your poverty – look! blame that foreign-looking poor man over there. He is eating a bit of cheese. He has taken that cheese from the mouths of your children!
It is primal and it is ludicrous, but the appeal to atavism can work and Labour are seeking to profit from it.
The Labour Party’s deliberate conflation of the unrelated questions of corporate, banker and executive rapacity, the exploitation of the workforce, and immigration is deeply, deeply, shameful. There was very little Yvette Cooper said that Nigel Farage would not second. But that, after all, was the purpose of the exercise.
“Over 60% of CBI embers say that immigration has benefited their company. Only 3% believe it has hurt their company. Immigration is a tremendous boon to the British economy.”
Well they would say that wouldn’t they. After all, mass immigration is about cheap labour, always was, always will be. In effect it is rigging the labour market to negate the pricing power of indigenous labour. The skills shortage argument doesn’t bear analysis either – it is the duty of the state to ensure that its population is sufficiently well educated and trained to ensure that the nation is largely self-sufficient in skilled labour.
I don’t object to immigration in limited numbers, nor to fill a temporary shortfall in skilled jobs, but there is no denying that it has become an all too easy policy to reach for to keep big business happy and to absolve politicians of their longer term obligations to the nation as leaders.
The problem has been that anybody who objects to mass immigration has been shouted down as racist without there having been any kind of grown up debate. Such suppression fuels resentment and feeds the UKIP beast.
I have no time for UKIP – far-right nationalists are the traditional reserve army of the corporate classes. They prefer the likes of the Kippers ot be using immigrants as the scapegoats for the nation’s ills rather than blaming the politicians, bankers and corporations that immiserate us as a matter of course.
So, is it racist to talk about immigration?
I think not, I think it is a matter of the wider debate about democracy and social justice.
So anyone who opposes mass immigration is a racist? So Blighty should just throw open its doors to anyone and everyone and anyone who disagrees can just sit in their pants, spewing their racist bile and prefereably STFU? Awesome – cool, great idea. If the CBI want it then who are we to quibble – they were totally right about the Euro and always work for the best interests of the workers so, yeah, i’ll go and call my mum a racist charlatan and tell her to get back in her box.
Definition of racism:
– the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.
– prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.
Based solely on the above, I’d agree with Yvette Cooper.
Tournesoi
“Based solely on the above and the fact I am not a Romanian, I agree with Yvette Cooper”
There, fixed that lack of sequitur in your argument for you.
If Ed Milliband doesn’t reform his party sufficiently to take good care of the have-nots, perhaps a Reformed Labour Party could be formed. Perhaps material from Craig’s blogs could be edited and published as a sourcebook for its ideology, on history, politics and economics.
“Confederation of British Infantry” ??
The manifest financial repression is masked through the age old trick; “barbarians/immigrants/asylum seekers” are at the gate. The shameful conduct of the media, and the corporate sponsored (fascist by the very definition) political class are besides themselves and in a hurry to cover up the reality and the extent of the repression at all costs.
The inflation figures released today are 1.3 percent! Whilst the house price rise is estimated at 12 percent, any thinking man, but there again among the dyscalculic plebeians how many can make the connection that inflation is running above twelve percent, whilst their savings (the money they never enjoyed the benefits of) is getting less in value and their work is rewarded with even lesser value?
Never mind the facts lets talk about immigration and those foreign bastards coming over here to take our; jobs, welfare, women, school places, hospitals, and make us all speak in tongues!
Whilst the reality is getting distorted by the official propaganda organs;
Don’t have nightmares – crime is down
Whilst in reality the crimes are not even getting recorded;
20% of all crime is not recorded by police
Meanwhile further attempts in inflaming the situation is to be found;
Two men banned from approaching girls
Clearly the age of consent no longer applying, the obviously Asian culprits are now being pursued through civil courts and made to pay the legal bills too.
When will there be a new law introduced to stone the foreign immigrant bastards in the town squares and make an example of them for the rest of the benefit claiming, rapist immigrants and asylum seekers swine that have swamped our sceptic isles!?
This is UK in the twenty first century, what will the future generation make of it all?
Forgive me for highlighting the semantics there.
Is the argument about immigration, IN THE ARTICLE ABOVE, based on race superiority/ inferiority? If so, kindly post any links available.
For the record, I am not Romanian but I am an immigrant. Never experienced any racism in this country, because I just don’t hang around UKIP voters.
Glenn UK
Thanks that’s a pretty hilarious auto-correct!
This country is similar to a mental asylum so all are welcome and cared for.
I do hear that entrance here not necessarily a guarantee that you can get out.,,,
Basically the Uk is the last stop and hear we should try and raise standards and well being for all, Craig’s right our knowledge here can be beneficial to all.
Absolutely, Craig, the point needs to be hammered home, hard, that being worried about immigration IS racist. And about the disgraceful role that the BBC is playing in promoting racism.
I was horrified, a few days ago, listening to BBC R4 Today programme, when they broadcast a report about a forthcoming visit by John Major to Berlin. The gist was that JM had to warn the EU (esp the Germans) that the UK couldn’t possibly remain in the EU because of open borders. The whole tone of the piece was that open borders were so outrageous, that this point was so obvious, and “we” needed to send someone with, supposedly, anti-racist credentials (such as JM) to explain this.
Now there are certainly things wrong with the EU, but open borders is not one of them. Horrifying the way the propaganda is turning a non-problem into a problem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irSvRoHbHiQ
Just because migrants are exploited as the reserve reserve army of liarbour doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make common cause. Other poor people aren’t my enemies, rich bastards are.
Domestic Extremist is spot on in everything he writes.
If mass immigration is such a benefit to CBI member companies, then perhaps those companies might be willing to countenance an increase in corporation tax to help pay for the extra infrastructure (NHS, housing, schools….) needed to cope with immigration?
I am looking forward with keen interest to see what the (usually) loquacious commenters (Mary, Republicofscotland, Donny, Peacewisher, Sofia, Tony_M……) have to say on this topic. Perhaps they will be taking a rain check.
@ Habba
What were the bank bailouts if that wasn’t the government assisting the corporations in advancing the socialist state.
BBC News analysis of Yvette Cooper’s immigration speech. Inc interview with James Brokenshire Immigration minister.
Posted by Gutenberg on November 18, 2014, 1:46 pm
Unsurprisingly, none of the hysteria, false narratives and disinformation regarding immigration are actually challenged and refuted by Beeb hack, Joanna Gosling. Instead, she approaches it from the angle that Cooper’s plans represent progress in the right direction. Perhaps she’s preoccupied with tax avoidance matters?
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/david-camerons-spin-doctor-craig-940272
Anyway, I digress. She did at least make the useful observation that Labour and Conservative immigration policies are almost indistinguishable.
Video here
◦Craig Murray take on this – jjboulas Today, 1:49
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2014/11/it-is-racist-to-be-worried-about-immigration/
Did you get my speaking invitation? RSVP!
If there are going to be restrictions placed on the open borders policy you can bet it won’t effect the rich, just the poor.
Every country is happy enough to see the poor, the unemployed, the unskilled and the under educated relocate on to someone elses patch.
My guess is it won’t happen. What will happen though is restrictions to accessing so called benefits will be introduced…but further down the line, to avoid accusations of racism, you understand, and backed up by some legal ruling or other on the matter, they will have to be extended to apply to everyone. So we get cuts and austerity, while the government of the day claim “‘it wasnae me, guv” and point the finger at the courts, shuman rites and bloody immigrants.
Wash, rinse, repeat…
The interests of businesses and those of the people do not always coincide. Your quoting CBI in support of your argument is a non-sequitur. Furthermore, even if UKIP attracted racists, it would not follow that they are a racist party. The nature of party politics is that we are lead to make the least bad choice from our individual perspectives, “racists” not excluded. In the absence of a “UK racist party”, the “racists” have to make do. UKIP is the least radical of the outlets that would appeal to a racist, so I doubt there are many actual racists there. UKIP’s appeal is wider than the immigration issue, they speak of returning powers to Parliament, referendums, etc – in other words making our society more democratic. Which makes them a more attractive proposition from my perspective – I would choose Farage over you, knowing how seriously you take yourself and how little you trust the man on the street.
I cannot say I am concerned about immigration. After all, just like you, I am one of the privileged ones in the sense that I have a good education and do not feel threatened by economic migrants (being one myself, sort of, helps I suppose). I am however concerned that I have absolutely no say over immigration or just about any other political issue whatsoever, whilst being fed non-sequiturs about immigration being “good for the country” and therefore somehow for me personally.
We got the immigration thing on doorsteps in the indyref (thanks, Labour). We pointed out that almost all immigration to Scotland is from England – y’know, *extremely* white people who know all the words to ‘Jerusalem’ (not the rugby club version).
Voters were usually fine after that, assured that no horrible darkies with prodigious sexual apparatus were coming to get them.
Maybe people should try living on these war-torn northern inner-city hell-holes, and see how they like it there, before declaring there is no immigration problem, and anyone saying so has to be racist.
Maybe from comfortable middle- to upper-class leafy suburbs, a mix of nationalities seems rather sweet. Less so when you find yourself in the minority in your own country, and get looked at with contempt, your daughters molested, and the police scared of enforcing the law lest they be charged with racism themselves.
A good proportion of immigrants do not want to integrate, and expect their customs and practices to be catered for. They want their language spoken in the NHS, their own schools, and so on.
Wake up, for gods sake. Its not the British who are the racists most of the time, but rather the people that have come piling over here.
The CBI loves the cheap labour to compete with the home market, and the generous taxpayer can make up the difference with benefits.
Spot on Craig.
PS The above was copied from Medialens.
btw Joanna Gosling of BBC News is married to Agent Cameron’s spin doctor, Craig Oliver.
When the racists here next need medical treatment from the NHS will they accept it from non British staff? During my ‘pathway’ this year, I have met with loving kindness from all nationalities under the sun. My GP who is second generation British Asian, sent me to hospital yesterday for emergency treatment for breathing problems. The houseman was Chinese, the registrar Greek and the two nurses Philippino and Irish. All super.
Ms Cooper, aka Mrs Balls, although wealthy according to Craig, takes donations from all and sundry including the Folletts.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/10131/yvette_cooper/normanton,_pontefract_and_castleford#register recent
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/regmem/?p=10131 historic
@ reluctant observer
The CBI loves the cheap labour to compete with the home market,
There’s only one market!
“It Is Racist To Be Worried About Immigration”
Not a fact Craig but an opinion.
Many people, who are fed an almost daily diet of xenophobic scare stories by the right-wing media are, understandably but mistakenly, worried about immigration.
Scare stories scare people; you know how it works.
But I take your point Craig that politicians are using this hyped xenophobia in the Rochester by-election, not to counter racism but to win votes (any votes) whether from racist or (not necessarily racist) “worried” voters.
From now until the GE all Westminster parties will be pandering to south east England, who feel they’ve suffered a deluge of immigration, those are the voters UKIP and the Tories covet, and now Labour who are as far right as anyone these days also covet that vote.
As for immigration itself I’m not against it, but I’m also not for opening the flood gates either.
O/T
The Survation survey for the Daily Record put support for the SNP for the coming general election at 45.8%, compared with 23.9% support for Labour.
The Conservatives were on 16.7% and Liberal Democrats 6.1%.
According to the poll, support for the SNP at Holyrood was 50% in the constituency vote and 40.6% in the regional vote, ahead of Labour at 23% and 20.3% respectively.
The SNP said they were the largest leads for the party in Westminster and Holyrood voting intentions that Survation has ever recorded.
SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson said: “This new opinion poll giving the SNP our biggest ever lead in a Survation poll for both Holyrood and Westminster elections is enormously encouraging.
It reflects all recent surveys in underlining the strength of the SNP vote, and is a further demonstration that Labour and the other Westminster parties are facing a major backlash in Scotland.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/u/new-poll-gives-snp-record-leads-in-westminster-and-holyrood-voting-intentions.1416313246
___________________________________________
The latest poll suggests the SNP are in a very good position.
I don’t agree with Craig, because without any restrictions, one of the most densely populated countries on the planet would be totally flooded. There is already massive cultural change across most urban areas in England, without the indigenous population having any say in the matter. However, I think most humans are pretty much the same irrespective or their origins.
Petras in this great piece gets to the root of what these problems are really about…and its the total psychos in control of us including the European Union …doing this…
“The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Multiplication of Western Walls”
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40251.htm
Extract
“The US has built its own massive ‘Security Wall’ along its Mexican border, incarcerating and even shooting refugees fleeing Washington’s militarization of Central America and Mexico. The US ‘Security’ Wall condemns millions of Mexicans and Central Americans to live in terror and misery in murderous US client narco-states. In the past seven years, over 100,000 Mexican civilians have been killed under the reign of US-backed Presidents, who were elected through fraud, as they relentlessly pursue the US mandated “War on Drugs”. Similar levels of killings ravage Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala where narco-gangs, with the backing of corrupt political, police and military officials, terrorize the cities and countryside. The death toll from US military interventions in Central America far exceeds those by the former-Soviet Union in Eastern Europe. The US border wall ensures that the survivors of this terror will remain exposed to the brutal rule of US-backed regimes.
At the same time, the civilized ‘European Union’ has erected its land and sea ‘Walls against refugees’ from Iraq, Syria, Libya, Lebanon and Palestine, fleeing NATO directed invasions and proxy wars in their countries. According to the UN Commission on Refugees, 13 million civilians have been displaced by US wars in Iraq and Syria. Many fleeing the war zones crash up against the European ‘legal walls’ – immigration restrictions, concentration or “internment” camps and prolonged detentions welcome their “flight to freedom”.
Chancellor Merkel chose not to mention these ‘civilized’ walls against people fleeing NATO’s ‘humanitarian interventions’. Nor have the Prime Ministers and Presidents of Europe or the US and its ‘ally’ Israel acknowledged the deaths and suffering…because these are their Walls, their own ‘barriers to freedom’.”
Meanwhile:
Outgoing First Minister has decided to donate his Holyrood pension to a trust that will help young people in Scotland, Mr Salmond will give his FM pension of £42.501 PA to help others.
A noble act indeed.
What Domestic Extremist said. There’s not going to be the very necessary debate if the pro-immigration parties are permitted to characterise all their opponents as racists and ipso facto beyond the pale. There are issues here that need addressing, not least mass vs controlled immigration, availability of basic services – already stretched thin and about to undergo further cuts – exploitation of labour, and the notion of nationhood. Which I think Craig supports as regards Scotland, at any rate. You can’t slither out of the debate by namecalling. Or, in the context of a liberal democracy, you shouldn’t.
Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)
18 Nov, 2014 – 2:22 pm
“If mass immigration is such a benefit to CBI member companies, then perhaps those companies might be willing to countenance an increase in corporation tax to help pay for the extra infrastructure (NHS, housing, schools….) needed to cope with immigration?”
What you’re calling for Habbabkuk is a planned economy [which I would support] but you are an ardent neo-lib free-market supporter.
So maybe your non-racist veil is slipping further?