Is Racism Getting worse in the UK

[Hacker Khan]

Unfortunately I think we live in a society where I won't claim racism is encouraged, but if you read some top selling papers and listen to some pretty mainstream politicians you can detect at the very least the undercurrent of intolerance and blaming of people from different cultures for societies woes. Everyone just seems so angry and looking for someone to blame. And that's not even including the more extreme press and politics that we have always had. Yes there is a jump between that and straight out racism, but in that culture I would argue it legitimises some of those views of people holding more extreme racist views, and they may feel that society is more open to listening to their rhetoric.

Also, just as most football fans seem to want to prove how much they love their team by the level of hatred towards their rivals, some in society seem to be moving more towards proving how much they love the UK by hating on foreigners. Where as it is perfectly possibly to love the UK and also be very tolerant of other cultures. I think social media has played its part as it is very easy to connect with people with similar views now and spread your message, good and bad.

But I think all is not lost, there is lots of good work going on in schools (sadly some times fighting a losing battle against what the kids hear at home but there you go) and some kids are growing up where race and indeed sexuality means little. But we still have a long way to go.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

You can't have this conversation without talking about Brexit. What Farage, Johnson, Robinson, etc are doing is enabling people that were keeping their backward opinions to themselves, to spout them publicly.

Whether racism is on the rise or whether it's now just being highlighted far more than it was 5 years ago, is a good question.

And things have changed massively in a short space of time. I watch old episodes of The Bill on TV, and at the moment they're up to about 2002. Some of the 'banter' that is had on there about gay blokes would potentially result in dismissal these days, but even just 17 years ago it was all laughed about.

You can add in old Casualty, Londons Burning etc and the intolerance and unacceptable behaviour in all the emergency services was rife as I'm sure it was in other walks of life. It has definitely improved in terms of the protection employees can get in work now and and report of racism or bullying is taken very seriously and investigated extensively. However does that really change what a person may say in the work place and what their real underlying feelings are? I think there is an increase in intolerance, race/culturally based but also people seeking to be offended at every level (snowflake) and looking for issues where frankly they don't exist. How that changes now the genie is out of the bottle I don't know and I don't know what society does as a whole to continue to eradicate racism

 

[Hacker Khan]

You can add in old Casualty, Londons Burning etc and the intolerance and unacceptable behaviour in all the emergency services was rife as I'm sure it was in other walks of life. It has definitely improved in terms of the protection employees can get in work now and and report of racism or bullying is taken very seriously and investigated extensively. However does that really change what a person may say in the work place and what their real underlying feelings are? I think there is an increase in intolerance, race/culturally based but also people seeking to be offended at every level (snowflake) and looking for issues where frankly they don't exist. How that changes now the genie is out of the bottle I don't know and I don't know what society does as a whole to continue to eradicate racism

Trouble is that that is all relative. Yes some people do look to be offended, but 2 decades ago people who objected to the language used in Casualty, The Bill etc may well have been called whatever the version of snowflake was back then. Where as nowadays their views held back then are relatively mainstream and accepted. So are some snowflakes in fact just early adopters of what will become mainstream views?

 

[Doon frae Troon]

And you don't think the SNP have also contributed?

Of course not, we are talking of racism here.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Of course not, we are talking of racism here.

But the SNP talk of serperatism, them and us, and other words and terms that all feed the undercurrent of alienation.
Your anti English/Westminster rhetoric helps feed the justification of many to use rascist language against others not of the same skin tone, religion and the like.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

But the SNP talk of serperatism, them and us, and other words and terms that all feed the undercurrent of alienation.
Your anti English/Westminster rhetoric helps feed the justification of many to use rascist language against others not of the same skin tone, religion and the like.

Where as 'your' politicians do this.

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nick-griffins-anti-immigration-black-men-kilts-tweet-backfires-1494972

BTW is England and Wales wanting to leave the EU not seperatism and your anti EU rhetoric feed etc etc.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Where as 'your' English politicians do this.

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nick-griffins-anti-immigration-black-men-kilts-tweet-backfires-1494972

No one on here is defending muppet English politicians, Nick Griffin is long discredited and not an MP to be accurate here, he is just an unpleasant and discredited wind bag, but the anti English rhetoric of the SNP is tiring and does not help. It is a default approach and the language used is poor. They need to look at themselves and think before speaking more often.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Where as 'your' politicians do this.

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/nick-griffins-anti-immigration-black-men-kilts-tweet-backfires-1494972

BTW is England and Wales wanting to leave the EU not seperatism and your anti EU rhetoric feed etc etc.

Do you not think that your indie referendum carries some blame for the current situation?
Btw, I'm not defending those idots and bigots you highlight.

 

[patricks148]

But the SNP talk of serperatism, them and us, and other words and terms that all feed the undercurrent of alienation.
Your anti English/Westminster rhetoric helps feed the justification of many to use rascist language against others not of the same skin tone, religion and the like.

i don't think England gets why Scotland is the way it is maybe, if they were ruled by governments they didn't vote for, had laws foisted on them that made the county poorer.

maybe then they would understand

 

[Bunkermagnet]

i don't think England gets why Scotland is the way it is maybe, if they were ruled by governments they didn't vote for, had laws foisted on them that made the county poorer.

maybe then they would understand

We are a United Kingdom, are we not?

I didn't really hear many English complaining about Scottish or Welsh MP's having a say over things affecting us before the first indie referendum, but now I do.

 

[Crazyface]

We are a United Kingdom, are we not?

I didn't really hear many English complaining about Scottish or Welsh MP's having a say over things affecting us before the first indie referendum, but now I do.

All the time. The English are crazy. Lets give the other countries a Parliament but not have one ourselves.

Yes I realise I leave myself wide open here. But it's true.

 

[patricks148]

We are a United Kingdom, are we not?

I didn't really hear many English complaining about Scottish or Welsh MP's having a say over things affecting us before the first indie referendum, but now I do.

comparing a couple of years to 400, yep you are really hard done by

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Do you not think that your indie referendum carries some blame for the current situation?
Btw, I'm not defending those idots and bigots you highlight.

No

May's government is currently being treated by the EU in the same way that Scotland is being treated by the UK government but they fail to see any difference.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

comparing a couple of years to 400, yep you are really hard done by

Step 1, let go of history
Step 2, let go of history
Step 3.................
Step 4, get on with your lives in the present, it really is better for your health

 

[Doon frae Troon]

All the time. The English are crazy. Lets give the other countries a Parliament but not have one ourselves.

Yes I realise I leave myself wide open here. But it's true.

Totally agree with you.
Adapting Westminster to work as an 'English' Parliament was a totally idiotic thing to do.
It basically means no MP from NI, Wales and Scotland could ever become PM or be appointed to any of the four main ministerial posts.

 

[patricks148]

Step 1, let go of history
Step 2, let go of history
Step 3.................
Step 4, get on with your lives in the present, it really is better for your health

but by saying that, you are just confirming you don't get it

 

[Lord Tyrion]

but by saying that, you are just confirming you don't get it

Or you are just not willing to let it go. Keep living in the past or move on?

I'm a big fan of not harbouring deep seated grudges going back generations, to before I was born, to before I was even a twinkle. Not a lot of good happens when people keep hanging on to the deep and distant past. Look forward, not back (I may or may not have pinched that from a mug )

 

[patricks148]

Or you are just not willing to let it go. Keep living in the past or move on?

I'm a big fan of not harbouring deep seated grudges going back generations, to before I was born, to before I was even a twinkle. Not a lot of good happens when people keep hanging on to the deep and distant past. Look forward, not back (I may or may not have pinched that from a mug )

you don't have to look that far back, late 70 and 80 of MT not to mention the wealth and prosperity all down south.

its all very easy to say forget it its all in the past, live to the future... easier said than done.


SNP where a very small fringe party some 20 years ago, what does that tell you?

 

[bluewolf]

SNP where a very small fringe party some 20 years ago, what does that tell you?

That the old adage about fooling all the people all the time is wrong?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

you don't have to look that far back, late 70 and 80 of MT not to mention the wealth and prosperity all down south.

its all very easy to say forget it its all in the past, live to the future... easier said than done.


SNP where a very small fringe party some 20 years ago, what does that tell you?

The wealth and prosperity of the south of England stands out against the north of England, the Midlands as well as Wales and Scotland. The south, or more accurately the SE of England is the engine room of the UK. It gets disproportionate amounts of money but it also creates a great deal. Scotland is not alone in feeling left out of wealth creation.

With regards to the SNP, they have been very smart and their narrow focus, Scotland and nowhere else, means they can target voters far more clearly. Labour and the Cons were too late in recognising the danger of the SNP, also late in devolving themselves from their London bases. They are also hamstrung in that they have to please people in all parts of the country and that means money being spent in Cardiff rather than Ayr, Norwich rather than Dundee (I'm making up these examples by the way) whereas the SNP only have to talk about spending choices within Scotland. The bogeyman is always going to be Westminster, it is an easy and lazy target but the SNP have hit it well and relentlessly. In effect they have played the political game very well.