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I is from the ghetto

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    I is from the ghetto

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4270010.stm

    The head of the Commission for Racial Equality Trevor Phillips is warning of increased segregation.
    But it should come as no surprise - it has been on the government's books since the riots of 2001.

    The most damning report into the disturbances, by Ted Cantle, a former council chief and expert in local communities, warned of communities living "parallel lives" and recommended wide-ranging changes to policy.

    The words chosen by Mr Phillips for his speech are more strident - but they amount to the same thing: People share space in Britain's towns and cities but do not know who each other are.

    The CRE chairman has already attacked what many increasingly regard as the heart of the problem, multiculturalism, a concept that few people agree on.

    'Enclaves growing'

    So what is the evidence? Last month the Royal Geographical Society published a study that suggested ethnic "enclaves" are growing in the UK's cities.

    In 16 major cities, including London, Manchester and Bradford, they found groups isolated by ethnicity. Some of the widest separation occurred with people of Pakistani or Bangladeshi backgrounds, some of the poorest groups in society.

    In short, government policy needs to be much more sophisticated in how it stops this kind of seemingly permanent division, argued the paper.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4269988.stm

    British society is "sleepwalking" its way into racial segregation, according to the UK's race equality chief.
    Trevor Phillips, head of the Commission for Racial Equality, is to give a speech warning some areas of the UK are turning into "fully-fledged ghettos".

    He warns of divisions similar to those seen in hurricane-hit New Orleans.

    But a member of the Liberal Democrats' Muslim Forum, Mohammed Shafiq, said multi-culturalism was a success and called for Mr Phillips to resign.



    So is the New Lies much lauded Multiculturalism just creating a segregated society? What should be done? Is it all bollox?

    Discuss and/or abuse etc.

    #2
    I live in a "multicultural area" and I think that yes there is segregation taking place, but my opinion is that it's fairly normal and people like Trvor Phillips have got completely unrealistic expectations if he truly believes that people will mix and mingle freely without any aggro.

    Actually I don't think he really thinks that - he's just after easy alarming soundbites to keep him in the job. After all, the more problems there are, the higher his profile, innit.

    Put 4 or 5 different main cultures together, as in Stratford, and you'll find people naturally mix with their own. To start with anyway. As time goes by, you do have interactions with other groups, but they come slowly (initially it's only when you have to, like when you go shopping, or you go to town hall meetings, or whatever) and it takes a while to understand and appreciate different lifestyles and cultures. Some part of other cultures will never be shared - i.e. you can't ask a Pole to go to a mosque.
    Chico, what time is it?

    Comment


      #3
      I hope this doesnt come across as racist.

      The segregation is usualy started because these people all choose to live together in their own little community. They have a tendency to try and create a small piece of the homeland wherever they live. Once these ghettos have developed it is very difficult to get away from.
      They are usualy started by a number of families pooling resources as they can not afford to go it alone. The wealthier and usualy better educated tend not to live in these communities so you end up with a ghetto of poor and ill educated people. Even if they are succesful they struggle to move on as the only people looking for property in those areas are the poor from the same community thus perpetuating the situation.

      Funny though isnt it. Most cities are proud to have a China Town but nobody wants a "Little India".

      The problem for me is that these people left their country because it was tulip or the new one was better. They then want to make the new one like the old one. They always seem to struggle to culturaly fit in and require the host nation to accomodate them.

      I do feel that the host nation should not have to make the effort, the migrant should. If local law forbids something you do then dont do it or dont live there.
      I am not qualified to give the above advice!

      The original point and click interface by
      Smith and Wesson.

      Step back, have a think and adjust my own own attitude from time to time

      Comment


        #4
        Edukashin educatun, edification

        I've not seen the text of his speech (and why bother giving the ******* speech if you've already distributed it?), but it was mentioned on the radio this a.m. that one of the policies that has to be addressed is education.
        It cannot be permissible for any state-funded school, or for any private school or for any faith-based school to teach in any language other than English. (Yes, yes, obviously foreign languages are excluded).
        Rightly or wrongly, if you can't speak the local language, you're not going to integrate.
        Why not?

        Comment


          #5
          "Rightly or wrongly, if you can't speak the local language, you're not going to integrate."

          On the beeb this morning they 'spoke' to a guy running his own shop who could barely speak English. Presumably he thought the nice white person was from the VAT or immigration. Next they spoke to a guy whoose wife had been here for 10 years but couldn't speak the language and who had never been to school. But everything was ok because he and their kids helpd her communicate.
          Rule Number 1 - Assuming that you have a valid contract in place always try to get your poo onto your timesheet, provided that the timesheet is valid for your current contract and covers the period of time that you are billing for.

          I preferred version 1!

          Comment


            #6
            How is this any different from UK expat "ghettos" that cannot speak the language (be it French, Greek, Spanish, etc).

            Isn't the answer to raise taxes? Seems to work for all other social problems. Put a levy on being white. The money raised should go towards educating these ghettos. Teach them english, how to moan, queue ettiquette, failing at sport studies.

            Comment


              #7
              "How is this any different from UK expat "ghettos" that cannot speak the language (be it French, Greek, Spanish, etc)."

              Totally agree. but 2 wrongs do not make a right. Say for the woman who had lived here for 10 years who could not speak english and who had never been to school. Is it our countries job to teach her, at our epense?
              Rule Number 1 - Assuming that you have a valid contract in place always try to get your poo onto your timesheet, provided that the timesheet is valid for your current contract and covers the period of time that you are billing for.

              I preferred version 1!

              Comment


                #8
                Most of the Brit expats do not insist that the local authority publishes documents in english! Most expat Brits do not insist on changing the culture of their chosen residence to suit them.

                There have been any number of examples in the UK.
                How many languages does the DSS publish in?
                Remember seikhs insisting on being allowed to wear a turban and no crash hat on motorbikes, or arrying their little daggers in defiance of the law on carrying knives?
                What about the schoolgirl insisting on being alowed to wear a head scarf in class even though it may be hazardous in some situations.
                Some religions say meat must be slaughtered in a way that is regarded as cruel in the UK but we have to turn a blind eye in the name of multi culturalism.
                How about the Muslim who says that certain festivals (particularly jewish ones) are offensive to Muslims.

                It is up to the migrant to find a way to fit in, it is not up to the community to change their ways to accomodate the incomer unless they wish to do so.

                If the migrant doesnt like it then they should excercise the freedoms we give them and bugger off somewhere they do like!
                I am not qualified to give the above advice!

                The original point and click interface by
                Smith and Wesson.

                Step back, have a think and adjust my own own attitude from time to time

                Comment


                  #9
                  But wouldn't saying "no" to other ethnic minorities be racist?

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Ahh threadeds third law of bureaucracies

                    The Lone Gunman: In Denmark the stuff from the Kommune (local council) only comes in Danish, or is that only just...

                    I relate an amusing story: I had a letter from the Kommune that I found rather baffling, so I had a Dane at work look at it, baffled them so much they gave up trying to read it half way through. Then had one of the translators look at it, they could translate it, but what it meant? Hmm. Then had a Vicar friend look at it, expert in a variety of Latins and Greek also in Danish language going back hundreds of years, they hazzarded a guess but weren't too confident. Finally gave it to my lawyer who proceeded to phone the kommune, got through to the lady that wrote the letter, asked them what it meant, and then told me her reply.

                    Anyways, a few days later, I was chatting with one of my neighbours, and they had had the same letter. Confused by it, they too had phoned this same letter writing lady from the council.

                    Turned out she had told them something quite different from what she had told my lawyer.

                    Ho hum.

                    threadeds third law of bureaucracies: They lie, because telling the truth is helpful.
                    Insanity: repeating the same actions, but expecting different results.
                    threadeds website, and here's my blog.

                    Comment

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