Is Britain A Racist Country?

Reasonably serious discussion
17

It is not just White Caucasians who can be racist.

Equally I have seen countless examples of how “political correctness” can be subverted or misunderstood so that people do not seek to understand actual cultural differences.

While you defend against racism, ask yourselves as an example how many people you expressed Eid greetings to this past few days

Huge swathes of the UK have cultural misunderstandings or a lack of respect for others and true integration has not occured. One example would be Arabic street signs in the Brick Lane area of London,.

Fwiw some of the most racist people I have met on my travels are Indians.

Yes some culture has been absorbed by UK, your Curry & Kebab houses but I would bet everyone one of us has been in one with piss ed up people late at night making quips about the server over the years.

Chilcot himself said you didn’t understand Iraq. Without understanding you can offend.

The arrogance of Drunken stag weekend Brit mean nations like Poland hate us. We hate the French (well mainly the arrogant types that live in Paris). We hate the Germans putting their towels on the sun loungers by the pool,at 5am when we,are on vacation.

You lot are,all saying you want an English manager to run the shower of shit National football team. Ffs look at your reaction to the Welsh team, or Aussie at cricket…

Arrogance, lack of cultural understanding, xenophobia, all provide a fertile breeding ground.

So sorry, yes the UK & every Nation on earth has ism issues.

It’s the degree you can debate, not it’s existence.

Imho your corrupt self serving politicians are to blame. If you do not respect authority why does anyone care when your leaders are only interested in themselves.

Rant over

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18

As Fowllyd says, it’s essentially people that are racist, not countries; however, countries can enact policies and laws that, hopefully, help to eliminate racism entirely or, at the very least, eradicate its overt form.

During the course of my lifetime, Britain, like other countries, has enacted such policies and laws with positive results. For example, I recall watching my 18 year-old mixed-race friend playing football in the Hampshire League, back in the 70s, where he was regularly referred to as a ‘dirty fucking n*****’ with barely anyone batting a bloody eyelid.

Overt racism such as this is much, much less common these days. I like to think this is because people living in 2016 multi-ethnic Britain no longer see race as an issue – and, in the main, I believe this to be the case – however, I’m realistic enough to acknowledge that covert racism still exists.

How much it exists, and how much it exists in Britain compared to other countries, I’m not really qualified to answer, not least because I’ve only ever lived in this country; however, having visited quite a few different countries over my lifetime, I sense that we’re far from being the worse with regards to racism.

I’m loathe to link this discussion with the Brexit fallout – goodness knows that’s being done to death elsewhere – but, very sadly, the result of the referendum appears to have emboldened some racists to display their racism overtly. I believe it is important to acknowledge that these people would still have been racists regardless of the referendum result, and that it is even more important that whoever is now in charge of this country comes down extremely hard on these racists.

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19

Here in Carlisle, like in Southampton there is a huge Polish community that are coming under a huge amount of abuse from local idiots, Polish people that have lived in the city for generations, and longer than some of the youth and older generations that are dishing out the abuse. But some of it is just pure hate ‘Go back home’, ‘when are you leaving, we voted you out of our country’… pure hate, for no reason!

Xenophobia is the main issue, which in turn breeds ignorance. There are people that will say things up here about all races and think it is ok to turn around and say, I am only joking mate, or the line that sends shivers down my spin ‘I have coloured friends’ and think this makes it alright, even though they are not using black, the correct term. The same group of people, tht hesitate before saying ‘black’ like they think it is wrong to say.

Our family have always talked about race and do not avoid the issue, so that are children are very tuned in when it comes to this. The eldest is the only one who understands to a high level and knows what is right and wrong. We cover pretty much all discrimination and they are all fully aware of the fact that we will not stand for it. All you can do is hope that they get their small part of the education they have been given and spread it among their group of friends.

Every country has it’s race issues, and in an area that seemed to be improving over the last decade, even if slowly seems to be going backward recently. I am hoping it is just a blip and we can continue with our battle against the ignorance that is very much still out there.

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20

Originally posted by @Halo-Stickman

I’m loathe to link this discussion with the Brexit fallout – goodness knows that’s being done to death elsewhere – but, very sadly, the result of the referendum appears to have emboldened some racists to display their racism overtly. I believe it is important to acknowledge that these people would still have been racists regardless of the referendum result, and that it is even more important that whoever is now in charge of this country comes down extremely hard on these racists.

Excellent post in general, Halo. Don’t disagree with it, but wanted to explore this bit further. Diane Abbott was tweeting something about Brexit empowering racists. I don’t really disagree with that - there are enough reports to suggest that it is happening.

Ultimately though, I wonder whether we might be better off for knowing. It’s always something of a sad day when you see one of your Facebook friends turn out to be a racist twat, but you always feel better off for knowing. It is fucking unpleasant, especially for anyone that has to deal with it, but it can be recognised and dealt with.

I’m optimistic. All you need to do is take a look at any of these “white man” marches. Not only do they arrive in pitiful numbers, but the vast majority are in some kind of disguise that’ll prevent them from being easily identified. Why? Because they know that there is inherent shame in their position. They don’t want their racism tied to their real lives.

The vast majority of those that oppose them are white folk in the open.

When you compare the two sides, the numbers, and the methods each has to employ, you get an idea of the size of racism in this country. It’s there, but it is hugely opposed by the majority.

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21

I’d tend to agree with that as my 3 kids cannot fathom racism or xenophobia. They have wide ranging friendships. My eldests best mate is back and Welsh, my middle kid’s best friends are Polish, Indian and German and my yongest just likes everyone.

Working in a FE college it’s fair to say that the vast, vast, vast majority of young people care not one fuck about colour, creed, race, religion or sexuality.

I’d like to think I have a similar outlook but seeing the Roma begging boils my piss.

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22

I honestly think that Social Science should be taught in schools. I did the Open University degree in 2006-2010, and not only found the course really interesting, but it also iliminated the majority of my ignorance aross the board with discrimination, gender equality, race, sexual preferences, disabled, and class among all other issues. I found it easy to study and it opened my eyes to a lot of things. How are children supposed to learn about these kind of things if they are relying on family and friends that are learning from their family. Such families that may alreay have ignorant people in them!

I have not tended to shout my views from my soap box in the past, one, because I am pretty useless at putting things into words, I just cannot get my point across in writing, but can when speaking, even if I do it in long winded wibbling way, (see)! And two I do not really want to ram my views down peoples throats, as I do not like it being done to me.

But recently I have thought that people need to know how I feel and not just people at the meetings and talks I go to in Lancaster and Carlisle, as I think it is now a huge part of me. I am a socalist and a fully paid up subscriber to many publications. I do a lot of work locally, with promoting girls and woman’s football in the local area, also sponsoring through my business of full kits for 3 football teams in the area. I help set up trial sessions for girls and give talks to clubs in the local area on the issues. This is one of my main areas, as you would have noticed from some of my posts on this forum.

Now with recent events I am getting more involved in race issues in the local area, which is a slightly more challenging issue, because you cannot walk into racist clubs and give a talk, but it is more about giving talks to people that are ignorant to the facts (schools, colleges, youth zones), it is much tougher. I do not for one minute I am going to change the mind of a 60/70 year old racist! It is all about the smal things, I now wear a t-shirt with ‘Unite Against Racism’ on it and the wrist bands again, yes a very small thing, but I think it is about time people know how stong I feel about such issues.

Small steps… so frustrating at times!

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23

Actually, Pap, I had intended to say something along the lines of the sentence I’ve highlighted in your post; so, yes, I agree with all that you’ve said above.

Like you, I’m optimistic that the majority in this country are essentially decent people who will never allow Britain to return to racism of former times.

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24

I moved from Croydon - quite shitty but multicultural - to Halifax. It was an eye opening experience. My primary memory is how every ‘ordinary’ white guy I encountered - mechanic, football fan, tradies in general, assumed I was racist (I should declare my whiteness) and launched into the ‘Paki’ this and that chunter. Professional classes largely kept a lid on it, but I found it to be a divided town with clear racial segregation and associated tensions. I think this applies to a lot of places around there and oop north.

It was a relief to go to the bigger centres and encounter ‘normal’ asian people, but the I felt the racial tension was under the surface all the time.

So that was more than 10 years ago and there were plenty of riots in the area at the time, and since no doubt. The embedded antipathy was so palpable to me as an outsider, it comes as no surprise that the voting patterns in that area can largely be seen as plain old racism. On the positive side, the stout racist burghers of the area can rest assured that they are not being overrun by foreigners opening corner shops as otherwise the vote would have gone the other way.

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25

There are clearly racists elements, yes. You only have to read internet forums to see that. Sadly there are racists everywhere, but hopefully less and less as the younger generations come thjrough with a more liberal approach to the world.

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26

I think rascism seems to be more prevalent today, as it gets bundled in with xenophobia and ‘national pride’ by the media, and to a greater extent social media. It doesn’t help that there also seems to be some confusion as to what racism actually is, and as a term I feel it is getting bandied around far too liberally these days. I’d like to think there is less racism in this country, as I don’t tend to see much going on around me, but I think that may be overly optimistic. It would be nice to think that the human race can evolve past racism, xenophobia, territorialism etc, but I can’t see it happening in my lifetime. Now I’m depressed :lou_facepalm_2:

Edit: When I say less racism in this country, I mean compared to what I witnessed growing up in the 80’s and 90’s

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27

Of course not, we have racists but less than everywhere else, supposed far right parties are laughed and seen as clowns whilst our European cousins have established far right political parties.
In Asia there is still dowry, religious intolerance and a backward view to womens rights.
The middle East is 500 years behind on many things and the US well the US where do you start?
Australia has huge issues from old systems and now the new ones of immigration and they actively sink refugee boats.
New Zealand has a pretty good record of human rights but they have quite right leaning parties as well.

We aren’t the worst in fact for tolerance and acceptance we are one of the best.

Judge a Country not on the village idiot but the laws in place and whether the people respect them, most here do respect the laws.

We’re ok and better than most, in fact name me 3 more tolerant Nations on the planet?

28

Looks like we’re joint 16th with Burkina Faso :lou_smiley:

29

Some people undeniably are (Barry for one), but then a lot of the Brexiters aren’t (Pap for instance).

30

I’d like to think we can set the bar a bit higher than ‘tolerance’.

31

Oh Cherts you are a one, a right little whopper.

32

Originally posted by @Barry-Sanchez

Oh Cherts you are a one, a right little whopper.

Come up with your own insult, jeez.

33

Ok then Cherts is a moose lover and we hope he doesn’t threaten us again with his Candian passport and moving, it shook the UK to its foundations and I hear Tusk, Juncker and Merkel are trying to sort something out for you, hold on be strong my child.

34

:lou_lol:

God your bantz is good. I can see that’s why your missus is with you

:lou_facepalm_2:

35

You have good eyes if you can see that far.

36

I reckon Cherts is Bazist, and Baz is Chertsist.

It’s a vicious circle.