First off, to Galt, I think it shows a shocking level of naivety and inexperience if you think that ethnic areas of major cities "staffed by ethnic workers" is a unique thing. I can find streets like that in my local provincial town.
I don't think far-right groups in the UK "find sympathy" of any "magnitude". They are allowed to exist, they are represented in the media (not altogether unfairly and dismissively, according to principles of good journalism), and they are allowed to have a platform, yes. But this is because European democracy is much wider and more varied than American democracy; our politics runs the whole spectral gamut from far-right to far-left, and all has a healthy following. In America you're all centrist and you end up queefing over a dude's smile after a press conference, or something. Even though far-right groups are a necessary evil, I'd say our political scene is much more 'healthy', much more thriving, and much more democratic, really. There is a party for everyone. The fact that certain parties of right/left persuasion find a platform and are represented in part of the media's lionshare is no bad thing, necessarily. It's better than having two parties and you have to eat shit and be disenfranchised if you feel any other way. In Europe, 'communist', 'leftist', 'progressivist', 'liberal', and even 'fascist' have not been turned into instant pejoratives (though I admit you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone nowadays credibly talking about fascism). In America, these terms are insta-ejected from speakers' mouths as a form of political retort and dismissal. Is this a healthy politics? I'd rather keep around our bonk-eyed BNP members with their tiny rallies (which gain far more media attention than any real political energy). I'd say it's the same in France's far-right (with the odious Le Pen dynasty), the same in Scandinavia (look at their response to Breivik; total pluralism and encouragement of inclusivity; shutting out of right-wing rhetoric, etc). Yes, in Europe right-wing movements still exist; we tolerate them. During economic recession and times of political disillusionment with mainstream politics, they may even grow. I can't actually say it's altogether a bad thing. I think it reflects a healthy democracy. Better than having only two parties to choose from, both of whom are bought out by big corps and lobby groups. No?
Similarly I would say banana-throwing incidents and football racism is more in the province of Eastern-Europe / ex-Soviet bloc. In terms of Europe's cultural make-up, this really is a separate bloc; the ex-Soviet states and former Iron Curtain countries have a distinctly different culture and outlook. Although skin colour isn't any different, the culture really is like comparing the US to Mexico, in that regard. Their economics are often not far behind the Mexico comparison, either. However, complaints about Eastern European integration and migration to Western Europe are very often over-stated. We do not have huge political debates and news-stories like you do in the US about Mexico and the Latin invasion. Even though the acceptance to the EU of several Eastern states saw absolutely massive influxes of new migrants, it still never became a major political point of election-debate. The same goes towards your talk of Islamophobia: the same socio-economic groups in every country tend to use Poles/Islamics as their scapegoat: the blue-working class (and often, now, unemployed). I think this is a universal tendency - the turn towards far-right politics and xenophobia during economic hard-times. You get it in Japan, Australia, the US, Europe... everywhere. American's are not exempt from complaining about immigrants "taking our jobs", either, and that is essentially the crux of all complaints about Poles and Muslims (with Muslims modified to a "they claim our benefits!" type complaint).
In general I would also say that institutional racism is far worse than the xenophobia or small-mindedness of the European working-class. Institutional racism is the stuff that does real harm to people and really hampers their lives - not some white-van driver picking up a tabloid and spitting some bile about Polish plumbers. Look at your schools, your colleges, your prisons, your professions. I think Europe does a much better job on that front.
Last edited by aynrandroolz (2012-09-19 12:06:43)
