Posted on 12/09/2006 12:29:11 AM PST by ScaniaBoy
Tony Blair formally declared Britain's multicultural experiment over yesterday as he told immigrants they had ''a duty" to integrate with the mainstream of society.
In a speech that overturned more than three decades of Labour support for the idea, he set out a series of requirements that were now expected from ethnic minority groups if they wished to call themselves British.
These included "equality of respect" - especially better treatment of women by Muslim men - allegiance to the rule of law and a command of English.
If outsiders wishing to settle in Britain were not prepared to conform to the virtues of tolerance then they should stay away. He added: "Conform to it; or don't come here. We don't want the hate-mongers, whatever their race, religion or creed.
"If you come here lawfully, we welcome you. If you are permitted to stay here permanently, you become an equal member of our community and become one of us. The right to be different. The duty to integrate. That is what being British means."
Mr Blair's volte face - just eight years ago he championed multiculturalism - was the culmination of a long Labour retreat from the cause. In recent weeks, Jack Straw, Ruth Kelly, John Reid and Gordon Brown have all played their part in a concerted revision of the Cabinet's stand which began in earnest after the July 7 suicide bombings in London last year.
Mr Blair, speaking in Downing Street, said the diversity of cultures in Britain should still be celebrated but the tone of his speech was against the ideology that became known as multiculturalism.
"The right to be in a multicultural society was always implicitly balanced by a duty to integrate, to be part of Britain, to be British and Asian, British and black, British and white," he said
The bombings had thrown the whole concept of a multicultural Britain "into sharp relief" and highlighted the divisions in society. While it was right that people should enjoy their own cultures, they should do so under a single set of overarching values.
"When it comes to our essential values, the belief in democracy, the rule of law, tolerance, equal treatment for all, respect for this country and its shared heritage — then that is where we come together, it is what gives us what we hold in common; it is what givesright to call ourselves British," said Mr Blair.
"At that point no distinctive culture or religion supercedes our duty to be part of an integrated United Kingdom."
They were all radical student leftists. They were handed the levers of the machinery of government and given a chance to enact the politics of their dreams. Now when they are starting to see the chaos they've created they start to backtrak. Hopefully it is not too late, but the mayhem New Labour (in conjunction with the old Tories of the John Major wing) has created in Britain will take a long long time to rectify.
And the man to do it is not the "Boy King" Cameron of the New Tory party.
Britain, just like most Western countries has a terrible lack of good leaders. At the moment the only two countries that actually have a politician of class leading their countries are Australia and Canada (good old Anglosphere).
(I still haven't given up on President Bush, but he appears to have been totally winged after the last election. Waiting for the fightback!)
Ping!
(Hiding behind my desk in expectation of a proper thrashing!)
:-)
"The era of stupid government is over."
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
Adopt our values or die, says Islam
Into retirement?
:-)
OK, joking apart, I agree, but it is just too bad that it takes a man some 60 years to grow up and finally see the world as it is - especially as he happens to have been leading a great nation for the last 10 years.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
It has been under-remarked upon, or even unremarked upon, but our President has been frighteningly weak since the election. If he doesn't step up, and soon, he'll get rolled for the next two years to the detriment of all, especially us.
Alright dammit, if Tony freaking Blair has seen the light on assimilation why are some Americans still hazy on the concept?
Saving to read in the morning. If it's still here, GREAT! If not I'm have a good dream and don't want it interrupted.
Meanwhile, Bush protested, saying that Britain needed guest terrorists and that the Muslim immiagrants were only doing the carrying out of Allah's will that the British didn't want to.
Reading this makes me feel warm inside!
"They were all radical student leftists. They were handed the levers of the machinery of government and given a chance to enact the politics of their dreams. Now when they are starting to see the chaos they've created they start to backtrak. Hopefully it is not too late, but the mayhem New Labour (in conjunction with the old Tories of the John Major wing) has created in Britain will take a long long time to rectify."
You got it; hope you are wrong about the long time thing
this is not the first thread posted on this subject; but there seems to be a dearth of British posters
The most telling fact of his presidency was the nomination of Harriet Miers. There is no possible way, none whatsoever, that her nomination could have been made except by a shallow man, a man who skimmed his way thru life. No doubt a good person, Miers was of the ilk, so lacking in integrity and intelligence, that she did not care to take into consideration that she did not qualify for the job.
Conservatives are the anchor of this country. Or they ought to be. But the support of many conservatives of George Bush is witless; in my opinion, they defend him because of his enemies, and not because he deserves defending. That is illogical.
Islam is the antithesis of the liberty, rationality, and humanity of American conservatism, whatever variety. Yet the President is either a liar, or completely fails to grasp the fact. Islam is not "Islamism," nor is it "Isloamo-fascism". It is islam, a belief system so primitive and so barbaric, that most western minds refuse to consider that it actually exists.
The most prominent dunce about islam is the President. He has neither the insight nor the skill to deal with it.
The worship of mohammed is a bizarre and surreal fact of life. It is too obvious of a fact for this President, a skimmer, to notice.
Yep. Sorry too about bush. He was winged and is now being field-dressed to be trussed up for roasting.
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