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Vanishing England
Townhall.com ^ | Cal Thomas

Posted on 08/28/2007 4:19:23 AM PDT by Kaslin

"There'll Always Be an England" - popular World War II song

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - Perhaps there will not always be an England. An exodus unprecedented in modern times, coupled with a record influx of foreigners, is threatening to erode the character of the land of William Shakespeare and overpowering monarchs, a land that served as the cradle for much of American thought, law and culture.

The figures, making headlines in London newspapers, tell only part of the story. Between June 2005 and June 2006 nearly 200,000 British citizens chose to leave the country for a new life elsewhere. During the same period, at least 574,000 immigrants came to Britain. This number does not include the people who broke the law to get there, or the thousands unknown to the government. Britain's Office of National Statistics reports that middle-class Britons are beginning to move out of towns in southern England that have become home to large numbers of immigrants, thereby altering the character of neighborhoods that have remained unchanged for generations.

Britons give many reasons for leaving, but their stories share one commonality: life in Britain has become unbearable for them. They fear lawlessness and the threat of more terrorism from a growing Muslim population and the loss of a sense of Britishness, exacerbated by the growing refusal of public schools to teach the history and culture of the nation to the next generation. What it means to be British has been watered down in a plague of political correctness that has swept the country faster than hoof-and-mouth disease. Officials say they do not wish to "offend" others.

Hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers are about to be granted "amnesty" to stay in Britain. The government's approach is similar to that pursued by President Bush, who failed to win congressional approval for his amnesty plan. In Britain it appears likely to succeed. Migrants will be granted immediate access to many benefits, including top priority for council housing. Taxpayers will foot the bill.

The Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, called the policy a "stealth amnesty." Again, in a comment reminiscent of the debate in America, Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said: "This is yet another example of the Alice in Wonderland world of human rights. If you break British law for long enough, you acquire rights not penalties."

British media have carried stories about an Italian immigrant who murdered a schoolteacher and was sentenced to life in prison. He is about to be released after serving just 12 years. The government wants to deport him to Italy, but a combination of British human rights legislation and European Union law are making it impossible to do so. This does not bode well for deporting Islamic terrorists who call for the overthrow of the government and incite young people to acts of violence.

Abraham Lincoln said no nation can exist half slave and half free. Neither can a nation be sustained if it allows conditions that result in mass emigration, while importing huge numbers of foreigners who come from backgrounds that do not practice assimilation or tolerance of other beliefs. When one factors in the high number of abortions (one in five pregnancies are aborted in England and Wales), the high birth rates of immigrants (15 times those of white Britons), it doesn't take a population expert to predict that the days of the England we have known may be numbered. The problem for Britain and the United States isn't just the change in demographics. It is the reluctance of both countries to inculcate the beliefs, history and, yes, religious ideals, which made our nations so successful that others wanted to come and be a part of them. The difference between many of the current immigrants and those of the past is that the previous ones wanted to become fully American or fully British. The current ones, in too many cases, would destroy what makes our countries unique. And the "leaders" of Britain and America refuse to stop it.

The greater tragedy is that the people of Britain have little say in any of this, so they are taking the road of last resort. They are leaving.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; United Kingdom
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To: CholeraJoe
It’s like the U. S.

The Muslim population here is somewhere between 1% and 2% — unless you live in Dearborn, where the city is overrun with Muslims and the city council OK’s the screeching of prayers 5 times a day over loudspeakers.

101 posted on 08/28/2007 11:27:36 AM PDT by Beckwith (dhimmicrats and the liberal media have .chosen sides -- Islamofascism)
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To: Beckwith
"The Prince of Wales, Charles, has commissioned the Westminister Cathedral to stage a new musical work based on Qur’an — it sets the 99 names of Allah to music, to be intoned over an hour and a half with choir, full orchestra and Tibetan gongs." The (future) Titular head of the Church of England is doing that? I'm shocked..shocked I say.... Charles has already talked about divesting the title from the duties lists, IMO that would be a good thing as he has neither the stomach nor the cajones for it.
102 posted on 08/28/2007 12:13:29 PM PDT by padre35 (Conservative in Exile.)
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To: uksupport1; britemp

As a Texan FReeper, I am glad to have English representatives on FR. I am just curious, however - (and I am not trying to be inflammatory, just wanting to bring a topic up for discussion) - what your views are on the treaties that Queen Elizabeth has signed in the past and is scheduled to sign in regards to the European Union. There is concern not just here in the US but in Australia as well that sovereignty of the United Kingdom will be ultimately handed over to the unelected consortium of the EU. This alone boggles my mind that the British Crown would even consider such a thing, yet reports that I have read point out this has been going on for a number of years.


103 posted on 08/28/2007 12:37:32 PM PDT by Alkhin (star dust contemplating star dust)
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To: ran20
Your observations about the young people you know agree with opinion surveys. The boys, especially those who are not in liberal arts or psychology, are fortunately hostile to PC propaganda, inasmuch as white heterosexual males are regarded as the source of all evil. Except for those suffering mental disorders, any white heterosexual male who supports the Left is as naive as a turkey who favors Thanksgiving. The girls are a problem, as reality fails to set in to so many of these deluded females, even into late middle age. It is no wonder that Asian women are sometimes called the new blondes or the white man's Kryptonite.

As for the illegals, it is disgusting that religious organizations generally considered conservative, like the Catholics, the Southern Baptists, and the Mormons, have favored liberal immigration laws. Needless to say, the mainline Protestant churches and the most liberal Catholic bishops, such as Cardinal Mahoney of Los Angeles, seem to be working to de-Americanize America.

104 posted on 08/28/2007 12:38:54 PM PDT by Wallace T.
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To: britemp

And treasonous or stupid leaders. How many are getting Arab money?


105 posted on 08/28/2007 1:24:21 PM PDT by expatpat
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To: Beckwith

“The Prince of Wales, Charles, has commissioned the Westminister Cathedral to stage a new musical work based on Qur’an — it sets the 99 names of Allah to music, to be intoned over an “

Get out of town!


106 posted on 08/28/2007 3:07:18 PM PDT by poobear (Pure democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for dinner. God save the Republic!)
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To: arbooz
Our mother country and fellow western nation is dying.
How can a conservative not care?
107 posted on 08/28/2007 3:35:38 PM PDT by rmlew (Build a wall, attrit the illegals, end the anchor babies, Americanize Immigrants)
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To: padre35; Beckwith
"The Prince of Wales, Charles, has commissioned the Westminister Cathedral to stage a new musical work based on Qur’an — it sets the 99 names of Allah to music, to be intoned over an hour and a half with choir, full orchestra and Tibetan gongs." The (future) Titular head of the Church of England is doing that? I'm shocked..shocked I say.... Charles has already talked about divesting the title from the duties lists, IMO that would be a good thing as he has neither the stomach nor the cajones for it.

Shocked, yeah, that's it. Shocked.

But seriously, perhaps it's a misunderstanding on my part, but how is the Prince's idea of a musical with orchestra and Tibetan gongs going to pass muster? I thought that, at least for the most fundamentalist Muslims, musical instruments (also pets, drawing the human form) are strictly verboten, whether or not in worship. Only vocalization. And a nod to Tibetan gongs? Well, I'll be curious to see if the musical materializes and if it is protested.

108 posted on 08/28/2007 4:10:00 PM PDT by fortunecookie
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Comment #109 Removed by Moderator

To: fortunecookie

“But seriously, perhaps it’s a misunderstanding on my part, but how is the Prince’s idea of a musical with orchestra and Tibetan gongs going to pass muster? I thought that, at least for the most fundamentalist Muslims, musical instruments (also pets, drawing the human form) are strictly verboten, whether or not in worship. Only vocalization. And a nod to Tibetan gongs? Well, I’ll be curious to see if the musical materializes and if it is protested.”

You are probably correct fortunecookie, Muslems don’t use instruments in their services, it very well could be that no one has told Charles that fact, or he doesn’t really care, it’s what he wants to happen in his church...

The man seems like he can be a bit dense at times.


110 posted on 08/28/2007 5:28:13 PM PDT by padre35 (Conservative in Exile.)
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To: arbooz
The British people have never had a real chance to vote on this.
Books that bring this up are banned. Candidates that bring this up are jailed. And then the far more monolithic media lies.
111 posted on 08/28/2007 5:47:08 PM PDT by rmlew (Build a wall, attrit the illegals, end the anchor babies, Americanize Immigrants)
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To: britemp

LOL


112 posted on 08/29/2007 12:27:26 AM PDT by Vanders9
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To: Kaslin

Bump.


113 posted on 08/29/2007 12:34:41 AM PDT by jedward (Trust then Verify. Now you're ready to consider whether it's true or not.)
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To: padre35

Maybe I’m wrong, but I seem to remember something about Prince Charles considering conversion to Islam. Is that true at all? If so, it’s insane.


114 posted on 08/29/2007 12:44:45 AM PDT by beachdweller
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To: fortunecookie
... how is the Prince's idea of a musical with orchestra and Tibetan gongs going to pass muster?

Not the Prince's idea. This is a work by the senior British composer Sir John Tavener. Tavener happens to be a devout convert to Russian Orthodoxy (which doesn't, of course, protect him from political naivete). Throughout his long career he's reflected in his music an interest in mysticism as it is pursued by many different religions - this being Sufi in the case of Islam. This interest, as well as a dabbling with Orthodoxy, is shared by Charles, which explains the connection.

115 posted on 08/29/2007 12:57:48 AM PDT by Winniesboy (Spade with which Wilkinson...)
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To: padre35; Beckwith
... how is the Prince's idea of a musical with orchestra and Tibetan gongs going to pass muster?

Not the Prince's idea. This is a work by the senior British composer Sir John Tavener. Tavener happens to be a devout convert to Russian Orthodoxy (which doesn't, of course, protect him from political naivete). Throughout his long career he's reflected in his music an interest in mysticism as it is pursued by many different religions - this being Sufi in the case of Islam. This interest, as well as a dabbling with Orthodoxy, is shared by Charles, which explains the connection.

116 posted on 08/29/2007 1:03:03 AM PDT by Winniesboy (Spade with which Wilkinson...)
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To: Kaslin; All

Interesting thread. Thanks to all contributors, especially those living in England and those who have visited.


117 posted on 08/29/2007 1:17:36 AM PDT by PGalt
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To: poobear

http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/016633.php

Westminster Cathedral has attracted the notice Private Eye. In the current edition, there is a piece on page 12 “Music and Musicians” reporting on a new work by John Taverner, commissioned by the Prince of Wales that is to be performed in the Cathedral.

According to the article:
It is based on the Koran and sets the 99 names of Allah to music, to be intoned over an hour and a half with choir, full orchestra and Tibetan gongs.


118 posted on 08/29/2007 2:13:43 AM PDT by Beckwith (dhimmicrats and the liberal media have .chosen sides -- Islamofascism)
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To: arbooz; uksupport1; britemp
Arbooz, you are so right. You can't fly the Union Jack on your house because it's offensive to Muslims. You can't eat at your desk during Ramadan. St. George is offensive because he killed Muslims centuries ago. Don't teach Winston Churchill in school because some Muslims deny the Holocaust!! Here it's foot baths in airports and colleges, no alcohol in taxis, separate classes for boys and girls in public schools, prayer breaks on company time. They just got a Christian evangelist taken off tv in Tampa because he spoke against Islam. Newsflash, Christians don't believe in Allah!

With all due respect to the Brits, the point is not immigration but assimilation. Are the newcomers becoming British/American or are they keeping their own language and culture and simply living among us? England is vulnerable because of size and the EU. America is under assault from three directions: Mexico, CAIR, and the ACLU. The same secular humanism that has been pushing Christianity out of the public square for decades now rolls out the red carpet for Islam. Christians who find abortion, pornography, homosexuality offensive are small minded bigots. Muslims who hate the same things, plus alcohol and dogs, are peaceful, devout people who must be given every accomodation they ask for.

As far as I'm concerned, they don't get to live in our countries and enjoy the fruits of other people's sacrifices, yet despise the culture that made them want to come here in the first place. Western culture has got to stop apologizing and stand up for our way of life. If their way was better we'd all be emigrating to their countries.

119 posted on 08/29/2007 3:01:26 AM PDT by athelass (Proud Mom of a Sailor and two Marines! Frodo Lives!)
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Comment #120 Removed by Moderator


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