Nigel Farage - do you agree with him?

I always like to remind those whose political views are stridently right wing, possibly all those on here that did not work in public service, that St George, the patron saint of England is likely to have been Palestinian ..certainly from the Levant area of the world... and that he was probably beatified because he actively sought to help anyone in need and not just people just like him. Good English values.

What are you suggesting ana - that those with more right wing views can't hold their own in a debate ?

I'm not suggesting anything, Jess.

Blimey, Penstemmon, I've only just noticed your post!

Are you really implying that possibly all those on here that did not work in public service are racist?!! What on earth brought that on...?

No!!!! but just referring back to the idea that stridently left wing people were apparently all in public sector work so thought maybe that GNers who worked in the private sector were right wing. Is that not a logical conclusion??

Not to me, but more to the point, why are all right-wingers by definition racist?

That's as ridiculous as saying all brown-eyed people are superior because blue-eyed people are inferior, as Jane Elliot demonstrated in her famous experiment.

Also it was always the rabid (truly) right wing parents at school who used to come in demanding we celebrated St George's Day (we did anyway!) when we did our module on visiting places of worship. They did not want their kids going to Synagogues, Gurdwara or Mosques..or some even the Catholic Church, to learn about different religions.. not that they would have known the inside of a church or even the Lord's prayer !

We had a big display in the main entrance hall with St George and his origins and the fact that he is also patron St of Malta & Gozo and an important figure in Turkey. The story of him fighting the dragon to save a foreign princess we explained was symbolic of helping people in need whoever they were.

We displayed pictures traditional English pastimes: Maypole, Morris Dancing etc and traditional food: tripe& onions, Roast beef, pies etc etc. None of which the strident parents were one iota interested in! For them St George was about English 'power' and hating foreign people!

I did not say that dragonfly Ana is putting words into my mouth. I do not know enough right wingers to say that. It would be anecdotal evidence only.

However it is my experience that the right wing people I have known or worked with (in the public sector )do not share my more left wing views on internationalism and, generally speaking, have less welcoming attitudes to immigrants than I do.

I wasn't putting words in your mouth, penstemmon. Your post of 20.26 made your views absolutely clear.

Although you still haven't explained why you seem to think that anyone to the right of the political spectrum is by definition racist.

I wonder if some of the 'strident' parents were in fact in fear of their children losing their identity and enabling the normalisation of cultural practices that are contra to the sensibilities fought for by the indigenous population.
Also that our (sometimes) ultra-liberalism, certainly is not reciprocated in large parts if the world.
The introduction of other faiths to children in some countries where I have lived would be punishable by death.

I think it's important not to generalise. I worked in the public sector. I am neither rabid right wing nor strident left. The school I taught in for twenty years had 76% non-indigenous intake in the year I retired, for most of whom English was not their first language. Maybe multiculturalism was better managed in our school since I cannot relate to the kind if scenario you describe in your school. And yes, we had a good proportion of fairly right wing parents, both white English and immigrant. And a lot more tolerance towards each other than I've seen in Gransnet in recent days.

*on

And *of. Should wear my specs when typing!

I'm public service and I'm not left wing or racist.

This made me think. I have a wealthy bil who is racist and that is based on ignorance. He could not put one cohearant sentence together to support his views.
One of my best friends ( labour supporter) is another racist, but she did live in Cape Town for 22 years and she can explain her views very clearly.

I tend to think that most people are not racist, they are actually contra-culture. You will find those of different races who assimilate as much as possible into the host country have fewer problems. Brits have welcomed refugees for centuries who, whilst maintaining some of their culture have also embraced the culture of their hosts.

ana I have not mentioned racism..you have assumed it. Have re-read my post and cannot see what you are seeing!

I have never hidden nor felt unable to defend my values. That is despite having quite a lot of contrary opinions posted. I know I am in a minority. I do not feel got at but I will always refute misconceptions and you are wrong in your reading of my post.

joelsnan they may have felt that but learning about others' ways of life does not have to diminish ones own values or culture. If I study American History & literature it does not make me any less British and make me more American!
Part of the problem is that many of the people I have met who wanted more 'English culture' do not actually want to support it: value education, regular attendance at Christian church, family life, read English novels /poetry, visit art galleries with English artists, participate or set up community events etc etc. It feels to me as if they just don't seem to want anyone else to to maintain a different culture.
Dragonfly the school I am talking about was also in a socio-economic and racially mixed area. In school we had a great time and the kids mixed very well with each other. A minority of parents on the street were a different story!

Ana 19:41
there are so many stridently left-wing views expressed on any vaguely political thread (probably because of the large number of former or current public sector workers on here),

It was the above quote that made me post my (what I thought was tongue in cheek) reply that Ana then did not understand.

Ana didn't say 'there are so many stridently left-wing....etc' she prefaced her post by saying ' when there are so many stridently ....etc'

You can't go cutting poster's post and then quoting them with vital conditional words missing.

Lordy Aka it does not change the point I was making which was the reason I posted my 'right wing private sector' comment.

But it is OK for Ana to say I said 'everyone who is right wing is racist' when I did not mention racism!

Goose /gander????

Thanks Penstemmon I agree that understanding others culture and history is good.
I used to sit in a food court in a shoo pin mall, in a country with a very multicultural workforce and watch all of the smaller children from around the world playing happily together without any prejudice.
By the time they had reached about 7 their parental influences had started to impact and they did not play together.
A few of these children went to multicultural schools, the majority went to race/religion specific schools.
Although there were different religions which were tolerated, they could not be publicly expressed or evangelised.
We are very similar and yet we are very very different.

Should say: Shopping Mall!!

Lordy, Lordy Pen of course the use of a word like 'when' qualifies a statement.

I am going out in the rain.

When I am going out in the rain....

One stands alone as a sentence, t'other doesn't.

I think the idea of right wing and racism comes about because of movements like the BNP, Hitler, Jean Marie Le Pen and so on.

Anyway I'm bored of this topic so not saying any more.