Saturday 26 March 2016

This Article Tells Us More About The ‘Guardian’ Than About The Case For Brexit…

It’s always immense fun when the ‘Guardian’ sends one of its unlucky correspondents off to talk to people, and the prospect of Brexit provides us with a glimpse of how modern ‘journalism’ is conducted.

Eurosceptic Romford:
Electronic dance stars Underworld like to say the town of Romford in east London, where they are based, is their New York. But frankly, on the wet Wednesday my train from Stratford chugs into the town, I am struggling to see the comparison. Unless it is something to do with being mugged. I witness a near fight between a shopkeeper and a man fleeing from his store within about a minute of setting foot in the high street. … Justice (“What we don’t have a lot of,” he says when I ask him his name) is drinking tea from a union jack mug; I get mine in a mug with the flag of St George on it … Romford’s MP, Andrew Rosindell, who achieved instant fame in the 2001 general election when he campaigned alongside a staffordshire bull terrier dressed in a union jack waistcoat … “We should definitely come out,” says Katrina Woods, who is shopping in the market square with her friend Jane Verner. “We’re overcrowded as it is. We’ve got no houses for our own children. Or look at the way they’re treating people in hospital. You go down the hospital and you’re waiting hours. You’ve got old people left on trolleys. They haven’t got beds for them.” … When I ask for their names, they look anxious, fearing they have spoken too openly. But Webb reassures them. “Don’t worry,” he says, “nobody round here reads the Guardian.” Which, I discover later, is not quite true: Quadrant News in South Street has sold out – both the Guardians they get daily have gone. “They certainly soon go,” says the man behind the counter. It seems that even Eurosceptic Central has a few closet liberals.
So to sum up, Romford is a grey horrible town with ghastly flag-waving right wing people but there are some really nice ‘Guardian’ reads, so all hope is not yet lost.

Europhile Aberystwyth:
The largest town in Ceredigion is Aberystwyth, which has a population of around 13,000, plus another 11,000 students at the university, and after my day in Romford that is where I head, on a train that trundles amiably through the lovely countryside of mid Wales. The slate-grey skies of east London have turned blue; lambs gambol in the fields; the river Dyfi winds its way gently towards Aberdovey; the inviting beach at Borth hints at the possibilities of summer. … a former lady mayoress who tells me she was instrumental in twinning the town with Kronberg im Taunus in Germany (an odd twin since it is several hundred miles from the coast). Aberystwyth, she says, is proud of its twin cities in Germany, France and Patagonia. In Romford, no one had mentioned being twinned with anyone, and I fantasise that it stands proudly alone. But I discover later that it is twinned – with Ludwigshafen am Rhein in Germany and Hesdin in France. … Williams explains why his constituency is the most Europhile in Britain. “The influence of the universities [Lampeter to the south as well as Aberystwyth itself] is significant. We have been an enriched, cosmopolitan community for a very long time, and there are enduring links with the universities.” … you can’t go to any village or community in this constituency where there isn’t the European emblem up somewhere for a project that’s been directly funded by the EU.” … “I’m pro-EU,” says law student Rebecca Hopkins. “What are we going to do if we leave the EU? We lose trade, we lose immigrants, we lose everything. People shit on the immigrants that come here from the EU, but they give a lot more than they take. Ukip are clinging to a dead, decaying idea of nationalism. We’re not Great Britain any more. We don’t rule the world. We’re just a tiny island that needs to make positive relations.”
So to sum up, Aberystwth is a sunny, enlightened place with wonderful social justice-loving people who are the future of our nation, once we’ve shrugged off these awful hidebound nationalists. 

Journalism, eh?

13 comments:

Mark Wadsworth said...

Romford has got a great shopping centre.

Antisthenes said...

Nationalism I like to define as localism and a pride in the society that you belong to. It can mean xenophobia and a distrust or even dislike of foreigners some more than others. Both can be liked or abhorred according to taste. They have their dark side especially the latter if over zealously employed and that is what we should guard against. Total removal is not the answer as in the end it leaves us defenceless against those who would exploit us and/or do us harm.

To condemn either outright is a serious mistake as they can have constructive value because human behaviour dictates that we should embrace some or all of their tenets at some point. Our way of life, prosperity and security relies upon us being wary of those outside our society and not allowing them too much power over us. Sometimes you cannot trust your next door neighbour so why trust strangers more as some want us to do. We have lost sight of that fact and have capitulated to the progressives who mean us no harm yet manage to do us a considerable amount of it all the same.

We have joined the EU and allowed immigrants into our community without proper and restricted control. A bad thing to do. We have lost the right to self determination(localism) the EU has taken that away from us. Foreigners are being allowed to change our culture to reflect what they prefer and doing it without the consent of the majority of us.

Humans excel when they are able to take decisions individually and collectively if the size of the collective is local, not large and like minded. Even national governments do not create this environment so it is no surprise that our government is now devolving power more quickly and widely than ever. It is also no surprise that the EU and the rise in immigrants arriving here is not working at all in our best interests. In fact they are working totally against them as they both fly in the face of human nature and how we function optimally. Many of the same reasons can apply to why free market capitalism trumps socialism every time. Indeed I can list many more human nature reason than I have here to back up my case but as my comment is in danger of being longer that JM's article I shall stop now before I get into trouble.

The DDR was better than this said...

"When I ask for their names, they look anxious, fearing they have spoken too openly."

For shame. In Britain, 2016.

Anonymous said...

Bunny

The young lady who spoke for the EU is a student who hasn't actually been out into the big nasty world yet, give her time.

Anonymous said...

I moved from Aberystwyth after I saw a trail of blood stretching from the Halifax down great darkgate street to Barclays. A bloke at a cashpoint had been randomly stabbed by a big issue seller with a dog on a string.

I remember someone spray painted 'English fuck off' along the wall of the hospital at one time (it turned out that a French student had done it). Mind you, aside from the drug dealers and DHSS claimants, the place is so remote it didn't get particularly culturally enriched. However the Indian and Chinese restaurant owners were hauled off to jail for laundering drug and trafficking money, so it did have some enriching moments.

And it always bloody rained.

Anonymous said...

"...you can’t go to any village or community in this constituency where there isn’t the European emblem up somewhere for a project that’s been directly funded by the EU.”"

Yes, we pay billions to the EU which skims a third off the top then generously allows us to have some back - to be used in a manner the EU decrees with a massive sign on so we can be grateful to our benefactor!

mike fowle said...

"Out on the sunny streets of Aberystwyth – where I get shat on by the town’s killer seagulls no fewer than three times" Good.

Anonymous said...

How come Aberystwyth hasn't twinned with Molenbeek?

staybryte said...

I didn't realise this until the Emily Thornberry brouhaha in Rochester last year, but Grauniad journalists really are tourists in their own country aren't they?

JuliaM said...

"Romford has got a great shopping centre."

It has indeed, but I find myself going there less and less these days. Internet shopping has much to answer for.

"Humans excel when they are able to take decisions individually and collectively if the size of the collective is local, not large and like minded. "

Quite! But I fear we've moved on so far, there's no going back now.

"The young lady who spoke for the EU is a student who hasn't actually been out into the big nasty world yet, give her time. "

It's nice to think we might get a 180 conversion yet. But can we wait that long?

"...but Grauniad journalists really are tourists in their own country aren't they?"

Yup! These 'visits to the natives' always tickle me immensely.

rbbarnet said...

Starbyte, you are right, many journalists write about the UK as they are explaining it to a foreigner.

I remember a helpful Times journalist who kept his readers up to date by telling them that Hendon in Sunderland was a 'predominantly White area'.

James N. Kennett said...

If you are lucky enough to live in Aberystwyth, you are eligible for EU structural funds for doing sod all. This is a major contribution to the local economy.

JuliaM said...

"I remember a helpful Times journalist who kept his readers up to date by telling them that Hendon in Sunderland was a 'predominantly White area'."

I wonder if it still is..?