Manchester Asylum Conference

[cockneyrebel]

Great posts dennis......

Just to add as well that the Sukula Campaign (http://www.workerspower.com/index.php?id=78,769,0,0,1,0) was, in some ways, the spring board for this conference and what is happening with Section 9. Legislation that leaves families literally with no financial support or housing. There is no question that issues of the welfare state and cuts to disability allowances are a massive issue (I also know people who will be affected). But this should never be counterposed to issues such as this, which I think you were in danger of doing treelover. The issue around asylum seekers is anything but one for the liberal do gooders and "usual suspects". It is an issue that leaves many working class people in the most desperate circumstances (homeless, prostitution, facing racist attacks etc) and is also an issue that the right wing is using to divide the working class as the government tries to destroy the welfare state. I used to work with refugees and will never forget the tragic circumstances that people had gone through again and again. And that's why I reject the bollox that some people come out with that the people who arrive here aren't really working class, they're the better off ones. Virtually everyone I met were working class and often from terrible circumstances - war, torture, rape. I'll never forget one bloke who had lost his whole family in Rwanda, literally everyone. Yet the bloke was still fighting for both asylum seekers and in local campaigns in his area, including welfare issues.

I went to one of the demos in Bolton around the issue and have to say that I was really impressed how much the local community was involved in the campaign, and even the local paper was sympathetic. At the rally at the end there was a real cross section of the local community and loads of trade unionists there. I really got the sense that this campaign was anything but a lefty bubble.

I think this is a really positive thing because these kind of issues go hand in hand with government cut backs across the board and their attempts to scapegoat certain sections of society.

 

[big footed fred]

Didn't you come out with a similar statement on another topic last week or the week before and then made no effort to follow it up with anything. Have you nothing else to add other than the occasional pot shot and a quick retreat?

If you're so closed minded why do you bother posting at all?

Just a thought, like.

Just tend to think we have plenty of problems with our own people that we sort out first.
Seems to me that we need to get that right first before considering communists who have made themselves unwelcome in their own countries and now want to preach their shit here while getting a free ride.
I suppose the ethnic albanians who consider it unsafe in the country they tried to take over and lost after a war they started with the people who were native to that country can have another pop over here.
We are so bloody soft we will give them the muslim enclaves that one of their more vocal members were calling for on radio 4 last year.
I don't say Britain for the British. I don't say white is right. I do say that anyone who comes here needs to respect their host country.
Before I finish don't give me that racist bollocks again. I am sat here with two friends who are from a foreign country and are not white. They do respect that they are here as guests and cause no problems to anyone.
(Except perhaps me but I am always happy to help a friend)

 

[Chuck Wilson]

Just tend to think we have plenty of problems with our own people that we sort out first.
Seems to me that we need to get that right first before considering communists who have made themselves unwelcome in their own countries and now want to preach their shit here while getting a free ride.
I suppose the ethnic albanians who consider it unsafe in the country they tried to take over and lost after a war they started with the people who were native to that country can have another pop over here.
We are so bloody soft we will give them the muslim enclaves that one of their more vocal members were calling for on radio 4 last year.
I don't say Britain for the British. I don't say white is right. I do say that anyone who comes here needs to respect their host country.
Before I finish don't give me that racist bollocks again. I am sat here with two friends who are from a foreign country and are not white. They do respect that they are here as guests and cause no problems to anyone.
(Except perhaps me but I am always happy to help a friend)

How are the Tories doing in Barnsley Fred? I take it you didn't vote enthustically for Cameron to be leader?

 

[big footed fred]

How are the Tories doing in Barnsley Fred? I take it you didn't vote enthustically for Cameron to be leader?

Sad to say that in Barnsley many people still think that the labour party is for the people. That's bollocks for a start.
Most have now worked out that Arthur Scargill did them over but still have failed to add up the greater picture.
Seems that many here still think that the left wing ideas of equality for all (except the leaders who drive round in big motors and made a wad of cash)
is a good idea.
I wonder if they will ever work it out that the politicians who want the illegals here all own a string of guest houses and are making a mint from the job.
Silly sods who support them get bugger all. Talk about gullibility.

 

[Pigeon]

Just tend to think we have plenty of problems with our own people that we sort out first.
Seems to me that we need to get that right first before considering communists who have made themselves unwelcome in their own countries and now want to preach their shit here while getting a free ride.
I suppose the ethnic albanians who consider it unsafe in the country they tried to take over and lost after a war they started with the people who were native to that country can have another pop over here.
We are so bloody soft we will give them the muslim enclaves that one of their more vocal members were calling for on radio 4 last year.
I don't say Britain for the British. I don't say white is right. I do say that anyone who comes here needs to respect their host country.
Before I finish don't give me that racist bollocks again. I am sat here with two friends who are from a foreign country and are not white. They do respect that they are here as guests and cause no problems to anyone.
(Except perhaps me but I am always happy to help a friend)

"they're here as guests"???? what the fuck?

And the communist guy you're talking about is in fear of his life for "spreading shit" such as arguing for the rights of women to go out without their heads covered and for their testimony not to be taken as "half" that of a man's if they're raped. Evil bastard, eh?

Twat.

 

[cockneyrebel]

Weekly Worker report on the conference:

http://www.cpgb.org.uk/worker/610/section9.htm

Highlights include:

In terms of the organised left, by far the most prominent group was Workers Power, whose comrades did much of the organising, and seem to be approaching this field of work with a refreshing degree of seriousness. In contrast the Socialist Workers Party was underrepresented in the extreme. It had no stall, no paper-sellers, not even a Respect leaflet.

 

[big footed fred]

"they're here as guests"???? what the fuck?

And the communist guy you're talking about is in fear of his life for "spreading shit" such as arguing for the rights of women to go out without their heads covered and for their testimony not to be taken as "half" that of a man's if they're raped. Evil bastard, eh?

Twat.

Guests, yes. They are visitors to our country and treat ours laws and traditions with respect as I have done when a guest in other countries.
They are also good friends who happen share my opinion that hard work is the best way to get what you want. Just proves that not all who come here are grabbers and political nutters.
Pity some are.
As for our illegal "friend". He can say what he likes in his own country but if he can't respect his own place I can't see him doing any good here.
I have visited one muslim country and much as I don't agree with much of what they do I have the good manners to keep shut. It's for that countries people to decide not for me to impose my western opinion on them.
So you picked up a a point that is hard to disagree with but I wonder what else he has been up to.

 

[Pigeon]

As for our illegal "friend". He can say what he likes in his own country but if he can't respect his own place I can't see him doing any good here.

I don't have an "illegal friend". I do have a mate who was locked up, beaten and raped for handing out leaflets. Therefore, I would have thought, making it fairly fucking obvious that, contrary to your trite observation, he can not "say what he likes" in "his own country". The man came here for sanctuary and was fucked over once again by our "justice" system, which branded him a liar on the basis of INCORRECT INFORMATION. Do you not find that in any way alarming?

I have visited one muslim country and much as I don't agree with much of what they do I have the good manners to keep shut. It's for that countries people to decide not for me to impose my western opinion on them.

He is one of that country's people.

So you picked up a a point that is hard to disagree with but I wonder what else he has been up to.

That really is the fucking crux of it as far as you're concerned, isn't it? The man's an asylum seeker so, therefore, a liar and potentially a criminal. Remind me again why it's wrong to accuse you of holding racist beliefs?

 

[dennisr]

Guests, yes. They are also good friends who happen share my opinion that hard work is the best way to get what you want..

Is this one of those "some of my best friends are asylum seekers" arguements flat-footed fred.

The impression i have is that the vast vast majority of our 'guests' work bloody hard - often for peanuts. There as few non-'guests' we could do with kicking up the arse though (the politicians you are doing the dirty work for here fred - which makes you a bit of a mug fred).