The Times: "Brixton: the depressing symbol of Britain's multicultural failure"

[teuchter]

It's just that the two issues appear to be conflated in Brixton, because the Rich Incomers are white and the Poor Natives are black? (gross simplification for effect)

Well exactly. Hence the confused Times article followed by confused U75 thread.

 

[hipipol]

The Motto here, talk to everyone, otherwise you will never have anything in common with them (the longer you chat, the more you'll have in common, its a fuckin FACT!!!) and you'll turn into some moody shite who takes 8 years to realise he has not met anyone in his area in that time.
Once you have that realisation you'll be writing really daft crap for Murdoch and you'll wanna top yerself

So get chatting - to EVERYONE!!!!

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

This site has really changed hasn't it? A few years ago you'd have half a dozen threads at a time on this with people shouting the odds at each other. Now you get one once in a blue moon and it barely ranks as 'tetchy.'

I blame the incomers.

 

[pboi]

Rich is relative aswell

in the land of the peasants the man who earns above the national average is king

 

[teuchter]

Rich is relative aswell

in the land of the peasants the man who earns above the national average is king

Sometimes he's just another dimwit, though.

 

[quimcunx]

This site has really changed hasn't it? A few years ago you'd have half a dozen threads at a time on this with people shouting the odds at each other. Now you get one once in a blue moon and it barely ranks as 'tetchy.'

I blame the incomers.

God damn us and our oh so reasonable ways.

 

[pboi]

Sometimes he's just another dimwit, though.

thanks captain postcount. carry on with your eLife.

 

[Crispy]

captain postcount

 

[Cowley]

This site has really changed hasn't it? A few years ago you'd have half a dozen threads at a time on this with people shouting the odds at each other. Now you get one once in a blue moon and it barely ranks as 'tetchy.'

I blame the incomers.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/sathnam_sanghera/article6220731.ece

Is he right? Do we operate under this unspoken segregation in Brixton?

Haven't read the article yet, but I would have thought places like Hackney and Brixton were actually very poor examples of 'multicultural failure', despite their problems, as they are really very mixed areas where racially speaking people get on pretty well.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

It's actually Eritrean, I've known the people who run it for about 18 years. Does that make me a triumph of multiculturalism?

The journalist, as others have said, is obviously a billy-no-mates. I have Latino, West Indian, African, Eastern European, French, German and even American (ooh, aren't I tolerant) friends.

The reason is that I go to local community events, weddings, christenings, funerals, have had babies here, chat to strangers on buses and in queues in shops, say 'Good morning!' and all of that stuff. That's all it is.

You talk to strangers? In London? Without people treating you like a Martian?

 

[ericjarvis]

You talk to strangers? In London? Without people treating you like a Martian?

Yep. Doesn't everyone? Apart from the zombies that fill up the spaces between people, of course.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

"Class" brings back bad memories of the 80's with everyone going out on strikes for any or no reason, Unions crippling the country, and "Old Labour".

I'd hope that, as a country, we'd moved on from that into more enlightened times.

Sorry ajdown, class is as important in the UK as ever (you know, that old quip, the more things change, the more they stay the same).

I do think that it is a far bigger divisor in the UK than race.

 

[Blagsta]

"Class" brings back bad memories of the 80's with everyone going out on strikes for any or no reason, Unions crippling the country, and "Old Labour".

I'd hope that, as a country, we'd moved on from that into more enlightened times.

arghhhh

 

[Gramsci]

And despite some of my critical comments i do think that London compared to a lot of european cities is far better in terms of race relations...But things change all the time...Countries like Italy who once had very few ethnic minorities are changing and attitudes are changing too.

The lives of typical white middle class people and those of ordinary Black people in areas like Brixton are still often vastly different even if there living in the same street. I dont think the differences are usually so big between people in more suburban boroughs.

Also "multiculturalism" changes over time. Ive recently watched 2 old films/docs about race. One is "Handsworth Songs" the other is Stepehn Frears "My Beautiful Laundrette". Both are from the mid 80s.Neither includes religion as an important issue.Very much of there time in this regard.Multicultural identity is now much more about say Muslim identity.I recently talked to a Afro Carribean convert who saw himself as Muslim first