As someone who travels to the UK regularly, it is the foreign country I visit most often even more so than neighboring US; I do take a keener interest in what is happening there. I am in fact right now in UK as this is being written so below are my thoughts on it. I have not personally witnessed any of the riots and I am totally safe, but still appalled and disgusted. I will look at causes, what needs to be done and also could this happen in Canada too and what we can do to help reduce risk of it occurring.
Three young girls were tragically stabbed to death in Southport, which is just outside Liverpool. What should have been a community grieving was hijacked by some far right thugs who falsely on social media (and maybe Russian involvement although degree unknown) that is was a Muslim asylum seeker who committed the murder. In fact the murder was born in UK and is Christian not Muslim. But despite falsehoods, this lead to violence and rioting in many English towns and cities including attempts to burn down hotels housing refugees. This showcases both problem with racism as that is what is driving this and disinformation being spread on social media.
UK has a long history of racism and for those familiar with history, Enoch Powell’s River of blood speech in 1968 was a focal point and since then far right organizations have popped up which have caused tensions. Thankfully attitudes towards immigrants have improved especially in past decade and polls show while racism still a serious problem in UK; people with negative views on immigrants is actually lower than in most other European countries. Still racism is a serious problem in UK and this is why it is important to address it. Some claim many feel unheard on immigration, but that doesn’t give one the right to be violent. Nor does it give one right to hate people just because they are different. Immigrants are human beings and should be treated with respect like any human being. Off course UK cannot nor should they take everyone who wishes to immigrate there. But debate should be done in a civil manner on what is appropriate immigration policy. And contrary to view politicians won’t listen, the two main parties in most recent election did in fact promise to reduce immigration levels. Not to zero or keep out all non-whites like these far right thugs want but idea people aren’t being listened to is false. Immigration is not a simple numbers game; rather rules are set on who qualifies and who doesn’t. UK hasn’t made things easier, if anything has made things tougher but due to globalizing world number of people wanting to immigrate has been increasing thus why more coming. If more coming than country can handle it means adjusting rules to make it harder but still ensure they are fair and applied to all equally. And unlike these far right thugs want, a white Canadian like me has to follow same rules to immigrate to UK as an Indian or Black Nigerian would. And that is how it should be. More disturbing is some politicians are using rhetoric to whip up hatred, particularly people like Nigel Farage in Reform UK and some of the more right wing MPs within the Conservative party. Words have impact and demonizing or scapegoating migrants leads to this. Likewise right wing daily tabloids deserve some blame. Claiming migrant invasion, lies about percentage of crime committed by immigrants helps fuel this and needs to stop. This does not mean politicians cannot favor lower immigration levels. But there is a proper and improper way. Saying something like illegals are invading UK and helping turn it into a third world is racist and encourages hate against minorities. Saying UK doesn’t have the infrastructure or resources to accommodate a net increase of 750,000 people a year is perfectly reasonable and is proper way for those who want to reduce immigration to argue issue. I get the boat crossings are concerning. But people crossing are not bad people, they are desperate vulnerable people escaping poverty and taking a dangerous journey putting life at risk. UK cannot take all or even most but that doesn’t mean demonize them as bad people. Proper solution is to work with France and EU to help deter crossings, prosecute smugglers, expedite refugee decisions so those with legitimate claim can start new life and those without are sent back home promptly. Likewise cooperating internationally to help reduce push factors that cause people to want to leave their home country is key as most people if life good in home country will stay there.
Finally, a big reason for this was social media. And this is why a decade ago I would have said unlikely in Canada as while Canada still has racism, it is less than UK and more importantly we don’t have mainstream media or politicians demonizing immigration like UK does thus less normalized. But with social media and ability to organize disruption, I no longer believe that is the case as witnessed in freedom convoy. It could happen in Canada too even if odds somewhat lower. UK, EU and others need to issue an ultimatum to social media to start taking fake news and hate seriously and if they won’t voluntarily take action, government will step in. I am a big proponent of free speech and government regulating social media has lots of risks; but allowing it to be the Wild West too is dangerous. This all happened because of a fake story pushed by far right and fact X has re-instated some hate figures previously banned like Tommy Robinson. Fact Elon Musk even tweets UK headed for civil war (another bs lie, I am in country and its not happening) shows what a disaster it has come since he has taken over. Those with shares in X need to vote in future shareholder meetings and vote to fire him as he clearly is being very irresponsible. And legislators need to start holding people like him who allow this accountable. I am a strong supporter of free speech, but like any rights, it has limits. All rights end the moment they harm others. And we know from history words can turn deadly. Just in Rwanda 6 weeks ago and 30 years ago had a horrible genocide. Hutu leaders were calling Tutsis cockroaches while in Nazi Germany in 30s Jews were demonized as causing all problems. So history shows saying bad things about a certain group almost never ends there. This is why I have been so critical of the anti-Semitism at some Gaza rallies as we have seen many go far beyond legitimate criticism of Israel, but extend into outright anti-Semitism which has led to property damage and sadly may lead to someone being killed or hurt.
As for action, mainly what I said above but I think reason far right around the globe has grown so much as too many have normalized them. Platforming and giving air to unacceptable views is not being objective and is not something a free society requires. Certain viewpoints are unacceptable and must not be tolerated. Those who spread lies and promote hate need to be marginalized again. And claims what about far left, are just deflections. Fact is far right not far left is biggest threat now. Police and intelligence agencies in Canada, US, and UK all say this. And election results too show far right getting a shocking minority support while far left largely limited to fringes. So there is no both siding this. Far right is wrong and needs to be taken head on. That means don’t vote for parties that do racist dog whistles even if you like other parts of the platform. It means when a friend or family member makes a bigoted remark speak out. You will always have far right types, but when you normalize it; it spreads to others susceptible to message and becomes a serious problem rather than remain on the fringes. And this is my worry is with social media and many on moderate right accepting further right as legitimate viewpoints is leading to their normalization. Its why unlike a decade ago I sadly think this could happen in Canada. And way we help dramatically reduce risk is push those who push such vile views back to the fringe.
afiscalconservativepointofview 
I really appreciate the depth of thought you have put into this issue. I think one of your statements crystallizes it for me most of all, because it can guide all kinds of actions that every human can take every day: “Those who spread lies and promote hate need to be marginalized again.” For me, this means that I don’t vote for any local, regional or national politician who promotes lies or shuts down much needed immigration. And I also don’t vote for any who are too cowardly to speak up against such lies. It means I don’t buy a Tesla or take part in X, or watch Fox News, or buy from any other business that oligarchs like Elon and Rupert profit from while clearly fomenting more harm than good for humans and for the world. It also means that I limit my time even on selective social media, and support legislative efforts to regulate it, however imperfect those efforts will be. And yes it means, just as you say, “when a friend or family member makes a bigoted remark speak out”.
But I think it also means we each ask ourselves what we are doing to combat racism and address inequities experienced by the First Peoples of our own country, people who have been systematically marginalized by broken treaties and bad legislation and poor policies for well over a century. I don’t think it is a coincidence that so many people who promote hate against immigrants are equally content to marginalize the rights of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples of Canada.
So I agree that marginalizing the far right and its corrupt profiteers is crucial. However, I don’t think it will work unless we also support politicians and groups that advocate for an adequate publicly funded social safety net, because people who do not have access to good public education, affordable food, decent health care, healthy environments, and safe housing are much more susceptible to the lies and manipulations of corrupt lying politicians and corrupt lying media barons and corrupt lying oligarchs. In my view, eight years of watching Trump in our own backyard has been the most tragic example of this twisted dynamic between a corrupt elite and a lot of desperate people growing more and more desperate in an increasingly inequitable US society. We should never be so naïve as to think that the violence happening elsewhere could not happen in Canada, or in any country, anywhere. Inequity understandably fosters ignorance and fear that is easily used by the Putins and Trumps and Musks of this world for their own gain, while the the world loses.
Furthermore, allowing corrupt governments and corrupt oligarchs to continue to ecologically degrade our earth at the current pace of consumption will only produce more environmental devastation, which will only fuel more wars, more pandemics, and more refugees around the world. I think that a “free” market needs better regulation every bit as much or more than social media needs it, if we humans hope to have a world we can still inhabit in a few hundred years. We seem to forget that we need the earth, but it doesn’t need us. Elon can go to Mars, the sooner the better. But I would like to see future generations be able to stay right here, because we finally figured out that a healthy earth supports human health, social wellbeing and economic prospects.
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I think a lot his true although not sure inequality is only cause. Pew research does polls on immigration and ironically UK has fewer who negative views on immigration than most European countries including some that have more robust social safety nets and are more equal. US also despite problems on racism ranks as one of the more tolerant too while Canada comes out on top. Nordic Countries which are more equal do fairly well but similar to UK and less tolerant than US. I actually think education and susceptibility to conspiracy theories is a bigger one. We do need to help those who are struggling but I still believe on balance free market is best system.
Globally climate change and wars no doubt create more refugees. More reason for still generally supporting free markets is growth and opportunity and Canada since 2015 has moved towards the bigger government approach and growth has been worse. So I think solution many on progressive side of reduce inequality and racism will fall is only partially true. I think cultural tolerance of racism plays a bigger role. Canada is not the most egalitarian country out there yet attitudes on immigration far more positive due to our culture and history.
I don’t think Trump is primarily caused by inequality as if you look at where he does well, it tends to be more rural areas and those areas tend to be quite anti-government so making government bigger will just alienate them more. Trudeau has taken polar opposite approach yet areas where right is strongest are those same areas. If inequality was main cause, parties on left should be doing better yet are at record lows suggesting to me making government even bigger will just further anger population that doesn’t trust them to begin with.
So in sum I think its more making racism socially unacceptable as moving left and being more equitable I don’t think will make a difference if social media promotes lies and far right is normalized. 20 years ago when in university, reason far right much weaker is we treated far right as pariahs. In 1999 when far right FPO in Austria was included in a governing coalition, there was mass outrage. Today now when far right parties included, people just shrug. Some even make excuses that to stop left we need to vote for far right and they aren’t so bad and left is worse. That attitude is what we need to challenge. I want Trudeau gone but Poilievre pandering to such groups is why I cannot in good conscience vote for a party lead by him.
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Well as usual, we agree on some points and not so much others. I see equity, access to good public education and freedom from poverty as all linked. You seem to separate them out. Also, markets are regulated – but poorly so. I don’t think that advocating for better regulation means abandoning a market economy. It just means taking adequate account of what counts as capital and how it all sources of capital (human, ecological, financial) are best taken into consideration.
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I think reducing poverty is important but reason I am skeptical main cause is if that were case, Nordic Countries should have fewest racial tensions while US should be worse and Canada middle of pack. Yet Canada is the most tolerant, US on tolerant side as is UK (which is one of the least equal in Europe) while Nordic are more middle of pack. I think humans by nature are uncomfortable with differences so people who grow up in a largely white British community 30 years ago that is now 30% minority may feel community has changed too much and anger at that. Reducing poverty can only do so much; some people are intolerant. Also some is backlash to wokism and DEI which far right misrepresents and exaggerates. Many wrongly believe white males are discriminated against in favor of minorities which is completely false but that lie needs to be challenged. In fact in UK, strongest level of intolerance is found amongst older people who have seen country culturally change a lot in their lifetime despite fact many doing reasonably well. Whereas younger Brits who are struggling the most tend to be most open to immigration and multiculturalism as they grew up in a more diverse UK not an overwhelmingly white UK. I remember in 80s when Chinese started coming in big numbers to Vancouver how upset some got and it wasn’t just those struggling; many doing financially well felt they were changing the culture too much. Nowadays thankfully that is very much a fringe view.
Heck even prejudices vary depending on whether people think immigrants are good cultural fits or not. Prejudices against Muslim immigrants probably worse as many wrongly buy idea Muslims are incompatible with Western culture and that attitude needs to be countered. So there are definitely good arguments to reduce poverty, but suggesting racism will diminish or go away I think is naive. People’s fears of others I think is a natural human instinct and its through education and exposure to others you reduce that. In case of Muslims, I sadly think a lot of the bad stuff happening in the Muslim world is fueling people’s hatreds towards them. Now if we could reduce poverty in Muslim countries, that would probably do more to reduce hate in West against them as you would have fewer issues in those countries so people would have a more positive view of them. Hardcore racists would still hate them, but they would probably be seen more in similar light to how East Asians are viewed today.
On market economy, I think in case of Canada we are too regulated and government has grown too big. Not suggesting radical cutbacks, just reduce to size that it was under Mulroney, Chretien, Martin, and Harper. For all its flaws I believe that worked far better than Trudeau’s big government philosophy which ironically hasn’t made things better for middle class or working class. In UK, I think its complex as not all those struggling susceptible to racism. Its more white males outside London without a college degree who seem most susceptible. Minorities, younger Brits, and even working class in London struggling but racism appeals aren’t working with them.
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I would add another thing many forgot is personal connections and countries built on immigration tend to be more welcoming than countries where majority of the population has been living there for centuries. In Canada we relate more to immigrants as our parents, grandparents, great grandparents, or in some case earlier ancestors immigrated here so in many ways we see immigrants going through same thing our ancestors did. UK unlike Canada has a mostly indigenous population who has lived there for centuries thus why I think Europe in general is less tolerant than countries built on immigration like Canada, US, Australia, or New Zealand. Canada of those three most tolerant as we really emphasize people are descendants of immigrants while other three do much less so.
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good post Miles!
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