Well refugees are not some homogenous bloc are they? To group them en masse is not particularly helpful.I admit, I am less than impressed by the cultural and religious oppression against women which has been in evidence across the middle east and anywhere, in fact, where religion, propagated by bitter old men, has been in the ascendant, fuelling the power imbalances resulting from late capitalism. Just another nasty set of oppressions. Furthermore, regardless of their country or culture of origin, I am firmly convinced that these shitters knew exactly what they were doing and that it was wrong - this is not cultural difference or ignorance - wrong, vicious and hateful.
The trend for describing national or cultural values has been dismissed as some sort of RW lunacy, harking backwards to impossible pasts but I do think that these conversations are worth having...along with some very uncomfortable real world issues such as dispersal, assimilation, integration, even prosaic but critical issues such as housing and infrastructure. One of the paradoxes of mass diasporas has been a very human desire to congregate with familiars - people like you...and here, also lies an element of danger and tension. For example, I recall the many recent fulminations regarding travellers. Personally, traveller men are not my favourite people - they often have lousy attitudes towards women and even worse attitudes towards non-travellors ...and I would find my tolerance tested to the limit if an encampment of 100 caravans appeared overnight at the end of my street(exacerbated by several personal deeply upsetting episodes where our lives have intersected). It is one thing to have ideals of fairness, equality and tolerance in a vacuum and another altogether when real world conditions impact on lives. Housing for example. The UK is experiencing something of a crisis which can only be worsened with any sudden influx of people from country or culture whatsoever. The govt. response of dumping has been a disaster for refugees and locals of small seaside towns which do not fit into a metropolitan, middle-class worldview. And for certain, refugee centres will not be appearing in Kensington or Westminster anytime soon So a detached, Guardian class of lefties will continue to spout piffle since their comfort and security is not likely to be impacted in any way. In working class estates in Manchester, Nottingham, Burnley and Teeside are going to have different lived experiences which, quite likely, will be dismissed as per. The horrible, unvarnished truth, for me at least, is that my priorities largely concern people close to me, especially when they are struggling with a deeply unfair housing situation...and to think that I would put a refugee's welfare above my children's is just not going to happen. Maybe if they were all securely housed instead of living in vans, lock-ups and squats. Ultimately, the working class in this country will find themselves experiencing more third world conditions because this imbalance is one of the conditions of a fully global capitalism. Maybe I will be able to make common cause with refugees - maybe not all of them, maybe not young men, especially not sexist young men. I dunno. I am, however, being honest as to where my priorities lie in any coming struggles and at present, it certainly isn't likely to be with groping men.
I realise I come across as selfish and even traitorously racist...but this anxiety is also at the root of the exodus towards the likes of UKIP...a step too far for me.
