Mon, Oct 29, 2007
Time to pay old debts
In my opinion Britain is still a racist society, although it is often cleverly cloaked. I don't mean by this that British people have a racist attitude on the whole, but that policies discussed and implemented have race implications. The most obvious are ones regarding immigration, with David Cameron making it clear that to him the level of 'unskilled' people coming from outside the EU needs an 'adult conversation'. This is doublespeak for "too many (Black) African and Asian people are migrating to the UK, how can I suggest this without being overtly racist". Then we have climate change, the Millennium Goals, and world trade talks which collectively act against the poorest of the world (again, mostly African and Asian, but not forgetting South Americans). Therefore, reforms are not made on these issues because it is perceived as being political suicide to actively favour 'less-developed' countries at the expense of the more developed. Restricting car use or trade so that it benefits others whilst 'harming our interests' has become taboo. Then, there is an outcry in the gutter press that many people want to leave difficult and degrading lives for a comfortable one here. Before action is taken to restrict or minimise immigration from anywhere, some serious action has to happen on those factors that make life abroad hard. My suggestions for us developed places:
- Exceed or at least meet the Millennium Goals
- Atone for slavery, including payments to the countries from where slaves were illegally taken
- Make substantial cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, partly by curbing economic growth
- Compensate countries who suffer catastrophic damage that is likely to have been caused by climate change
- Help with expertise and materials, if desired, to prevent climate damage
- Reforming trade rules to favour poorer nations (e.g. by allowing restrictions on imports and subsidies)
- Reform trade talks so that lobbyists are excluded and all nations have an equal number of participants
- Turn the World Bank into the World Credit Union, wiping all debt in the process
- Completely overhaul the UN, including removing permanent places at the Security Council
Of course I could list more, but these suggestions are too radical for most people to contemplate, let alone endorse.
Comments and questions
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