The UK’s shame: How did we end up calling for CHILDREN to be DROWNED?
Tom Watson: No wonder he looks depressed – he’s talking to one of LBC’s famous bigoted right-wing listeners.
What is the matter with us?
Back in the day, everyone I knew used to be tolerant, if not downright friendly, to people from other cultures. It’s what made us great – the ability to see the best in others and adopt it for ourselves.
Then something changed. A gang of liars slithered into Downing Street, Whitehall and Westminster and started spreading lies and divisive talk – about people who were unemployed, or sick, or disabled… or foreign.
Suddenly we’re all at each other’s throats; queuing up to run everybody else down.
And we end up lowering ourselves to this, as heard on LBC:
“Tom Watson told a caller that his views leaves him “worried for the future of humanity” after he said children migrants attempting to reach the UK should drown.
“Andy told the Labour MP that a “large portion of the country is in poverty” and that there should be “no more”.
“But when Tom asked about the English Channel, his response was shocking.
“”You’ve got a boat load of kids sinking in the English Channel, what would you do with them?” Tom asked.
“Andy responded: “I’d let them sink.”
“”So you would let children drown in the English Channel?”
“”Yep.”
“”How many?”
“”As many as it takes to stop them,” Andy replied.”
Here’s the exchange:
Some might say this is only what we should expect from people who call in to LBC, and there is truth in that.
But I think there is a more deeply-ingrained malaise.
There is no reason for anybody to wish death on people who are simply trying to escape hatred and persecution. The fault lies with the governments of their own countries.
But we can’t just pin the fault for callers like Andy on the Tory government. I reckon he has held his racist – because that’s what they are – views for a long time; the Tories just made him think it’s all right to voice them.
He was right that there’s a lot of poverty in the UK – but that is because a very small number of very rich people are keeping all the money for themselves.
They control the means of production, the supply of goods, the cost of goods, and the amount of pay given to employees. And by hiding their vast profits in offshore tax haven bank accounts, they avoid paying taxes that could support state systems such as the NHS and benefits.
And that gives the Tory government an excuse to say there isn’t enough cash to make these systems viable.
There’s plenty of cash. It’s just being kept from us, that’s all.
So the immediate cause of the problems raised by Andy is the Tory government.
But the cause of his bigotry needs to be rooted out. Somebody filled this man’s head with poison, and the only way to drain it out of him is education and persuasion. He needs to learn, not only that his belief is wrong, but why it’s wrong.
Shamefully for the nation, he’s not the only one.
I’m not often in agreement with Tom Watson; in the Labour Party, it seems to me that he has caused more problems than he has solved.
But I am in complete agreement with his fear for the future of humanity – if bigotry like Andy’s isn’t countered.
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Sadly we know that reasoned rational evidence based argument is unlikely to persuade these bigots. It’s been shown they are more likely to believe conspiracy theories etc. Experts are not to be believed, thank you Gove.
There is an interesting discussion about attitudes on the interweb- I can’t do links- but google Richard Darlington NORAD and see what he has to say about attitudes to International Aid, another bete noir of the racist right.
Maybe a more savvy contributor or Mike can supply the link
Happy New Year
gree with you Mike. This Tory Govt has provided a platform of acceptance which encourages people with deep-rooted racist views to publicly voice their “concerns” when normally they would be no more than bar room bores. LBC is either intentionally, or not, giving these hate-filled, morally bankrupt, members of the human race a licence to indulge in race hatred. Does this not constitute a hate crime?
???????
This was inevitable – the racist vans driving around under May as Home Secretary was a significant point, but the journey was already well underway. The MSM has followed the Tory racist, classist, and frankly authoritarian agenda . Now we have nowhere else left to go, beyond full racist. And full resistance to this.
And if anyone starts again today about Corbyn and Brexit and PV and posturing, anyone who isn’t united with us to get rid of the Tories will be treated as the enemy. No more “broad church” rubbish. Do they not understand the stakes here? Tom?
The same sort of vicious and malicious bigotry can be seen regularly in the comments made by Rightwing trolls on the internet and in local newspapers.
I keep encountering this Andy type at my local pub and I pity them.
It’s pointless trying to reason with them because “You can’t educate Pork” as the saying goes.
Being a sad right-wing clone with neither human compassion nor the love of others to comfort them in times of trouble is a very pathetic existence.
My travels thoughout the world has broadened my mind and has helped to do the same with my daughter and grandchildren and made us better, kinder and more generous people as a result – perhaps a lesson to be learned?
Is this trend deliberate? Was this planned a while ago? For 2019 this has to stop. Too many lines have been crossed already. There is too much of a smell of the 1930s about this.
This is absolutely horrendous. Such people should not be given air time. I suspect that bigots such as these have always existed, but you are absolutely right Mike they are being incited by equally nasty and bigoted Tory and other right wing politicians who are nothing more than loud-mouthed rabble rousers.
There’s plenty of cash. It’s just being kept from us, that’s all.
Hmmmmmmmmmm Thatcher Blair have made many
Greedie they want your crumbs but change it took that time of their rules to change enough to be like that caller. Yet IV asked even the bishops especially that one in can’t because that whot I call this one the bishop of can’t. He stands one day to call government to account yet the following day recant it hmmmmm do you want more they kill their own people’s does this government under their eyes yet to ask some for pity humanity gone wrong but sadly we slept through the changes untill today your eyes open and only ugly people vile with hearts that are rotten to the core only those with a heart will ask why and children dying for
The crimes of others isn’t right oh Tom when it suits him to ware such armour but unreal life he’s the trouble causing unrest in the party better he went across the floor and leave a human with heart try to take control of this madness. Jeff3. Yes my English poop but you’ll get the message hopefully
I blame the Daily Mail and Tories.
This is what Labour, Socialists, LibDems and Greens think too.
Less children for the cause, whatever that cause is.
Labour – children need to suffer, disabled need to die, mother have to get used to their babies dying – for austerity
Socialists – women need to suffer, children need to be harmed, babies need to disiabled should be sacrificed – for the cause
LibDems – the disabled are the price we have paid to be part of concessionary politics, ignore disabled, women need to get used to children and dependetns suffering and babies dying – for the sake of cuts and austerity.
Greens – we need less people in the world, it is good when children, babies, disabled, elderly and worthless lower class people die.
Do you go around blind and deaf? Is there something in being male and white and non disabled which makes you go around and totally miss what is right in front of you which is in your house and your home and for those closest to you?
You are all expendable – for the cause. Plebs Peasants and Fodder for politics and ambition. How wonderful to hold on to a dream which never happened and which never existed, an as a carer lets be honest, who actually comes in? and who leaves you?
delusional drivel thinking it is just tories and right. These values are held by all and the vast majority. Cannot go out without meeting it straight in the face. cannot stay in for targetting and abuse and promise of violence and real vio;ence and sexual harassment we suffer as women, carers, mothers and any dependents. no matter how frail.
I can assure you it is not what people in the Labour Party think, therefore your claim is false.
I take it from your comments that you are not a member of the Labour Party, therefore you do not know what people in the Labour Party think.
Please stop trying to propogate lies about the Labour Party.
I agree, saying children should be left to drown is wrong, Andy should be ashamed. It is so easy saying ” of course there is poverty” it rolled of Tom Watson`s tongue far to easily. The P.M. said “extreme poverty is at all time low” and was proud of it. This is our problem, politicians are so detached from reality. Mr Mogg was so chuffed with the good work food banks do. these are the same people who live in a subsidised world, they dont pay the full price for anything. Freeze their credit cards and bank accounts for 6 weeks,sit back and watch everything change in about 2 weeks. Homelessness problem could be solved overnight if we used all the government empty buildings ( there is one next to me been empty 8 years). The politicians dont want it to change, it would upset the Status Quo.