The riots have stopped – for now – but Starmer will not stop what was behind them
JVL Introduction
The Far right’s rioting, based on lies and distortions, media bias and political expediency may have gone quiet but the underlying causes remain; the stoking up of Islamophobia, the crises in our public services, the attacks on “small boats” and so on. Nesrine Malik has summarised some of the key issues rather despairing that Starmer will not use his position to tell the truth, truths that cause difficulties for those who want to maintain the status quo rather than blaming the real cause of the crises we face. You may also find it useful to read Prem Sikka in How the Government can combat right-wing extremists by challenging neoliberalism. In addition, learning more about the beliefs of the Far Right is salutary and important, see eg here
Nesrine Malik is also interviewed, exploring many of these issues on this Politics Theory podcast about the riots, Islamophobia, racism and more.
LL
This article was originally published by The Guardian (Opinion) on Mon 19 Aug 2024. Read the original here.
After the riots, Keir Starmer should tell us the truth about our country. This is why he won’t
The violence exposed racist, anti-immigration narratives based on lies. Yet there has been a gaping hole where the counter-argument should be
Loading article text…
There is a link between what is happening in Gaza and the Occupied Territories here. The people who threatened immigration solicitors and tried to attack buildings housing immigrants were proclaiming one simple message ‘The United Kingdom is the homeland of the British people’. Substitute the appropriate words and is this not exactly what the state of Israel is saying? What’s sauce for the goose…
Would that Starmer took a leaf out of Shawn Fain’s book.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/uaw-president-immigration-class-war
Les. True, but is it tearfully claimed that the UK is our only British homeland? No, and what country has more than one homeland? As far as I know only the forever victims. And Palestine has had its long established homeland stolen, which was never a Palestinians only homeland but with several races and creeds living in peace. Hopefully history has obliged the UK to end its old habit of ‘owning’ other peoples’ homelands. Ireland next?
Correction: As far as I know only claimed by the forever victims.