Public concern over immigration well preceded our entry into the European club although I accept that it has accelerated in recent times. It’s an easy flame to fan.
Don’t know why you should be so vituperative about remainers and blame them when it’s the policy of successive government since the 1950s you should be looking at. It’s quite typical of the way politics, particularly the remainer/brexit thing, has become so polarised, intolerant and even viciously abusive. No listening, no rational debate, just abuse of anyone who dares disagree.
I was't aware I was being vituperative towards remainers, my expression of opinion is not harsh, intolerant or viciously abusive!
My opinion appears to agree with your view. The current state of politics is such that any criticism of immigration policies leads to a shut down of debate with slurs and smears ensuing, usually by the left wing, which tend to be remainers and by the media, which tend to be the establishment mouthpieces, regardless of the position of the person hoping to debate immigration (either left, right or centrist).
I would agree with your view that immigration has been an issue since the 50's, we've seen ignorance and racism continue to this day, although the overt expression of ignorance and racism has drastically reduced because of the shutdown of debate by successive governments, the introduction of political correctness, the invention of 'hate crimes', the right not to be insulted, the reduction of free speech on social media and the invention of words such as 'Islamophobia', none of which is applied equally by the state or the instruments of state.
There is now no way of telling if the same intolerance exists as it did in the 50's and if it continues to the same extent today. If people have a legitimate right to express their views in non-racist, non-violent ways, then they aren't given a chance. My view is that remainers promote this, just as you see the reluctance to discuss immigration in the context of Brexit, they shutdown the debate often with the 'racist' term attached to it, de-platforming speakers in universities or in hustings where democracy should be taking precedence.
Interesting times to see how this will work out, interesting to see that the establishment think they can quell the thoughts of people using legislation and the media, interesting to see that from the 50's the oppression was of the left by the establishment and how that has now turned into oppression of anyone by the left and the establishment.
It's almost as if the left has taken over the establishment, regardless of which government is in power and is using the rule of law, the judiciary, the police, the intelligence agencies and the institutions to crackdown on 'free speech' to suppress the 'people'.
The role Brexit has played is to highlight the divisions that exist, the polarisation already existed, but since the debate over Europe has opened up somewhat since, people now feel the need to express themselves more. In response, the government cracks down
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Britain is/has been the most tolerant country in the world, for a long time, especially towards minorities, we have traditionally allowed anyone and everyone to take their place in terms of equality, we had been doing very well compared to other countries, it has been a struggle, many people have died along the way, there is now a risk of that being overturned because governments won't allow reasoned debate about subjects they deem to be politically correct.
