Has Enoch Powell been vindicated ?

[derekpara]

A bit of a leading question, but do you think Enoch Powell's 'Rivers of Blood' speech in the 1960s (I think) was justified, and has he now been vindicted ?

[searchme]

Yes and Yes

[bazwillrun]

what he predicted was pretty obvious to anybody.

we are just starting to get an inkling of the troubles that we are going to have in the near future from the immigrant population of this country. if we keep giving in to them as we are, they will take this country from us, from right under our noses.

I for one dont want my my kids to grow up speaking pidgin english and surrounded by immigrants

you aint seen nothin yet !

[surfer mike]

How many millions of 'immigrants' as you call them, or british citizens to be precise live in this country and go about their daily lives working hard, living by the rules, giving no trouble to the police, providing for their families and generally enriching britain as a culture, 90 plus per cent? a bit harsh in the extreme to lump these people with the 1 or 2 per cent of scum isn't it??

[gaza2]

like everything else, it takes only 1 or 2% to spoil it for everybody else. The main point is that this small minority are fanatical enough to riot, injury and kill. As the muslim cleric leader of Hamas said the other day, ISLAM is coming, everyone beware. This is now the time to draw a very large line accross our border and only allow people into the country who have no intention of doing it harm, and anyone already in this country who wishes to terrorise should be booted out ASAP!

[shaneystar2]

I believe Enoch Powell made this speech in 1968 and I remember at the time my Dad saying that we would see anarchy in this country ".Not in my lifetime, but yours" were his words.He said to me that we would be pandering to an immigrant population.His words ring true to me when you see what is going on in this country today.

[Lonnie]

As has already been said, its only a minority, (at the moment), but if this goverment doesn't get to grips with it, it'll come true.

[bazwillrun]

surfer mike

the vast majority do not enrich our culture, why does our culture need enriching, what is so wrong with our culture ?. They want the same culture as from where their families emigrated from. If we give them the chance they will destroy this countries cultural heritage, in fact they are doing a good job of it at the moment aided by a left wing government who seemed determined to give this country away to them.

[Gef]

Well said surfer mike. I presume that the questioner and all other respondents would want to throw out all "so called" immigrants. I don't wish to trivialise the issue but where would our culture be without the input of say Chinese, Indian, Bangladeshi, Italian and Greek restaurants for example? As you say the vast majority of these people go about their lives in a normal way and are an integral part of our society. Enoch Powell was an excellent politician but he was wrong with this idea.

[smudge]

shaneystar - I could have written that myself word for word!

[Oneeyedvic]

Where woul0d we be in any sporting competition without immigrants?

Where would the NHS be without immigrants?

Where would the winos get their drinks from without corner shops?

Why is the corner shop so popular? Because the mainly asian people who run them are prepared to work all hours to make it a success.

Why is there a disproportionate amount of immigrant medical staff? Becasue their parents teach them to do well at school to get a good education.

Just as not every white person is a paedophile / dole cheat / BNP memeber / etc etc, not every non-white person is a potential terrorist.

As someone pointed out on a different post, the papers are very good at stirring it up, and sadly it seems that the majority of people want to believe it.

Yes, there are some immigrants (first, second and third generation) who are not benefiting this country - lucky there are no white people doing that eh? Kick some of them out by all means - so long as you kick out the white ones who aren't contributing as well.

(oh and Bazwillrun - on the basis that you seem to have trouble with spelling & grammer (but don't want your children to speak 'pidgin' English) - do you blame the immigrants for that as well?)

[rojash]

Come to that, where would WE be without immigrants. Most of us are descended from immigrants and invaders (which is why we have such a diverse language and culture).

[Elfin]

Back to school for you Vic. In this instance, "pidgin" is correct usage. He got it right - 'tis you who are mistaken with your grammar...

[Oneeyedvic]

sorry - me but a lowly uneducated son of immigrant.

I am definitely not trying to say that I have an amzing grasp of the English language - but it does amuse me when someone who can't even be bothered to use capital letters and doesn't use punctuation correclty complains that his children may not speak correctly due to immigrants.

[bernardo]

No he was not justified
No he has not been vindicated

[shaneystar2]

I don't think most of us have anything against immigrants per se. Generations of them have lived here quite happily and integrated into our society.It's this Islam thing that is becoming out of control .To be honest I had never heard of Al Quida before 9/11 and I don't think I am the only one.I don't think I even knew that much about Islam and their religion.But now it is in your face day after day. When you are faced by these fanatics on the streets it makes you wonder.
I dare say if I were to go to an Islamic country and run around waving a cross ,half dressed,shouting "Jesus saves" and swigging a bottle of whisky to boot I would soon be run in.
So why should they be allowed to demonstrate their hate for the west on our streets and get away with it.
When the British public demonstrated against the poll tax they sent in the riot police.
These dress up as suicide bombers and nobody turns a hair.

The government have got to step and do something and soon or Mr.Powells words may yet come true.
Jack Straw may well become the Neville Chamberlain of our time if they don't stem this tide of fanaticism .

[surfer mike]

'the vast majority do not enrich our culture'

You're opinion and you're entitled to it, but i beg to differ.

Thats the trouble with the race issue, a tiny minority [and before you hit back with a daily mail type rant] IT IS a tiny minority who are trouble making extremist hatemongers are used to make age old stereotypical points about a entire race and culture, it's absurd, just like it's absurd to associate white football thugs and other white trash who commit all sorts of hateful behaviour with the vast majority of decent law abiding white britons.

i share with you and many others a concern about islamic zealots and would welcome the most extreme to be deported, but can't you see lumping these with the entire muslim community and other races, is extremely silly.

[Dolly1308]

yes and yes!

[bazwillrun]

but it is the majority who with their insidious cancer like ways will try and take over this country, that is why they certainly dont want too much attention drawn to themselves, so they can carry on , slowly but surely undercutting, undermining and chinking away at our culture day by day little by little.

[Goodsoulette]

I 100% agree with surfermike. I would love to know why people who hate the west so much live here though and also has anyone ever met a muslim extremist, I really am intrigued.

[Trotbot]

Society appears to becoming more and more polarised and that, in part, is the fault of some of contributors to this thread. The level of intolerance, bigotry and ignorance is utterly outstounding. How would a peaceful, hard working immigrant to the UK feel reading some of the threads on this site.

Yes, there are people of different ethnic and religious background who hate western society and what it represents. (And note that the mock suicide bomber has apologised for his inappropriate actions). However, the generalised nature of the hatred of all that is not pure Anglo-Saxon (and how many can claim that - none) makes matters worse.

The people get the newspapers and the Op-Eds that they deserve and the papers now are devoid of any intellectual or moral stance. The learning from and understanding of multiple cultures can only enhance society. However, the papers publish hate and bile, so many believe it and so the papers need to generate more hatred to sell (and survive in the internet age).

I suggest a subcription to the Economist for those who slavishly believe everything the Daily Hate publishes. It leans to the right, and business, but recognises that integration is the way forward.

In answer to the question, no he was not justified. Unfortunately the narrow minded nature of so many may well create a situation far worse than he imagined.