A Country Fit For...

[Stavros]

Spain has been a total basket case & the most backward country in Europe since Franco took control

Hippifried I think you need to re-think this. Franco died in 1975 -yes, at the time Spain had not developed as much as other parts of western Europe, but in the years since then its economy and society has been transformed as democratic Spain has been determined to get as far away as possible from the strangulation of personal freedom and economic liberalism that typified Franco's regime. Spain's economic problems, like those in Greece and Ireland, has been shaped by poor tax collection, financial mismanagement and poor investment decisions, a litany that could apply to the UK as well.

I don't know what the most backward country in Europe is, it would depend on the indicators used to define it. In terms of attitudes to something like sexuality, I would not want to live in the Balkans -or Northern Ireland; in economic terms, I would assume Albania is still one of the poorest countries in Europe. Other BMs will have their own view on this.

[russtafa]

Why do you keep quoting yourself?

why do keep quoting me ? or are you stupid?

[Prospero]

my missus does not want to convert to islam and wear a veil and i don't want to kiss the carpet 5 times a day and under your reckoning hippie that's what is going to happen i think a lot of people will want to resist till the very end

It is astonishing how people believe this twaddle. Who on Earth is going to force your wife into a Burka or niqab? This is the same sort of talk about Muslims that people used to stoke the fire of hate against the jews - the international zionist conspiracy.

Arguing about the complexities of multi-culturalism is one thing. Yes - it is problematic and all sides need to intelligently engage and explore how we can get along together. Not pump out this stuff. Do you want all Muslims to be sent "back" to Muslim majority countries. Then what will you do about your aboriginals. Put them in camps? Perhaps it is the whites who should be 'sent back" to England to give the stolen land back to the original people there. Same for the Americas, New Zealand etc. How about forcing the Han Chinese to get out of Tibet and all the 'stolen" bits of their country. Take a globl perective on this and you see how lunatic your position is. We live in a complex and challenging world. Recourse to hate won't solve anything.

[hippifried]

my missus does not want to convert to islam and wear a veil and i don't want to kiss the carpet 5 times a day and under your reckoning hippie that's what is going to happen i think a lot of people will want to resist till the very end

Wow! I knew you were paranoid, but that's really over the edge. What makes you think that's a viable look at the future & not just crazy talk? They don't even put up with that kind of crap in Iran. I'm no shrink, but I'm going to advise you anyway. Ready? Don't do what you don't want to do. There it is. Just that simple.

what's wrong with one culture .multi culture is a disaster and divides countries not unites if so why is the UK and Europe in so much trouble?if some one settles in America they should live as an American with American customs not want to speak their language ,their schools,their courts

I live in a multicultural country. It's called the United States of America. We're not European. Customs are regional. So are dialects. I'm 23 miles from Mexicali, & this town is right around 70% hispanic. I'm the only one on the block who doesn't speak Spanish. The percentage gets higher as you go south. It's not a problem any more than it's a problem wandering around Little Italy, Harlem, Spanish Harlem, or Chinatown in New York. The idea that people have ever moved to a foreign country & immediately worked to assimilate into the culture is a myth. It takes another generation or 2, & by then the culture's changed anyway. Despite all the whining by the eurocentric, the truth is that immigration & the mixing of various cultures has never been anything but a boon to this country. They aren't colonists or conquistadors. From what I can tell, the biggest xenophobic fear of immigrants is that they'll behave like Europeans or eurocentrics. To be more precise: I believe your biggest fear of them is that they're just like you.

[russtafa]

It is astonishing how people believe this twaddle. Who on Earth is going to force your wife into a Burka or niqab? This is the same sort of talk about Muslims that people used to stoke the fire of hate against the jews - the international zionist conspiracy.

Arguing about the complexities of multi-culturalism is one thing. Yes - it is problematic and all sides need to intelligently engage and explore how we can get along together. Not pump out this stuff. Do you want all Muslims to be sent "back" to Muslim majority countries. Then what will you do about your aboriginals. Put them in camps? Perhaps it is the whites who should be 'sent back" to England to give the stolen land back to the original people there. Same for the Americas, New Zealand etc. How about forcing the Han Chinese to get out of Tibet and all the 'stolen" bits of their country. Take a globl perective on this and you see how lunatic your position is. We live in a complex and challenging world. Recourse to hate won't solve anything.

do you believe your twaddle?

[Nicole Dupre]

why do keep quoting me ? or are you stupid?

You're lucky we think kangaroos are cute, or we'd just bomb you and steal your real estate. But give us a few years because you're really starting to get on our fucking nerves. Mel Gibson was smart to learn to drop that gay accent you all have. Maybe you'd better get with the program, or we might just send in surgical drones to harvest your organs. You're all on thin ice down there, pal.

[russtafa]

you are on thin ice up their pal

[russtafa]

You're lucky we think kangaroos are cute, or we'd just bomb you and steal your real estate. But give us a few years because you're really starting to get on our fucking nerves. Mel Gibson was smart to learn to drop that gay accent you all have. Maybe you'd better get with the program, or we might just send in surgical drones to harvest your organs. You're all on thin ice down there, pal.

You've obviously just injected and on an absolute high,how the fuck did Mel Gibson come into this?You have no idea about the Australian accent do you and when you say we are getting on "our fucking nerves" are you now speaking on behalf of everyone on this forum are you?You're a joke lol

[Prospero]

Since you are clearly ignorant of history or geo-politics Russtafa and your only response is name calling i consider talking to you to be a flagrant waste of time. Get some education and whatever our political differences It'll be worth bothering to talk to you. As it is everything you post is simply the fruit of ignorance and blind prejudice.

In person you might well be a nice guy, but your unthinking posts reveal you to be the sort of fodder that of the left and the right demagogues have always depended upon. I'm sorry for you.

[russtafa]

i'm sorry for you.you are very misguided