Friday
"We will not steal on your behalf unless we like you" ... that is more or less what Tony Blair has said to the Muslim community in the UK.
Religious groups will have to prove their commitment to integration before being awarded taxpayers' cash, Tony Blair said today, as he reignited the row over Muslim headscarves. [...] "Very good intentions got the better of us," Mr Blair said. [...] Mr Blair warned that public money had been too easily handed out to organisations "tightly bonded around religious, racial or ethnic identities"
After decades of pushing 'identity politics' and 'multiculturalism', the very architects of that approach are acting surprised now that many Muslims in the UK have taken that the establishment at its word. Of course all this really means is that Muslim groups which occasionally make the right sort of sounds will soon be receiving plundered tax money in abundance as never before as a sign that the making token gestures whilst coming from a threatening alien community is the way to enrich yourself in modern Britain, regardless of what even a cursory examination reveals about what you really think (see the government and media's bizarre characterisation of Sir Iqbal Sacranie as a 'moderate' Muslim).
Although every Hindu I have ever met do not seem to have a problem with Britain, If I was a Hindu I might start taking note and begin making threatening noises about 'saffron fascism' and 'disaffected youth' and then just wait for the dosh to start rolling in for those willing to make some small obeisance to nice Mr. Blair... and what about the Jamaicans? And the Poles? And the Jews? Start making a fuss guys, hold a few scary demonstrations and then set up some organisations which make government approved "tut, tut" sounds and just wait for the money to start flowing. Do you think that is not what is going to happen?
Just another case of markets in action.
Reward a certain type of behaviour and, wonder of wonders, it will be repeated.
Posted by Chris Harper at December 9, 2006 12:28 AM
What do you think the government will do if white Rhodesians living in the UK agitate for aid with respect to their "racial or ethnic identities"?
Posted by James Knowles at December 9, 2006 02:26 AM
"We will not steal on your behalf unless we like you"
I don't think that applies only to Muslim groups. Think about how central government subsidies to local government are pretty much blatantly rigged to favour councils runs by the party in power.
Posted by ResidentAlien at December 9, 2006 05:36 AM
Wrong way round, Perry. What they are saying is, "we won't give back the money we stole from people who give money to you unless we like you."
This is of a piece with the changes in charity law that you noted here. Consequence, not cause. So it is one of the Government's classic re-announcements of something it has aready done in a new (and typically bullying) narrative framework.
They are using the stick they thoughtfully cut for themselves last year to beat some unexpected people, and thus we have a news agenda on behalf of the Fear of Foreigners strategy. (Don't hold your breath, Eton, they'll deal with you in private, later, when no one is looking.)
Posted by guy herbert at December 9, 2006 08:32 AM
How long before Blair follows that nice Mr Putin's lead and begins licensing and regulating private associations, I wonder?
Posted by guy herbert at December 9, 2006 08:40 AM
In the same speech he also talked about duties as a complement to rights. Coming from him, this seems a small but significant difference from the usual formulation of rights and responsibilities
Posted by ian at December 9, 2006 11:13 AM
In the same speech he also talked about duties as a complement to rights. Coming from him, this seems a small but significant difference from the usual formulation of rights and responsibilities
Posted by ian at December 9, 2006 11:18 AM
It would be nice to think that Blair or for that matter any senior politician would come out against doling out taxpayers' money to any so-called "community organisation". Period.
"Maybe I am just a dreamer".....
Posted by Johnathan Pearce at December 9, 2006 06:18 PM
I used to like that song when I thought it went:
... No need for greed or hunger OR brotherhood of man. ...
Just goes to show how careful you have to be with language. And how subtle the difference between left and right.
Posted by guy herbert at December 9, 2006 06:25 PM
The Aussies said pretty much the same thing awhile ago and it got a positive response from the voters.
Blair is just parrotting something he thought would enhance his image without offending too many people.
I don't follow British politics like so many here, but political BS is the same no matter where you go.
Posted by veryretired at December 10, 2006 01:06 AM
Blair is just parrotting something he thought would enhance his image without offending too many people.
Wrong on every count, I fear.
Blair is not trying not to offend people, this is his version of the dog-whistling appeal to racism. He's praying-in-aid racism and fear, just as his administration has been doing for 3 or 4 years steady.
Compare the offensive a few months ago on "faith schools", in which it was suggested that religious schools getting state subsidy would in future have to take at least 25% of students not of the relevant religion. It was clearly aimed at the handful of Islamic schools which have recently applied to join the club, and had its effect as such a gesture, regardless that it was always going to be shot down by the Catholic Church, which has over a thousand schools.
That's the tactic in its strategic context, but what's more interesting is indeed the idea of duties preceding rights (and liberties being nowhere). This is the core of Blairite philosophy peeping out of the spinning carapace: "civic republicanism" (in the Government's citizenship curriculum) AKA "progressive nationalism" (to the Prospect crowd) AKA "Asian values" (in Singapore and Malaysia) AKA "soft fascism" (here).
Posted by guy herbert at December 10, 2006 09:51 AM
Guy, whatever the rights and wrongs of Blair's approach there is a problem with Islamists both here and in the rest of the world. Blair has not made it up. The only thing I'm genuinely scared of is that our leaders, including Blair, have not recognised the extent of the danger that Islamism poses, as evidenced by his borderline-retarded insistence that *solving* the Israeli Palestinian embroligo will somewhow reduce Islamic terrorism.
Whatever Justin Raimando and the neo-Lindbergh lobby might say, bad people really do exist outside the US and UK governments.
Posted by Gabriel at December 10, 2006 10:26 AM
