Update, EU Xenophobes

Well, they lasted a year, and at last the far-right racist and xenophobic block of the European Parliament fell apart last week.  Known by their ironic title “Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty Group”, the block dissolved after the Romanian far-right members were offended by derogatory comments by Mussolini’s granddaughter. In practice it means they will get less speaking time in parliament, and perhaps more importantly, no more EU funds for their professional hatred activities.   They say when the announcement was made the parliament broke into applause and cheering.  I’ll save my applause and cheering for when the mainstream parties stop pushing xenophobic and corporatist policies on European citizens. 

bm233 DNA and Immigration in France

The French government, under the guidance of its new president, passed a bill to require the use of DNA testing in certain immigration cases. Is this the will of the French people and what are the implications if more of these types of policies are put into effect?

My guests:
John Mason, Prof. of Political Science at William Paterson University (NJ)
Jessica Reed, blogger; OpenDemocracy.net

We discuss:
– The state of the state
– Who supports Sarkozy?
– His policies and his background
– Where the French public falls in all this
– Eastern Europe
– Africa and former colonies
– Labor and birth rates
– How do fight back against xenophobia

 

bmtv57 Racism and Xenophobia, Brussels.

During my most recent trip to Brussels, there was a demonstration against Islam. (!) The event was organized by one of the far right parties that recently became a very significant force in government. This video comes from no-comment, the video-podcast from euronews.net.

Click To Play

bm199 What these Elections Will Do To France

Media coverage of the French elections has spiraled into the typical who looks tougher who will lose reporting, as is the norm for mainstream media today. But there are real policies that will harm or help real people throughout and France, depending on the outcome. In this podcast, with the help of Chris of Americablog and Jessica in London, we will identify what changes will come and what it means for French, as well as the effect on Europe.

I recommend Chris’s latest post on round 1 election results
Also Mentioned: Opendemocracy.net

We Discuss:
-The top issues that will HAVE to change regardless of who’s elected
-The economy and jobs
-The 35 hour work week
-The green movement, or lack there of
-The Health system
-Transport
-Selling “American Style” to the French
-Racism as an election tool
-Europe Union issues

 

Todays Bigots

The by-line of the article reads as follows:

In an effort to close a chapter in America’s history of race hate, Washington is bringing elderly Klansmen to justice for killings carried out up to 60 years ago

Well now thats just a bit misleading and well… wishful thinking. The part about closing the chapter on race hate I mean, and the Klan.

Nope… that book isn’t even close to closed. Yet the Guardian isn’t alone when it talks about the civil rights struggle and racial violence in the US in the past test. You hear it all the time; I wonder how teachers are teaching the children in elementary schools?

See the KKK isn’t past tense. It is alive. Not only that, I learned recently that membership is at its highest levels since the 70’s! Yes… we’re talking about a membership boom in an era where some people would like us to believe racism and violent groups like the KKK are all done.

What causes a boom? Well we can deduce that one. The two very popular issues that drive today’s bigots to violence and organized oppression against specific groups: xenophobia and homophobia. By focusing on those two issues, as the Klan has apparently, they can count on all the immigrant haters and the gay marriage oppenents… ready to dawn the sheets and burn some crosses.. or whatever their modern day methods are. (buy a congressperson and rig a local ballot?)

Oh and one final note to all my blue state-northeast friends. If you’re like me you’ve often had the illusion that our states are much more open minded and forward thinking. Well, for the record, the active and growing KKK chapters are located in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. So much for what I thought was my forward thinking state-of-birth.

I have Two and Im proud

WEll, there’s a new cabinet running the Netherlands now, and as per tradition, they’re already arguing about bullshit.

See, the coalition government has two ministers from the Labour Party who are muslim. Or perhaps more importantly in this case, one who is Turkish and one who is Moroccan, both – mind you – Dutch of course. So they have dual nationalities. As do countless others, not to mention probably millions in Europe, myself included.

Yet the parliament, which Im convinced is made up of some of the most racist, ignorant, hateful neanderthals the country has to offer.. have kicked up a big fuss about the ministers and their dual nationality. I believe the quote was “They have questionable loyalties” And they’re (on the right) talking about changing laws or god-knows-what in order to force people to have only one nationality.

Yes they continue to try to put more nails into the coffin of what was once a very progressive and exciting country. With each year they dig up yet another hatemongering distraction of an issue that targets we “the foreigners”.

But the jokes on them; all those reactionary dinosaurs in parliament. I’m younger then you are. And so are my immigrant bretheren. And we will live on long after you’ve decomposed, and we will keep our two passports, and we’ll speak whatever languages we like on these streets, and you’ll just have to roll around in your grave and try and get used to it.

To their credit, I believe one of the “accused” ministers said something to the effect of “Some of the worst crimes in the history of this country were commited by Nazi collaborators who only had ONE nationality.”

Dam right. I’m an Amsterdamer and this city is my home and you’ll have to pry my two passports from my COLD DEAD HAND.