I am listening more and more to radio. On Monday as I returned home from an over night stop at the Pontefract services area at the former junction between the AIM and the M62, I slowed down to listen to Andrew Marr’s Start of the week discussion with authors who have written books about immigration.
I grew up in a refugee family from the threat of Nazi Germany to Gibraltar and pressure from the Catholic Church and although my care mother then lived in a small town in England for over sixty years as did my birth mother until entering residential care for the last five years of her life, they always felt Gibraltar was their homeland.
In Monday’s programme one argument presented is that immigration has not posed as great a problem in the United States as it is now doing in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and in parts of Western Europe because of two major policy decisions. The first has been the requirement to learn, understand and sign up to the terms and conditions of citizenship before it is granted with the consequence that successive waves of immigrants while retaining their cultural and separate religious identity nevertheless regard themselves foremost as USA citizens. One can think of the Irish, the Italians, the Russians, the Germans in this respect, but it is not something which can be taken too far in terms of the position of the native Americans, the black and Hispanic Americans until very recently although the election of President Obama may change their position as well.
The point was also made that the way substantial waves had become part of the society meant that no groups had overwhelmed and changed the core culture of being an American whereas in Britain especially there are vast numbers of long established citizens who feel overwhelmed and threatened by the waves of incomers from the West Indies, the Indian Sub continent and over the past decade from central Europe. One significant reason given for difference is that the USA has not only been clear about who has been welcomed and when, but also policed its borders with vigour and clarity, although again there is the reality behind the generalization as it has been less vigorous in sending back those needed and prepared to undertake be exploited for their seasonal labour or provision of servant status labour.
The second issue which interested me was the argument that policing borders with vigour only prevented a growing problem from immediately getting worse and helped to avoid immediate cultural clashes. There was a world wide priority to focus on raising the economic conditions, the political, educational, cultural and basic human rights of people in the countries which are their homelands so that the need to move would be removed for the majority, a need which was often one of desperation to survive, yet also knowing that many would not survive the journey or be accepted if they made it to their choice of place for salvation.
There is no evidence of any willingness to take the economic and political decisions to bring this about and therefore the emphasis will be on containment and limiting the adverse consequences of previous political policies and decision which dealt with the immediate difficulties and put off the those requiring more fundamental changes in priorities and attitudes.
I arrived home, unpacked and prepared for my longer trip and longer absence the following day. All the plants were watered and moved to an open sky environment. I then discovered that there was play in the one day game at Riverside in which Durham was meeting Sussex and decided to visit although is was too cold to watch in the open air, and skies threatened more of the rain which had greeted my morning.
I was lucky because I found space for a chair at a window in the Member’s Lounge. Durham had won the toss and elected to bat which someone who took the next seat with his partner considered to be a major mistake and with hindsight his view prevailed. The problem is that within the league Durham had the lowest run rate which becomes a factor if a divide has to be made if more than two teams top the points table. Unfortunately no one was able to sustain a partnership and were all out for 192 with 10 balls left to play Captain Smith struggled to reach 65 and six of the Sussex bowlers achieved wickets. It looked as if Sussex would have little difficulty in reaching the required runs and this they did with opener Joyce 102 not out at the end, Gatting 48 and Wright 28 the only two wickets to fall and Sussex gained the two points with seven overs in hand. It did not omen well for the week ahead. Not that I witnessed the end for as soon as the outcome was evident to me I made by way home and tackled the preparations for the long day of driving ahead.
Over the previous weekend I had decided not to wear my wearable suit on the journey but packed along with a shirt selection in a Priority Club suit or dress cover for a major dry cleaning firm and decided to continue this approach for the long trip, adding more shirts and a second pair of trousers.
I also changed from my usual black shirt and trousers for casual and work day wear to brown cricketing outfit for the country county or countryside visit, comprising brown socks and sandals as I no longer have a pair of wearable brown shoes, brown trousers, a soft brown jacket and a red shirt with a white and a cream shirt also packed and my green over-jacket together with the usual black jacket which combines an inner and outer jacket and where the sleeves can be removed from the outer and which is also reversible.
Because the car park is a fifty yard walk from the motel I decided to try and concentrate the luggage to two trips and which involved leaving the cool bag and the bag with tins, jars and containers, together with my hats, large umbrellas and spare shoes in the vehicle overnight. I had a computer in each bag and also divided my cricket books, one other book, DVD’s, radio and camera between two bags with a pull handle and wheels together with the balance of clothing and bag of toiletries. There was also my haversack where for the journey I placed by booking material and other information, notebooks, pens, decaffeinated tea bags and other last minute decisions to take with me.
I then wanted to write and stayed up until one but had a good night deciding against setting the alarm clock. I was naturally awake and feeling refreshed around 7 and ready for departure just after nine making two checks of the house.
On the final check I asked the house to look after itself while I was away and apologised for my recent lack of care, promising to do better on my return.
I was not hungry and decided against coffee before departing, but called at Lydl for a pint of milk on the way as the Azda car park was full only to find they had no single pints and there was a long queue at the checkout so I put back the pack of ham and crossed the road over to the Post office store where they had a pint of half skimmed and then at the butchers for two slices freshly cut ham. The journey was only a few miles underway when the decision was taken to pull in at the Washington service area for a croissant and coffee, having a bought a supply on my return from the match the previous day.
This kept me going for the next 150 miles which meant I could stop at my favourite service area on either the A19 A 1 route or the AIM M1 route South. There are only five rows of cars with a large hedge between the first two and the other three and by placing the car facing forward on the outer row there is a very pleasant vista of a gently grassy bank, shrubs and topped with trees. My only moan is that the free wireless link is only available inside at a table having paid out for a drink as a minimum. I did not have the time or inclination. One more stop was made at Toddington for fuel and to drink water. The roads were full of lorries and other vehicles but there were no hold ups and I cannot remember when I last travelled from the MI M25 link to the start of the M23 to Brighton without encountering a slow slow, even slower slow journey, I was able to average sixty to seventy miles throughout the 360 miles of the trip.
The previous evening I caught the last few minutes of 24 and wished I hadn’t but the cause was a good one, a new episode of Lost as there is an explanation of some recent events and connections and which appear to offer a solution to the overall series.
I continue not to rule out the possibility that human beings can travel in time back and forward. My main interest is whether memory is transferred along with physical characteristics. I must find out what research has been undertaken.
I grew up in a refugee family from the threat of Nazi Germany to Gibraltar and pressure from the Catholic Church and although my care mother then lived in a small town in England for over sixty years as did my birth mother until entering residential care for the last five years of her life, they always felt Gibraltar was their homeland.
In Monday’s programme one argument presented is that immigration has not posed as great a problem in the United States as it is now doing in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and in parts of Western Europe because of two major policy decisions. The first has been the requirement to learn, understand and sign up to the terms and conditions of citizenship before it is granted with the consequence that successive waves of immigrants while retaining their cultural and separate religious identity nevertheless regard themselves foremost as USA citizens. One can think of the Irish, the Italians, the Russians, the Germans in this respect, but it is not something which can be taken too far in terms of the position of the native Americans, the black and Hispanic Americans until very recently although the election of President Obama may change their position as well.
The point was also made that the way substantial waves had become part of the society meant that no groups had overwhelmed and changed the core culture of being an American whereas in Britain especially there are vast numbers of long established citizens who feel overwhelmed and threatened by the waves of incomers from the West Indies, the Indian Sub continent and over the past decade from central Europe. One significant reason given for difference is that the USA has not only been clear about who has been welcomed and when, but also policed its borders with vigour and clarity, although again there is the reality behind the generalization as it has been less vigorous in sending back those needed and prepared to undertake be exploited for their seasonal labour or provision of servant status labour.
The second issue which interested me was the argument that policing borders with vigour only prevented a growing problem from immediately getting worse and helped to avoid immediate cultural clashes. There was a world wide priority to focus on raising the economic conditions, the political, educational, cultural and basic human rights of people in the countries which are their homelands so that the need to move would be removed for the majority, a need which was often one of desperation to survive, yet also knowing that many would not survive the journey or be accepted if they made it to their choice of place for salvation.
There is no evidence of any willingness to take the economic and political decisions to bring this about and therefore the emphasis will be on containment and limiting the adverse consequences of previous political policies and decision which dealt with the immediate difficulties and put off the those requiring more fundamental changes in priorities and attitudes.
I arrived home, unpacked and prepared for my longer trip and longer absence the following day. All the plants were watered and moved to an open sky environment. I then discovered that there was play in the one day game at Riverside in which Durham was meeting Sussex and decided to visit although is was too cold to watch in the open air, and skies threatened more of the rain which had greeted my morning.
I was lucky because I found space for a chair at a window in the Member’s Lounge. Durham had won the toss and elected to bat which someone who took the next seat with his partner considered to be a major mistake and with hindsight his view prevailed. The problem is that within the league Durham had the lowest run rate which becomes a factor if a divide has to be made if more than two teams top the points table. Unfortunately no one was able to sustain a partnership and were all out for 192 with 10 balls left to play Captain Smith struggled to reach 65 and six of the Sussex bowlers achieved wickets. It looked as if Sussex would have little difficulty in reaching the required runs and this they did with opener Joyce 102 not out at the end, Gatting 48 and Wright 28 the only two wickets to fall and Sussex gained the two points with seven overs in hand. It did not omen well for the week ahead. Not that I witnessed the end for as soon as the outcome was evident to me I made by way home and tackled the preparations for the long day of driving ahead.
Over the previous weekend I had decided not to wear my wearable suit on the journey but packed along with a shirt selection in a Priority Club suit or dress cover for a major dry cleaning firm and decided to continue this approach for the long trip, adding more shirts and a second pair of trousers.
I also changed from my usual black shirt and trousers for casual and work day wear to brown cricketing outfit for the country county or countryside visit, comprising brown socks and sandals as I no longer have a pair of wearable brown shoes, brown trousers, a soft brown jacket and a red shirt with a white and a cream shirt also packed and my green over-jacket together with the usual black jacket which combines an inner and outer jacket and where the sleeves can be removed from the outer and which is also reversible.
Because the car park is a fifty yard walk from the motel I decided to try and concentrate the luggage to two trips and which involved leaving the cool bag and the bag with tins, jars and containers, together with my hats, large umbrellas and spare shoes in the vehicle overnight. I had a computer in each bag and also divided my cricket books, one other book, DVD’s, radio and camera between two bags with a pull handle and wheels together with the balance of clothing and bag of toiletries. There was also my haversack where for the journey I placed by booking material and other information, notebooks, pens, decaffeinated tea bags and other last minute decisions to take with me.
I then wanted to write and stayed up until one but had a good night deciding against setting the alarm clock. I was naturally awake and feeling refreshed around 7 and ready for departure just after nine making two checks of the house.
On the final check I asked the house to look after itself while I was away and apologised for my recent lack of care, promising to do better on my return.
I was not hungry and decided against coffee before departing, but called at Lydl for a pint of milk on the way as the Azda car park was full only to find they had no single pints and there was a long queue at the checkout so I put back the pack of ham and crossed the road over to the Post office store where they had a pint of half skimmed and then at the butchers for two slices freshly cut ham. The journey was only a few miles underway when the decision was taken to pull in at the Washington service area for a croissant and coffee, having a bought a supply on my return from the match the previous day.
This kept me going for the next 150 miles which meant I could stop at my favourite service area on either the A19 A 1 route or the AIM M1 route South. There are only five rows of cars with a large hedge between the first two and the other three and by placing the car facing forward on the outer row there is a very pleasant vista of a gently grassy bank, shrubs and topped with trees. My only moan is that the free wireless link is only available inside at a table having paid out for a drink as a minimum. I did not have the time or inclination. One more stop was made at Toddington for fuel and to drink water. The roads were full of lorries and other vehicles but there were no hold ups and I cannot remember when I last travelled from the MI M25 link to the start of the M23 to Brighton without encountering a slow slow, even slower slow journey, I was able to average sixty to seventy miles throughout the 360 miles of the trip.
The previous evening I caught the last few minutes of 24 and wished I hadn’t but the cause was a good one, a new episode of Lost as there is an explanation of some recent events and connections and which appear to offer a solution to the overall series.
I continue not to rule out the possibility that human beings can travel in time back and forward. My main interest is whether memory is transferred along with physical characteristics. I must find out what research has been undertaken.
No comments:
Post a Comment