Answers within the body of text below...
I don't know, I think it was on the back drops of years of silence on certain aspects. That built on the things like the grooming cases in Rotherham and elsewhere.
It build up huge levels of distrust in the media and the establishment. I think it is a bit ignorant to think that it's a simple case of "instant answer."
I am ignorant of many things, and unafraid to admit what I don't know.
When it comes to these matters and situations, I am not ignorant at all mate. I know what I don't know as Reggie Perrin once said. I am very confident of what I do know, however...I would counter that we are currently in a (post-truth?) world where people absolutely want instant answers, are disinterested in middle ground discussions, and demand action. How we got here is certainly a multi-faceted point of deep discussion. Sadly, where we've ended up is a place where extreme viewpoints are dictating the flow of opinion and pushing various aggrieved bodies together. We have arrived at a place where some of the socialists of my youth find themselves almost aligned with far right thinking. The agitators and manipulators of this situation have been skilled and deft for at least 15 years.
When you look back over what happened during Brexit, as after the first four years of the vote, you have sections of the Labour party calling or insinuating that everyone that voted Brexit was racist, the guardian printing articles regarding Brexit next to articles about the history of Nazi Germany. Which did nothing but tinkle people off as people from all parties voted to leave. Even Green Party voters voted to leave, does that mean the Green Party is a Nazi party? Of course, not, but that is stupid levels of disillusionment a majority pro-remain parliament was operating from. Sucking up to the EU and trying to force the electorate to take a 2nd referendum, becaue they didn't like the result.
See my comments above with regards to much of this.
I think you absolutely have a point - there were some aggressive reactions against Brexit. I personally thought it was a stupid move IF you believe in actually advancing our (then current) society. As I've said before, whether someone agreed with the EU or not, the direction of the world suggested that there was much much more power in operating as part of a trading bloc than not. I wholly understand how there are pitfalls in that system (mostly potential abuses of labor and the like) however there was also the massive reality that Russia was delighted to see the EU divided and as such, Brexit was a game changer in terms of destabilizing Europe. I lament that we had politicians at the time (Cameron) who didn't haver the stomach for the fight with regards to seeking changes in our relationship with the EU, and instead chose to gamble on a referendum. I suspect we disagree on the Brexit move/decision, but again, I think it's important to note that we also each appear to want the best for the working class British people and society in general. My main argument against Brexit is that it was always about serving a few fat-cats and had little to do woith actually helping improve society.
The the daily does of lies and spin, as politicians refused to accept the result of the referendum, continuously ignoring the concerns of citizens across the country. Despite the people voting and using democracy to enact their wishes, yet government repeatedly doing nothing, despite promising to do something.
Whilst the EU certainly did have a big role to play in their arrogant disregard of British concerns at the time, the government in the way they have behaved has also sowed the seeds of discord too, by the way it has behaved for the last 10 years or more.
Again, I refer to Cameron.
You might have been right, if the same problem and concerns regarding immigration accross Europe wasn't a thing. But it is a thing and you can't ignore that. And some these countries like Sweden, Holland, Denmark, are pretty much chilled and cool nations that are opened minded, then their is France and Germany with the rise AfD, would you say that this tension that is slowly rising across Europe a "instant answer" thing? No of course not. I posted a link regarding sexual crime in Sweden, and now the Swedish are marching and protesting in their country, due to massive increases in crime largely from viliolent migrant crime, and the recent killing of a father.
I think it's well worth considering the relationship Scandinavian countries had with immigration for many years prior. To one of your oft-repeated opinions of governments welcoming immigration as a way of bridging the workforce, many Scandinavian countries increased their influx of immigrants to supplement a work force depleting due to a slow down in local populations (births, deaths and all that). So for 20 years in the noughties there was lots of immigration before a crack-down. Here's an element of the immigration conversation which is not discussed; how asylum seekers and migrants are dealt with as they're being processed. Too often, groups who would be in opposition locally are placed next to each other in centres. Not enough care is given as to how to house and process incoming migrants, thus you can have clusters of men together for up to 18 hours a day with nothing to do and who dislike each other for various cultural reasons; yes. That is a problem and one which needs discussing. I do not believe that the majority of immigrants/migrants are sexual criminals, just like I don't believe the majority are criminals. That, for me, is selective spinning. As I said about the study you posted weeks ago, context in such stats is everything. And yes, I do believe that the drumbeat stating how immigration/immigrants are the problem is becoming not just an 'instant answer' thing, but the 'main answer' thing. Given that I believe it is based on a spun lie and altered perception of reality, I find it exceptionally dangerous, as it simply continues to feed into divide and conquer tactics.
You can not simply pass things of as "instant answer" or "instant protagonist", it's way to simplistic and ignores of an ocean of nuanced reason behind it, in a tangled web of stresses pulling on each other.
It is far far deeper than you think and yes... one of those stresses maybe have been the need for instant information, but on the flip side being, by not being open in the first the place would have lead to "what are they hiding this time," combined with the general anger of things over the last decade or so, those nuanced web stresses finally got out of control.
No, it isn't any deeper than I think. I have a very holistic view of both the current issues and from where they derive. Add that to the historic reality that whenever the masses are struggling, racism is the first step towards dividing a body of people who share the same struggle and I think we are in very dangerous times.
There are some awful criminals across society, in all communities and in all places. One of the things it comes down to is whether you believe they are the majority or minority. I think the majority of decent people are locked into the same struggle against a steroided-capitalist society.
I wholly agree that the rhetoric on all sides has become extreme and utterly polarising and divisive.
In closing, I think one of the biggest losses in terms of people has been the community which simply wants to get on with life without stating their opinions. And I think there are many people who because they don't come out and loudly affirm themselves for a particular belief (whether that be anti-racist or anti-homphobic) end up feeling that they are then judged as BEING those things simply because they don't state they aren't. And that certainly builds up resentment. I think a lot of what has aided the far-rights divide and conquer strategy is precisely this - ordinary people just wanting to quietly live their lives, practice decency but not necessarily proclaim their beliefs publicly. Such are the tools of division in society.
