Enemies of Reason Poundshop potshots at the media moral maze.

It’s political incorrectness gone mad

I'm guessing it went like this. Lots of BBC suits sat round a massive oak table, their expensive shoes luxuriating in knee-deep carpet. "Trouble is," says one suit, "We're seen as a bit, well, leftie. Liberal, even." The other suits jiggle their jowls in accordance. "We need to be more inclusive. How can we appeal to racists, buffoons and small-minded cunts?"

A pause. Then another suit pipes up in perfect RP: "Why not do a series of programmes about how white people, despite being the vast majority of the population, having all the best opportunities and advantages, being in charge of everything and being better off, feel that they're being swamped by brown folk? Why not pander to that racism and stupidity?"

What a cracking idea. Chicken Yoghurt and Lenin have already had their say, but needless to say there are others with slightly different views flaming all and sundry on the BBC Have Your (Reactionary) Say messageboard. *sigh* It gets so bad sometimes that I think it's a big joke and that maybe the views on there aren't real, but... but I know it's true.

Let me say what I think first. Why call the bloody programme 'white' if not to be inflammatory? If you're going to give a damn about working-class people, why not all working-class people? Is this going to be a genuine investigation exploring why some white folk feel on the shitty end of the stick, or just BBC HYS on film? Yes, the working-class have been screwed over, particularly betrayed by New Labour - yet, as I've said before, there are people who'll vote Labour no matter what, as displayed by the fact they have, despite being totally ignored and despised.

There is no major political party who cares about working people - sure, the minimum wage has just gone up, by real inflation as opposed to 'CPI' (='not representative of anyone's real life' inflation) but that's just keeping the lowest-paid workers at the bottom of the pile, at a time when basic goods, privatised utilities and things you need to live, like food, are rising ever faster. But working-class people can see there's a huge gulf, getting wider all the time, between those with property, who have real wealth, and those without, wage-slaves and doleites alike, who are having to firefight their way through life, always staving off debt and despair. No political party cares about this. They shun taxes on the rich. They get eviscerated by rich newspaper owners whenever they try to tax business or the extremely wealthy, so they can't be bothered to try, even if they did believe in some kind of social justice. It's all about keeping your fingers crossed and believing in Dave Cameron's fantasy world of 'the good rich', who prop up society through charitable donations. We can't possibly tax them, just hope they're benign enough to give something back. And that's the consensus.

How you go from that situation for working-class people to them blaming blacks, Muslims and politically correctness gone mad is interesting. A lot of it really is just bigotry, stupidity and racism, and let's not pretend it isn't. I'm not going to pretend that if only people could see the truth, there'd be no racism; there would.

But is there a culture of ignoring the working class, shunting them to one side, blaming them for society's ills and telling them that the problem isn't the rich, but poor people of a different colour? I think that's the narrative the low-end and mid-end newspapers, as well as the supposed 'quality' press, likes to pursue. Heaven forbid the rich might actually be called to account for divisions in society; no, it must be people who are clearly 'other' - people of different cultures and beliefs. Now, if the BBC shows investigate this, then all power to them - being detached from advertisers and rich owners, they can look at things in a different way. That's the point of the BBC. But I do wonder whether that will happen. I hope, but I wonder.

And now the BBC HYS to show you what I meant earlier. The question: Are white working-class people ignored in Britain? The most popular answers:

This is proberly the worst time in history and the worst place in the civilised world to be a white heterosexual working class male.
We work harder and longer than our Europeon allies, for worse pay ,worse conditions, worse pensions, worse healthcare.
Many of us are fighting wars in thwe middle East whilst their young come over here and get looked after by our welfare state, when our soldiers get injured, they are treated like third class citizens.
Yes, being white sucks!
pete tong
Recommended by 147 people

What? What does heterosexual have to do with it, except to point the finger at those nasty gays? But I agree with Tong on the working front - yes, we work harder for worse pay and worse conditions. Maybe if we hadn't voted in five successive governments with total and utter contempt for trade unions that might not be the case? No, blame PC, it's easier. And 'many of us' aren't fighting in the Middle East. Just a few poor souls. Sorry, 'our brave boys'. And yay, here's the first 'come over here and get looked after'. But not the last. So, essentially, just prejudice and nonsense from Tong, but as ever, the commenters jump on anything vaguely right-wing to bump it up the rankings.

The question should have been “are whites racially discriminated against in the UK”, the answer is an obvious yes.
The government and media should have no colour bias in all areas, and treat people fairly based on their ability and actions irrespective of skin colour.
I doubt this would happen, due to the perverted political correctness endemic in government and the media.
richardb, London

'I'll answer the question I think you should have asked as it makes it easier for me to attack PC and say whites are discriminated against'

Are white working class people ignored in Britain?
Only until it's time to pay their taxes or spill their blood on a foreign battlefield.
Drongo Umbongo, in the, Congo

Oh, ha ha ha. You fuckwit.

Oh My God...can you actually say the word "white" in England in 2008 now and not face imprisonment for being racist?
John Smith, Greenford, United Kingdom

Yes John, you can! You can you know!

On paper, I have never earnt as much as I do now, in reality I have never been so poor.
When I get home from work I am too tired and stressed to go out and enjoy myself, even if I could afford to.
My crime? I met and married the wrong woman, who left me with a load of debts for another man taking my kids who I now have to pay for despite her refusal to let me have access.
If this happened to a woman the would be an outcry, but it happens to men everyday in this hellhole of a country.
[zen_reality]

Eh? This wasn't the question at all, but thanks for sharing. This discussion has just become a free-for-all on 'isn't it tough being white and a straight man? Isn't it hard having all the advantages?'

Yes, and mainly by the BBC.
Adrian Mugridge, Chester, United Kingdom

Yeah, you stick it to em, Adrian.

No just being ignored, but oppressed by the PC thought-fascists who think they can dictate what we can discuss. Immigration IS an issue and it is NOT racist to want to consider the implication of mass out-of-control immigration. It was only when a large proportion of immigrants were white Poles that discussion immigration was allowed by the PC though-police.
Simon Ward, Watford, United Kingdom

PC thought police. A nice new one. But yes, the usual introduction of immigration as a topic - it appears sooner or later in any internet messageboard, especially this one.

Went to the social housing office with my, also white, wife in 2004 the woman behind the counter looked up and laughed as she pointedly looked over my shoulder at the room behind me. the three of us were the only white people of the 30 or so there.
She didn't have to spell it out. We left and are still paying 60% of our joint income on rent. Looking forward to the 20p pay rise the mighty whites have seen fit to bestow on us though.
Goodbye.
dave, willesden

Yes, it's horrible being poor. But is it really because you're white that you're poor?

Yes but it's not only "white working class people", it's all sections of the "indigenous" community: The Old, the Disabled, the Poor, the Homeless, the Young and so on.
So much for our birth-rights. Great Britain is being slowly eroded away for the benefit of other's "not" born in these isles.
Welcome to the melting pot which once was Great Britain!
Tam Lynn

As I've said before, 'indigenous' is a bit of a touchstone for a certain type of person. You'll see that word pop up often, especially on the BNP website.

Working class? - Not sure, but white, heterosexual and "normal" certainly!
Garety Evans, Banff

White is normal? Most people on the planet aren't white, Garety.

think that a fair proportion the white working class feel with some justification that they are being restrained because they cannot get into the housing market and see options being taken away by immigrants persistently jumping the queues. Their position becomes even more frustrating when they see their efforts to improve their lifestyle being refused by the politically correct brigade saying they must step aside from job opportunities to allow a better balance irrespective of their ability.
Colin Whinger speaking his mind, Plymouth, United Kingdom

So there we are. The same clapped-out old arguments based on lies. Immigrants jump the housing queues (they don't); white people get discriminated against (they don't); the PC brigade runs everything (it doesn't exist, nor does it run anything). What have we learned from this discussion? Bugger all, except there are some ignorant people out there. A good use of taxpayers' money to pander to these types? I don't know. We'll have to wait and see the programmes. But it's not off to a sparkling start.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Related posts:

1. Man throws giant pun opportunity at political reporters
2. We’ve told you absolutely fuck all, admit political reporters
3. Man in political party disagrees with man in other political party
4. What’s worse, child abuse or political correctness?
5. The BBC gives more of a shit about the integrity of sports personality of the year than its political coverage