Enemies of Reason Poundshop potshots at the media moral maze.

Express: Racism central

I haven't written much on the Express in recent times. To be honest with you, visiting its website or picking up a copy is something that fills me with despair and sadness. I despair at the inane anti-immigration views; I'm sad because it's supposed to be a newspaper.

You'll recall that when Tony Blair left office, he decided to use his closing speech to attack the Independent as a 'viewspaper' rather than a 'newspaper'. He said nothing about the Express. Why would a seemingly intelligent man single out the Independent, which (under its previous editor, anyway) tried to investigate stories and run features about issues that don't always make the news, while ignoring the appalling crimes against journalism committed by the Express? It used to be a fairly tedious run-of-the-mill right-leaning Mail-style mid-market paper. Now it is a home for racists.

I say this again to those who work for the Express: it's not going to change. You're not going to change it. Get out and keep your pride. Working there taints you with the foulness and disgrace that is the modern Daily Express. It should be a source of shame to turn up there every day. I know you've got a mortgage, but you've also got a soul.

Anyway, people like Blair forget about the shit journalism (that's now two payouts over the Madeleine McCann disappearance for the Express, Sunday Express and Star - a coincidence?) and anti-Muslim anti-immigration stance of the Express. The likes of that coward shrug their shoulders; well the Express might be a bunch of utter cunts, thinks Blair, but at least they haven't told me off or dared to criticise me for my foreign policy legacy, which is going to save the world and make everyone happy and get me a state funeral as well as my beloved Thatcher. Therefore, the Independent is SATAN HIMSELF!

But the Express is abominable. It's an aberration of a newspaper. It is an utter dripping wad of festering, dirty shit. Look at this:

WE FEAR RIOTS IN BRITAIN

Screams the headline, claiming that MPs are worried about 'immigration' riots. Why not 'race' riots, you may claim? Because this is a subtle new form of racism: if you claim that it's not about race at all, merely that Britain can't cope with immigration, then that means you can pretend you're not racist, even if you quite clearly are. It's an interesting technique, but it doesn't stand up to five minutes' scrutiny. And besides, did the MPs really fear riots over immigration? The actual report says...

The CIC recommended that the Government establish a national rapid rebuttal unit to counter myths about migrants. It argued that this unit should "produce training packs for local officials and councillors dealing with positive media messaging and diversity awareness".[108] This was the only CIC recommendation to be entirely rejected by the Government. The Secretary of State, Rt hon Hazel Blears MP, argued that myths needed to be rebutted locally for the responses to be meaningful.[109] We agree. Local authorities need to take the lead in countering local myths on migrants. We see no necessity for a national rapid rebuttal unit, but recommend that central Government share best practice on myth-busting and communication strategies.

Heh. Wonder why the Express didn't decide to cover that bit?

What about:

128. Migration can have positive benefits for local communities. Much of the health service is dependent upon migrant labour. The Government pointed out that migrants made up 17.8 per cent of the health care workforce. Many care homes are also dependent on migrant labour; migrants made up 13.3 per cent of the social care workforce in 2005-06.[273] Schools can benefit from the arrival of migrant children who help to raise the quality and educational attainment levels of the whole school.[274] The LGA noted that some local authorities have specifically encouraged migration to support the growth of their local economy.[275] The Minister of State for Borders and Immigration, Mr Liam Byrne MP, commented, "Birmingham wants to grow its population by about 100,000—and we do not think that all of that population is going to come from the resident population".[276] England is experiencing a rapid growth in the proportion of elderly people in comparison to those of working age, and the arrival of people of working age can help rebalance the overall population.

No? Then where's all this "WE FEAR RACE, ER, SORRY, IMMIGRATION RIOTS?"

2. There are significant public concerns about the scale and pace of migration. A November 2007 poll showed record levels of public concern about the number of migrants living in Britain. Some 41 per cent of those surveyed stated that there were too many migrants.[3] Given the level of public concern about migration and the pace of change experienced in some communities, there is a need for an informed national debate on the effect of migration on community cohesion.

Shit, I still can't find it. I seem to keep accidentally finding stuff that isn't totally anti-immigrant at all and is trying to understand community cohesion and the impact of immigration, attempting to address people's concerns while not pandering to myths and suspicion. But that can't be right. Hang on a minute...

14. Some degree of tension between individuals is not necessarily problematic and can be seen as an indication of a healthy democracy. The problem is when tensions escalate to a point where they negatively affect community cohesion. Open disturbances between migrant and settled communities are rare. Thankfully, to date no disturbances have occurred on the scale of those which took place in Burnley, Bradford, and Oldham in the summer of 2001 between settled Asian and white communities—though there have been localised disturbances in areas such as the Caia Park estate, Wrexham, and Boston, Lincolnshire.[25] Although they may not be widespread, we are still concerned about tensions between migrants and settled residents, and how through addressing the underlying causes of these tensions disturbances may be prevented from arising. Our evidence, particularly from our visits, indicated that there are many tensions relating to practical issues and fears over the changing nature of communities, and the pace of that change, as well as concerns about the pressures placed on public services from migration.

Is that it? Fucking hell, it's hardly "I predict a riot", is it?

The obvious (well, not obvious to the cunts at the Express, mind) point to make is that if there are racist attacks, the people to blame are not the immigrants but the racists. The Express deliberately does not do this: it blames the victim. If a racist attack happens, it's because there are too many bloody immigrants! It's the kind of victim-blaming atrocity that sees people blithely blaming women for being raped, ignoring the criminals and focussing the blame squarely at those who are on the receiving end.

It is rotten, sick, pathetic journalism. To claim that MPs are worried about riots, when the report is so clearly measured and calm in approach, is an absolute travesty of journalism and whoever wrote that shit should - or would, if they had a conscience at all, or didn't actually believe this bollocks - be ashamed of themselves.

Regrettably, I can't end it there. There are comments too.

I wish you hadn't said, "The racism that has come out of the woodwork". Its not racism, even the etchnic minorities are up in arms regarding the influx of foreigners over the last ten years. We as a Country cannot cope with it, also, we are being flooded with the criminal fraternity from these Countries. This is why the British, including you, are very angry. Our Country is going down the tubes under this stupid Government.

This is a new one but very noticeable on the Express website. It's the defence of racism I mentioned earlier. You also see people on the Express website say "I'm black but even *I'm* worried about immigration". Now I'm not saying they're not black, but it does make you wonder - it is rather conveniently exactly the argument that these cowardly "I'm not racist but" racists love to make.

A REMINDER...WHEN OUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED THEN SO IS ALL THE TRILLIONS OF CASH GIVEN IN AID TO AFRICA AS THEY CANT SOLVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS.BEFORE THEY COULD BLAME OTHERS BUT NOT NOW. I CANT WAIT FOR THAT DAY TO COME, I'M SICK OF SUPPORTING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO BREED LIKE RABBITS AND THEN SIT BACK AND WAIT FOR THE UK TO FEED,CLOTHE AND LOOK AFTER THEM. WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE?????

Caps lock and racism often go hand in hand.

But:

in the last seven year, when immigration has been at it's highest, there has not been one immigrant-led riot in this country.

and now immigration is slowing, due to both economic slowdown and increasing contols (we now have a points system, you know), and the express whants to try and fire up the old and tired 'fear of riots' scam?

how sad and boring.

it is pathetic jornalism like this that casues riots, though it's cynical manipulation and easy baiting of those who scare easily.

But for every one of those, there's five of these:

We are a northern hemisphere country with our own culture - Asians do not wont to mix with white British hence the Gettos such as we have in Peterborough and other UK cities. Enoch powell was spot on - we are not the same and never will be.

Face it: The Express is a home to racists. Racists who have to dance around the daisies and pretend they're really concerned about other stuff, but when you boil it down, it's the same shit as it's always been. A vile, disgusting, racist mag. A newspaper no longer. Racism central.

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