It is easy to look back at the factors that have brought us to this state of affairs. There was a great number of major problems that were not addressed by the politicians that resulted in the situation we find ourselves. I’ll focus on Britain but similar factors were at work within the USA and other European countries:
- The wars, poverty and overpopulation in many Muslim countries resulted in mass migrations to Europe.
- Terrorism and radicalisation in many Muslims resulting in callous bombings, beheadings and other atrocities.
- The grouping of immigrants into various places in large numbers.
- The springing up of mosques all over the country and perceived intrusion into our Western culture of an alien culture.
- The wearing of burkas and niqabs reinforcing this feeling on intrusion and alien unWestern culture.
- The extremism of some Muslims stridently calling for sharia law.
- The rise in sex crimes, rapes, knife crime and gang activity blamed on Muslim and Eastern European immigrants.
- The mass immigration of people from the Eastern European countries and their congregation into certain areas.
- Hearing so many foreign languages on the streets and seeing so many shops opening up catering for Easter European tastes.
- They felt our social services, schools, NHS and other services were being abused by immigrants.
- The undemocratic nature of the EU.
- The laws that were passed by the EU without Britain having control.
- The aims of the EU in creating greater unity well beyond trade.
- The right-wing nature of the EU.
- The perceived extensive bureaucracy of the EU.
- The overbearing nature of the EU as exemplified by its treatment of Greece.
The result of this was that many people felt that we were being swamped with foreigners and our culture was in danger of being displaced.
They were concerned that terrorists and religious extremists were coming into the country under the guise of refugees.
They thought these people were taking jobs that British people should be doing.
They were fearful for their safety as crime increased.
They distrusted the EU.
Of course the right-wing and populist politicians took these fears and exaggerated them for their own ends.
Our politicians were far too slow at dealing with the problems and allowed them to fester.
The result is Trump, Brexit and the rise of the extreme right-wing. They promise to deal with these problems with black and white solutions:
a. Stop immigration – build walls
b. Deport immigrants
c. Ban burkas and deport radicals
d. Dump the EU and get back sovereignty.
e. Isolate and bring back nationalism.
They hark back to a nostalgic golden age (that never was) when we did not have these immigrants, were in charge of our own destiny and everything was rosy. That was never the case.
I would ask if there isn’t another, a better way of dealing with these problems???