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“Growing up in a place like Nigeria means you appreciate what we have in the UK and in the West,” - As an immigrant myself to the UK (and prior to that to the US), it is remarkable how those of us who have seen true inequality, true racism, true lack of opportunities (and the effects of socialist policies) are the most staunch defenders …
“Growing up in a place like Nigeria means you appreciate what we have in the UK and in the West,” - As an immigrant myself to the UK (and prior to that to the US), it is remarkable how those of us who have seen true inequality, true racism, true lack of opportunities (and the effects of socialist policies) are the most staunch defenders of Western Civilisation. Thank you MP Badenoch and thank you Zoe Strimpel for a great morning read.
Sadly I think too many are way too comfortable with everything the previous generations fought for. What scares me the most though is politicians who immigrate from these countries then want to implement the same failed policies that destroyed their homelands. They really scare me because it shows they haven’t even really thought through any topic of substance.
This is happening when people from blue states come to red states to escape high taxes, to have law and order and in the case of California being able to walk down the street and not step on human feces.
One Californian said about Texas "We're going to turn this state blue." I thought are you crazy? You are escaping the chaos of California and you want to change Texas into a left wing sh*t hole like California or New York?
Agreed about the "too comfortable" part. Seems like if you don't fight for what you have you don't really appreciate it.
About politicians who immigrate, there are two points in my opinion - (1) If I want to immigrate to a new country, it is MY obligation to learn the language, accept the laws and the societal norms. 'Multiculturalism' is the root for having people trying to implement in their new country the failed policies/ideas/customs of their old one; and (2) for every Ilhan Omar, there is a Mayra Flores; what is scary is that people in Omar's district (for example) elect HER to want to implement her political views
If someone wants the congress to make English the official language, that someone is called a racist (the favorite smear of the left). Well if you are a racist, how come the left doesn't condemn most of the countries in the world as racists? Most countries have an official language. Canada has two, English and French. The bulk of Latin America has Spanish. Brazel has Portuguese and the Guianas have English, Dutch and French. Where is the false outrage from the left?
I've known several Nigerian emigrants to America. We have a fairly large population in the Sacramento, CA area, as well as emigrants from the Soviet Union. Both groups tend to be almost militantly conservative. Having experienced socialism first hand, they tend to be extremely attuned to Left-wing lunacy and authoritarianism. One of the USSR refugees goes to my church; he says the actions of the Left today (the LGBT loyalty oaths, the shouting down of dissenting views, the struggle sessions, the forced apologies to keep your job, etc...) remind him of growing up in Soviet Uzbekistan. My dentist (from Communist Romania) says the same thing.
Perhaps we ought to be listening to these emigrants. They seem to understand the good in our civilization better than we do.
As someone with similar experience I can say that, while some of the Left-wing lunacy and theatrics are concerning, but not overly so because I have seen that happen and I have also seen it go away.
What I haven't seen despite my commie childhood and what shocks me much more than brainwashed kids shouting slogans is the likes of Pelosi, Maxine, Feinstein, Clintons, Kennedys, Bushes, Biden, Cuomos, Romneys and I can go on and on - people who are forever in power, whose children are in power, who cannot be replaced. That I have not seen anywhere outside of North Korea - and the US and Canada.
Well said! I had a Hungarian professor in college who had no illusions about Communism, but even then (early 80s) he said (inaccurately, as it turned out) that the major difference between capitalism and communism was that communist elites didn't perpetuate family dynasties, while family dynasties were increasingly dominating America. He was wrong about communist countries, but he was right about America--and of course it's now gotten completely out of control. We may as well be living in late Renaissance Italy, with a bunch of mediocre distantly related heirs of original founding geniuses wrecking our country with their entitled self-indulgence, bad judgment and incompetence.
When I was in graduate school in the early 00s, I began to notice a phenomenon on campus: African blacks would return a smile in passing, while American blacks would glare.
I had seen the glares before, when we lived in a mixed race (white, black, and hispanic) neighborhood of Topeka. But this was my first introduction to the fact that most black Africans have a very different mindset than American blacks.
Oh, bloody good show, a Member of Parliament, whom is a black woman, raised by two doctors (one medical the other psychology), in Lagos, Nigeria, where white people are definitely not the majority, she represents Saffron Walden, England’ that doesn’t even have one half of 1% of black people living in the area. Proceeded to lavish red herring dog whistles on the floor of Parliament “according to the parliamentary record, Hansard, the term “critical race theory” had never once been uttered in the House of Commons chamber. By the end of the day on 20 October, however, it was of such importance that the government declared itself “unequivocally against” the concept. “We do not want teachers to teach their white pupils about white privilege and inherited racial guilt,” warned the equalities minister, Kemi Badenoch…” White privilege, Critical Race Theory, etc. wasn’t being taught in schools, but that really was the point anyway, the point was to make headlines, just like Donald Trump.
Kemi Badenoch says: “Growing up in a place like Nigeria means you appreciate what we have in the UK and in the West,” being raised by two doctors and shipped off to England at 16 years of age to receive a free education, I wonder how many black girls living in poverty, in America, would love to have her problem!
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/23/uk-critical-race-theory-trump-conservatives-structural-inequality
I wonder how many black girls in Africa, where the average income is $4k, would love to have the problem of being a black girl in what the US defines as poverty, which at the high end is several times that. And they would certainly love to grow up in USA with its greater opportunites, leading to a $44k average african american income.
Substack, the Brits average income is about $7000 more than we Yankee, so we are about comparable. In the United States, the average income is around 31,000. In England, it’s £31 447 or about $38,000. England and the United States' standard of living isn’t that far off compared to Africa; that’s why your comparison isn’t comparable!
"England and the United States' standard of living isn’t that far off compared to Africa"?
I'm talking about planet Earth, to be clear.
You just described Kamala Harris to a T. Tries to get mileage out of the woman-of-color thing and talks about being bussed as a kid, but grew up a daughter of privilege with two successful parents and is really less than half black. Probably never experienced discrimination in her life.
Perhaps reading what you write before you add it to a public forum might be a good idea.
You wrote:
"...a black woman, raised by two doctors (one medical the other psychology), in Lagos, Nigeria, where white people are definitely not the majority, she represents Saffron Walden, England’ that doesn’t even have one half of 1% of black people living in the area."
Are you suggesting that this person is not qualify to represent her electorate because of her race, or are you even more radical and believe that a black person raised in Africa is, by that fact, disqualified from representing white folk from England? Regardless, the statement is astonishing and it tells something about you, just like this one:
You also wrote that a black woman was "shipped" to England from Africa.
You accuse a rising political star of trying to "make headlines" which would be equivalent of accusing a football player for trying to score goals.
Your repeated use of the word doctor reminded me of "Spies Like Us", when Chase and Aykroyd pretend to be doctors, stand in a circle with a bunch of other doctors who all great one another by saying "doctor" over and over again. Should be make sure that any aid to say Ukraine does not go to the children of doctors because their parents are, well, doctors?
Fielding, how peculiar, you read multiple facts and conjure up out of thin air that I’m attacking her, it would appear you have preconceived concepts, and It’s quite puzzling how you came up with numerous conclusions.
I only stated two opinions:
1. “…the point was to make headlines, just like Donald Trump.”
2. “I wonder how many black girls living in poverty, in America, would love to have her problem!”
In keeping with your tone, I believe you owe me an apology.
Nobody owes a troll an apology, troll.
Can You get any more ridiculous? No, each time You post, Your delusions are more and more apparent. Thank You for the comic relief, troll.
If you believe the garbage written in the Guardian, one of the biggest propaganda pushers on earth, then you are part of the problem.
Michelle, an intelligent Individual, doesn’t simply denigrate the source of the material because that would display Intellectual Incompetency or laziness. A wise person knows: It’s better to say nothing and appear unintelligent than to say something and remove any doubt!
Just me. FIgures.
You subscribe to the National Review? Or are You a hypocrite and show Your own "Intellectual Incompetency or laziness"?
That's what I thought.
I stand by my comment for the simple reason that I DO read, extensively, many sources. I am on this substack....as are you. I have read Guardian articles for years and find their single stance on all issues ultra progressive and unworthy of debate. I am the least intellectually lazy person I know and have a lot of ammo against the Guardian, which is the U. K. version of the NYT. You can kiss my @$$ for your self righteous implication. You have no idea who I am or what I know.
Michelle, a mature intellect has the ability to separate the wheat from the chaff; for example, you could have found out; if it was correct that the parliamentary records showed that critical race theory had never been spoken of before October 20, 2020, on the floor of Parliament. You could’ve also determined that Kemi Badenoch uttered the phrase critical race theory for the first time on the floor of Parliament. But your prejudice prevented you from doing so! When someone says: “ I am the least intellectually lazy person I know….” Implies that your intellect is superior to everyone you know, something I would not do; besides associating with people of all different intellect, I try to associate with people who have a superior intellect to mine; that way, I acquire knowledge. Below you’ll find links to confirm the above.
https://hansard.parliament.uk/search?searchTerm=%E2%80%9Ccritical%20race%20theory%E2%80%9D%20&partial=False
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2020-10-20/debates/5B0E393E-8778-4973-B318-C17797DFBB22/BlackHistoryMonth?highlight=critical%20race%20theory#contribution-C8980402-C448-4265-B82A-F3A465E34808
I don't waste my precious time on political word games. A rose is a rose, except in politics. And since my sphere of influence is quite small, I stand by my statement about intellectual laziness and myself. Since you have no idea how many people I know, nor do you know me, you're not qualified to make a judgement about my intellect or laziness. Anybody who actually knows me would say the exact same thing about me as I stated about myself. Go find something else to do. You have proven beyond a doubt that you are an insecure, self-righteous hack.
You're a real joke. Most everyone here is Your intellectual superior. You ever learn?
Nup.
Your links mean next to nothing. But You certainly prove beyond a shadow of a doubt (if there ever was any) that You're an upjumped kid who is nothing more than a troll. Thank You for making my points.
Try learning from Your betters sometime, instead of waging meaningless battles to assuage Your hero complex.
Just me's a troll. Your response was excellent. About all You can do with trolls.
Thank you. I appreciate the heads up.
You maybe should read the article before making such a declaration. It doesn't appear to me to espouse a particular set of opinions rather than give truthful, accurate information and assessment in relation to the conversation on Critical Race Theory. If you are ruling out all of the information strictly because of the source, I would be curious to know what media outlet you think doesn't push propaganda at times. I think your answer would give a useful context to your previous comment.
I had been reading the Guardian, as well as the BBC, The Sun, The Independent, plus multiple other worldwide newspapers for decades. I stopped reading the Guardian about five years ago when it became clear they are a one trick pony. There is nothing neutral written in that paper; everything has an ultra progressive slant. I studiously avoid ANY publication that has an obvious agenda; why else would I be subscribing to substacks??? Does that not speak for itself? I don't need to list my reading material here to prove anything; but I will tell you that my last two books were a history of slavery in the U.S. written in 1872 by Henry Wilson; 3 volumes done; over 2400 pages; and the history of Ireland's conquest by England, going back to the Anglo Saxon and Norman conquests of the 1000's and the papal decree giving Ireland to England, including in detail the political and industrial tactics used by England and the Aristocracy to violently, culturally and financially oppress the Irish Catholics. I spend a minimum of three hours a day reading from multiple carefully cultivated sources. So, yeah, I stand by my assessment. Is that enough context?
Are You even serious? The subtitle.
"By importing Trump’s culture war, the Conservatives are trying to close down any discussion of structural inequality"
Trump's got nothing with how stupid CRT is. And if You had any knowledge of the laws in the U.S. that prohibit the teaching of it, You'd know that they do *not* prohibit discussions of race. They prohibit the stupidity of CRT. Categorizing people according to skin color, for one. Which is the *definition* of racism.
Funny that. How racist "anti-racism" of CRT is. Dunno how it is in England, but know I won't find out much in that propaganda piece from The Guardian.
Apparently you only need to see the cover to read the book.... CRT is more racist than slavery because it creates invisible chains disguised to look like ladders out of poverty. The leftist approach to race relations is all about power and not at all about freedom. As far as your "information", you're either ignorant or a blatant liar. Several states are allowing the CRT approach in the classroom. If you had a child, you would also be hearing about it from them, who see it every day. People like you are the reason that truth becomes propaganda, because it doesn't fit the narrative.
Tell me something I don't know. I agree with what You "said" above except I'm not *as* ignorant as You claim, and anybody who knows me at all knows I just don't lie.
Either Way, it would-a been a waste of time to read that article. I shouldn'a judged the book by it's cover? I'm spending the day reading two books which are more interesting than that article and Your comment.
We are alike. I was raised and later worked in a banana republic and know firsthand what it is to live in a real police state repressive country where police brutality is an everyday occurrence, where fear, murder and torture are used to keep the people in line.
Ronald Regan was right when he called the U.S. "The shining city on the hill." The purpose of the Democrat/Communist Party is to use their communist minions, BLM, ANTIFA, Woke, Political Correctness, CRT to destroy us from within.
The left will denigrate what I have just said and call me names. I am not a right-wing nut case. I consider myself to be a right of center conservative. But I am more than that. I am an educated avid reader of history. It is simple for me to justify saying the Democrats are on the road to communism. All you have to do is read a short history of communism and its tactics, to see that I am right.
Which short history of communism would you recommend?
Most histories I've read are long, like a biography of Stalin and I read them between 30 and 40 years ago. Many of these histories can be pretty dry and most people read novels not histories. When I said a short history, I meant for the reader to find a short history themselves.
For example, right now I am reading Wiliam Shirer's "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" which is over 1700 pages long. I don't know of many people who will slog through a novel that long, much less a history.
Years ago I read his "Berlin Diary" which was excellent so I decided to try his book on Hitler's Third Reich. So far Shirer is true to form and the book is as good as "Diary".
I'm sorry I can't recommend a short history.
Neither short, nor the full story of communism, but I'd recommend the following:
- Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder - All the horrors of the 'isms' in between World Wars
- Martyrmade podcast (by Darryl Cooper) - #19 - The Anti-Humans
- Unraveling 31 podcast (Jocko Willink & Darryl Cooper) - Out of the Frying Pan
I found these particularly enlightening... there are so many more resources, I just have these as recent finds.
Full disclosure, particularly with Bloodlands, it is hard to go to sleep after reading it
Thank you. The Black Book of Communism is what I’ve found, but not completed.
Absolutely is "The shining city on the hill", and it is SO DARN HARD to get to that shinny city on the hill as an immigrant (especially legally)... it is infuriating that when you arrive, some over-pampered, pseudo-intellectuals with a guilt complex for having it so easy, want to tear it down.
We can all agree that society is perfectible and the West has sins to atone for - but so do every single society on Earth since the beginning of history. We also can all agree that neither extreme (right or left) is good.
But can the West please, please stop this self destruction process? From my side, all sins forgiven and let's move forward to continue with the progress achieved through civilised history.
MP Badenoch is a remarkable woman - lucky Britain!
Now Commonsense needs to report on the many wonderful rising stars in the GOP. I look to the politicians the brilliant Peter Thiel supports: Sen. Josh Hawley, Senate candidates JD Vance in Ohio & Blake Masters in Arizona. Or how about CA gov candidate Larry Elder. I would love to see Candice Owens and Charlie Kirk run for office. But then I believe all have been endorsed or are liked by Trump, so I won't hold my breath. I dare Commonsense to report on one GOP candidate in a positive way. And please not the ones who will never win again as a Republican, Lynn Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.
Liz. It's Liz Cheney.
FGH...and thank you FGH...nice
Her lines about Madame Tinubu are particularly interesting. A strong black entrepreneurial woman who was powerful enough to help elevate men to the kingship in Nigeria and fought for her country's independence, but was primarily a slave trader. She fought for independence of Nigeria from Britain, but in large part because they interfered with her business activities. They had banned slave trading, and that was a primary business for her. She still sold illegally to Brazil and others and sought to get around the ban.
It is actually a truth that in many places in Africa, slavery continued long after emancipation in the US and, when ended, it was usually by the ban and efforts of a white colonial power. Bizarrely, Ethiopa had continued slavery until fascist Italy took it over. Apparently illegal slave trading continued at fairly sizeable levels in Nigeria until around the 1940's.
Chattel slavery still continues as a significant practice today in Niger and places on the southern cusp of the Sahara, of course.
Hey Jim - I believe in gratitude ;-)... very grateful when I read Common Sense