What Fools These Mortals Be...

When two or more population groups, each with its own special, narrow and unadaptable culture and usually with a distinctive language has been, by the scale of change in human affairs jammed together, a sort of social dementia ensues. In the absence of a common idea of community, civilised motives will give way to hostilities. These 'hostilities' are not a 'maybe' or a 'perhaps'. They will happen. Historically such 'hostilities' have happened before, not once but many times in many different parts of the world. They have happened in Turkey, in England, in Ireland, in the Balkans, in Russia – in practically every country in the world. They have happened from conflicts of religion, or ideologies, or races, and more recently again with religion. Wouldn't you think people would have learned from history not to try doing it yet again?

The politicians and bureaucrats who advocated more or less free for all Muslim immigration absolutely cannot admit they were wrong in such advocacy, as such an admission would make them targets for both sides - that is to say - from the native population and from the immigrants. It is more to their advantage to introduce legislation to ban public discussion on the issue and to keep insisting there is no problem, or that the problem lies with the host population. If there is a change of government and a corresponding hardening attitude towards immigration and appeasement, these same politicians and bureaucrats will keep insisting (while out of office) that they had no problem but that the new government has introduced the problems. If there is not a change of government, these people will continue to do what they have been doing until the whole system collapses, whereupon they will follow the time honoured tradition of fleeing the country. Be sure this is what they will do. Every one of them will have an escape route already planned with perhaps an established home (at present called a 'holiday home') and plenty of taxpayers' money in the bank. An even worse case scenario is that hostilities will begin while these people are still in office, at which they will be able to declare a state of emergency and remain to complete their mischief – the imposition of a socialist dictatorship perhaps? For the good of the people, perhaps? Apart from looking after their own skins, do they know what they are doing?

Would integration of Muslim immigrants have been more successful if the freeloading mullahs and imams were not preaching war against the western world? Once again, foolish leadership is a problem. The mullahs and imams, like western politicians and bureaucrats, do not really have the good of the population in their hearts. They want money and power. Conversely, the populations of the world want peace, and the ability to raise their children to be well educated, healthy, and prosperous adults. I believe this.

Islam, like Catholicism, interferes too much in women's sexual lives. Women do not want to have uninterrupted childbearing. Most women would like to have between one and four children. Some women choose to have none. As women do the childbearing and rearing, I think it should be left to them to make the decision on family size. That the rich get richer and the poor get children is a truism. Families of eight and ten children deprive mostly the children but this, along with maternal health, child rearing ability and the financial situation of a family is not taken into account at all by these religious men. Part of their power is the control of cannon fodder. Thus, the more children the better. They also do not encourage people to think for themselves, citing religious tracts from whatever religious book they say they represent. They claim to be in touch with a Higher Diety, but they can't tell you if it will rain tomorrow. Ha! What would Jesus say if He came suddenly came back? Who do you think He would commend, and who would He condemn?

In Memory of Benjamin

Today is the third anniversary of the death of Benjamin Raymond, my grandson, who died at the age of twenty, alone, suddenly and violently, in a car accident.

I cannot think that you have gone away.
You loved the earth – and light lit up your eyes,
And flickered in your smile that would surmise
Death as a song, a poem or a play.

You were reborn afresh with every day,
And baffled fortune in some new disguise.
Ah! can it perish when the body dies,
Such youth, such love, such passion to be gay?

We shall not see you come to us and leave
A conqueror – nor catch on fairy wing
Some slender fancy – nor new wonders weave
Upon the loom of your imagining.
The world is wearier, grown dark to grieve
A child that was a pilgrim and a king.

Winifred Holtby (1898 - 1935)