[Marxism] The indigenous British.

[Julia Terreu <huliapril@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

After deciding to interview Tristram Hunt on his article published in the 
Guardian, for a radio programme that I work for
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2128707,00.html
 
I thought we might get a bit of insight into the plight of the working class in 
Britain and I might be able to discuss with him his new book on Friedrich 
Engel’s. Unfortunately the interview went rather badly, he began by talking 
about the enormous disparity between the rich and poor, he then proceeded to 
come up with some statistics as evidence of this fact. 
 
I was eager to move the conversation in another direction, I asked him about 
the comments that the general public had made at the end of his article in the 
Guardian. I wanted to know what he thought about the recurrent theme played out 
in much of the west to scapegoat immigrants as the cause of poverty and welfare 
degradation. Surprise…surprise he stoped to think for a few moments and then 
proceeded to tell me that the left, sadly, had refused to recognise that 
immigrants are to blame for the problem of poverty in Britain. He said that 
immigrants had taken the jobs away from the indigenous population… he also 
blamed the British working class! they no longer have a good work ethic? 
(Presumably he thinks immigrants have a better work ethic because they don’t 
mind being exploited and after all they love working long hours for less than 
the minimum wage). 
 
The co-host of the programme looked at me and could see that I was about to 
explode so he proceeded to ask him a few more general questions….questions he 
was unable to answer satisfactorily. ….He knew he was in a bit of trouble…(he 
must have heard my accent), he then stated that immigrants were not the whole 
problem, there were other factors involved…(He couldn’t think of any at the 
time) 
 
My patience was running low so I decided to ask Mr Tristram if there were no 
immigrants to exploit for cheap labor, wouldn’t the system just exploit the 
indigenous population……he laughed unable to believe that I had made such a 
suggestion,  he could not understand why I would think that…he replied by 
saying that the word ‘exploit’ was not the right term to use…it was too harsh 
(I wonder if Tristram is under the illusion that British capitalist would not 
exploit their own??? He had no problem with using exploit for immigrants) he 
then proceeded to state again that immigrants were the problem,  but not 
completely!
 
I decided to cut the interview short and ask him one more question; what would 
you suggest, as a strategy for combating poverty in Britain?…..his reply was 
‘education’ but not for the general population,  for the indigenous population! 
Amazingly he was very proud of himself when he made a practical policy 
suggestion; Since the Olympics was coming to town the government should oblige 
the companies involved to only employ the indigenous population? Apparently 
this would go a long way in solving the problem of poverty in Britain????? What 
the F…? Thankfully this was a pre-record so I have decided to scrap it.. 
Disturbingly this gentleman is writing a book on Friedrich Engels…I wonder what 
slant he will take on that…(poor Engels)
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