Rather pedantic article by Ally Fogg in today's Guardian that is being exultantly leaped upon by lefties as evidence that the ordinary people are stupid ("British public wrong about nearly everything- v. interesting, and proof we need compulsory citizenship education" says Rebecca Moore Labour's candidate in Withington ward for the 2014 Manchester City Council elections):
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/immigration-crime-benefits-everything-you-know-about-the-state-of-the-nation-is-wrong-8697574.html
Leaving aside the silly idea by Rebecca Moore that re-education camps are needed (not so fanciful - Diane Abbott MP has said on television that Mao Tse-tung is her great political hero) is the Ally Fogg argument serious?
Let us take the most provocative line by Mr Fogg: "The average member of the public believes 24 per cent of the British population is Muslim. It is actually five per cent. Average estimates of the total immigrant population are two to three times higher than reality."
The average member of the public believes that the Muslim population is too high - whether 24% is too high, or 5% is too high or indeed 1% is too high, the fact remains that the average member of the public thinks there are too many Muslims. You can accept that fact or ignore that fact or (like Rebecca Moore) try to re-educate that fact out of existence. What you cannot do is tell people they are wrong and its all been got up by the press (because guess what - in a democracy the people are sovereign).
And Mr Fogg should be aware that it is not just the public that holds hazy ideas about how many BME people are in the country.
Earlier this morning Bonnie Greer said: "A gospel choir onstage at the TheNational doesn't take the place there of ethnic leads, directors & writers mainstage. There. I've said it."
The black population of the United Kingdom is less than 2%. The Muslim population according to Mr Fogg is a paltry 5%. On these tiny figures how on earth can Bonnie Greer justify her call for more "ethnic" leads, directors and writers mainstage at the National Theatre?
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/immigration-crime-benefits-everything-you-know-about-the-state-of-the-nation-is-wrong-8697574.html
Leaving aside the silly idea by Rebecca Moore that re-education camps are needed (not so fanciful - Diane Abbott MP has said on television that Mao Tse-tung is her great political hero) is the Ally Fogg argument serious?
Let us take the most provocative line by Mr Fogg: "The average member of the public believes 24 per cent of the British population is Muslim. It is actually five per cent. Average estimates of the total immigrant population are two to three times higher than reality."
The average member of the public believes that the Muslim population is too high - whether 24% is too high, or 5% is too high or indeed 1% is too high, the fact remains that the average member of the public thinks there are too many Muslims. You can accept that fact or ignore that fact or (like Rebecca Moore) try to re-educate that fact out of existence. What you cannot do is tell people they are wrong and its all been got up by the press (because guess what - in a democracy the people are sovereign).
And Mr Fogg should be aware that it is not just the public that holds hazy ideas about how many BME people are in the country.
Earlier this morning Bonnie Greer said: "A gospel choir onstage at the TheNational doesn't take the place there of ethnic leads, directors & writers mainstage. There. I've said it."
The black population of the United Kingdom is less than 2%. The Muslim population according to Mr Fogg is a paltry 5%. On these tiny figures how on earth can Bonnie Greer justify her call for more "ethnic" leads, directors and writers mainstage at the National Theatre?
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