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Gurkha clarity/Ethics of hospitality

Further to this, here's Hak Mao:
There is a genuine news story about the right of former Gurkha servicemen to remain in Britain, the politics of immigration controls, and the policies (and hypocrisy) of Labour, Tories and the Liberal Democrats, although sundry news ‘outlets’ have missed it. The story is only interesting to the press insofar as it relates to Gordon Brown and his ‘humiliation’. The Gurkhas are a cypher, a convenient hook — on another day, Brown would be ‘humiliated’ if the government had admitted the Gurkhas without demur.

As Labour and the Tories compete to be perceived as ‘harder’ on immigration, there is a surfeit of humiliation to go around.
[See also Martin M]

And further to this, here's a taste of the left bloggery around Strangers into Citizens:
  • Voltaire's Curate: a critical view from a No Borders perspective (see also discussion thread)
  • Liam: a sympathetic view from a Socialist Resistance member
  • David Broder: a sympathetically critical view from The Commune (response from SiC here)
  • Jim Jay: a sympathetic view from our Green socialist comrade (gets extra points for going off to the Tamil demo)
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Jim Jepps said…
This is probably the chip on my shoulder speaking but the thing that annoys me about the Gurkha thing is that the whle focus is on a posh actress and you rarely hear from the Gurkas themselves.

Let white people fight racism for you? I'm probably being churlish and ungrateful - after all she is putting hard work into a good cause.

However. The thing I loved about the strangers into citizens is that it is overwhelmingly migrant workers fighting for their own rights, speaking for themselves, without having to have English people do it for them (which should also happen).
07 May, 2009 12:44
Brigada Flores Magon said…
Posh actresses in vanguarding mode have form, of course. Vanessa Redgrave, anyone?
07 May, 2009 21:42
Martin Meenagh said…
Surely this is in part about the British Army outsourcing nearly ten per cent of itself? There are about three and a half thousand Gurkhas and 6,600 or so other troops from 42 other countries in the British Army. The US used to fast-track citizens via the Army (I don't know if they still do); the UK gets people to accept less pay from the likes of Jamaica and Ghana, as well as Nepal, puts people in harm's way in inadequate equipment, and then refuses to let them in.

I'm not annoyed by the Gurkha thing, nor by Joanna Lumley--bizarrely, I'd trust her over practically any of the politicians--but I do wonder if just focussing on Gurkhas makes sense, honourable and brave as those men are.
07 May, 2009 22:49
Will said…
"Joanna Lumley--bizarrely, I'd trust her over practically any of the politicians"

woora stupid as fucck cunt you aree.

I woukd kill you at the drop of a hat.
08 May, 2009 02:34
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