Sir,
The Greens, courtesy of their South West MEP Molly Scott-Cato, have been touring the South West explaining, mostly to their own followers/voters, how to spot a fascist/populist. I got to learn of these gatherings via a low-key notice tucked away in a dark corner of our local newspaper and I decided to go along to one and risk their wrath by putting forward a point of view different to their own. It was held in the Gloucester Friends Meeting House so I was as sure as I could be that I’d get out physically unscathed. I did.
I’ve produced a leaflet (text Below) explaining how the EU Parliament was responsible for the majority of the migrant drownings in the Mediterranean through inaction and apparent disinterest in the problem. Much of the information first appeared in a comment column (written by me as a letter) in the Western Daily Press in early 2016.
At the meeting one of the hosts pleaded for Greens not to spread ‘fake news’ – a term Ms Scott-Cato evidently dislikes – but to rely on fact-checked news and opinions. Luckily my leaflet contained all fully referenced facts and so I asked her why the EU Parliament had allowed such tragedies to happen. In her response she of course skirted around those facts and spoke not of the thousands who has drowned but of the attempts 2 years later by the EU to “clean up the mess” as it were, at phenomenal cost.
As some of the most damning information was contained in a book entitled “Factfulness” by Professor Hans Rosling, co-founder of “Medecins Sans Frontieres”, she found it difficult to argue. Although the MC tried his best not to allow me a 2nd question, I managed to get a final one in: would the organiser allow me to leave copies of my leaflet – with its controversial heading – for other attendees to take away and read should they want to? I got the go-ahead so hopefully a few Greens are a little wiser now.
I intend to leaflet another virtue–signalling refugee meeting in Stroud next week.
Respectfully, Roger Gough
Leaflet Text:
WHO IS RACIST? WHO IS XENOPHOBIC?
In early September, 2015, Angela Merkel unilaterally invited it seems any and all migrants and refugees – particularly Syrians – to travel to Germany for sanctuary. This invitation resulted in thousands of deaths by drowning in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. Whilst Frau Merkel’s invitation was transmitted by social media, she and the EU omitted to detail how migrants might travel safely to Germany. They couldn’t fly because of a European Council directive dated 2001 that tells member states how to combat illegal immigration. As a result, airlines will fly no one without the necessary visa. (Source: ‘Factfulness’ (pps 212-214) by Professor Hans Rosling, co-founder Medecins San Frontieres).
With that avenue of escape blocked off, the migrants found themselves obliged to revert to the services of people traffickers who would supply them with flimsy vessels for dangerous sea crossings on payment of extortionate fees. Why did not one of our 750 MEPs seek to remove this impediment to safety? Or any human rights organisation? Or the United Nations HCR, specifically designated to help refugees and migrants? Other rules however had been waived – in Germany, Frau Merkel suspended the provisions of the Dublin agreement (Backlash against Merkel, Politico 9.11.15) so why not the European Council directive? The inaction was so universal that one can only believe collusion was involved.
Britain’s position was made clear by Lady Aneley (Conservative) in the Lords. “The Government does not support search and rescue operations (in the Mediterranean) because it was believed it created an unintended ‘pull factor’ encouraging more migrants to attempt sea crossings leading to further deaths”. In short, deaths of migrants were acceptable if it discouraged others from attempting to make the dangerous sea trip. She too it seems did not consider the fatal effects of the EC directive.
A solution to this problem was simple. Migrants could have been directed, via social media, to meeting points where they would be processed prior to being put on aircraft chartered by the EU, then flown in complete safety to Berlin. A further bonus would be the saving by migrants of large amounts of money, possibly life savings, paid to people traffickers.
Examples of mass evacuation of people in danger are not uncommon. Israel airlifted several thousands of Jews from Ethiopia in the 1980s in times of famine and/or political strife, on one occasion cramming over a thousand evacuees into one 747. Seven thousand Jews were moved by fishing boats from Denmark to Sweden in one week in World War 2 whilst Dunkirk – probably the most famous evacuation ever – was conceived on the hoof and completed in days. Equally important was the Kindertransport scheme which saved large numbers of children from the Nazi threat in the 1930s; a German idea disturbingly unconsidered by Frau Merkel it seems.
Migrants though were very much on the mind of the EU at this time. In early March, 2016 it concluded a pact with Turkey worth 6 BILLION euros which meant that economic migrants landing in Greece would be transferred safely (and not by sea apparently) to Turkey. The deal was illegal and contrary to European values according to Guy Verhofstadt, the EU Parliament negotiator in his Guardian article dated 10.3.16. The United Nations received 64 million euros for ‘facilitating’ this deal. When the EU Court of Auditors enquired of Turkey how the first billion euros of this aid was used, Turkey declined to provide details citing data protection for their stance (EC Auditors report 17.11.18). These deaths at sea were caused entirely by a lack of action by EU politicians. Who is racist? Who is xenophobic?
Watch the video referenced:
The points made in the Leaflet are fact based with references. The questions asked are simple and straightforward based on the evidence supplied. The beauty is in the thought flow, ‘well of course, one would ask that question!’ Then the final two questions shift the blame to its rightful place filling the vacuum formed by deceit undermining rational thinking.
What I particularly like is that it is non-confrontational. You are merely looking at the evidence and drawing sensible conclusions. This approach in my opinion is a winner. It is not opinionated there is no name calling, no vindictiveness and no tribalism.
There seems few ways to dislodge the entrenched opinions of those who have accepted the deceit, half-truths and outright lies. This must be one of them. Great initiative and worth copying. Thanks.
Apart from that, one point that made me think was that, being cynical when it comes to the EU, could they have blocked a straight A to B airlift on the basis of breaking down borders as they marched through Europe? Could it have been a deceitful ploy to force those migrants through ‘other countries’ on foot? Sorry if I am a bit behind the loop but it is the only way I could answer your questions. That hypothesis might be too much too soon to load respectable Greens with.
Sorry but I find this article and leaflet to be a load of rubbish.
No distinction has been made between migrants and refugees and was not by Merkel, but I accept that she was/is working to a different agenda to that of saving people in peril. So the EU taxpayer should fund air travel to all and sundry with their savings intact and to be looked after for however long once they reached their destination?
If in fact an open invitation was made it would surely have been in order for Germany for instance to issue valid travel documents to comply with the EU air travel restriction on illegal immigrants ie they would not be illegal immigrants. A visit to the German embassy in Turkey for example (as this is suggested as a marshalling point) and then to the airport with a suitcase of cash.
To compare this situation with the others referenced is just nonsense, they are just not comparable, and referencing Verhofstadt and the Guardian was the end for me. Yes we know the money given to Turkey was more of a bribe (or protection money or blackmail call it what you will).
To me it is the author is the one doing the virtue signalling here. To bring this up to date from 2016, Salvini has made the most impact in reducing Mediterranean deaths by refusing entry to Italy.
Does this make me the racist or xenophobe? I don’t care, I care about my civilisation and the attempts to have it destroyed, aided by useful idiots.
Well argued Jim R. I totally agree with you.
JR – I fully endorse your sentiments in the last paragraph of your comment – in the name of self-preservation and patriotism we have to make a stand, Strange how truth and common sense have become dirty words, used by those who wish to destroy our culture and identity. Hurling vile abuse, smear tactics and nasty labels are what left wing zealots do best.