[Atlantis]

The Brexit campaign has unleashed a wave of verbal and physical attacks on Europeans in the UK. The hate crimes have multiplied with hundreds of cases up to grievous beatings and murder.

The thin layer of civilization preventing racist hatred from surfacing is only skin-deep. That's the same everywhere. But when your national politicians exploit latent xenophobic sentiments for their own political agenda, an outburst of racist violence is invariably the result. You reap what you sow.

Europeans, including the German director of the A&V, are now planning their exit in the wake of the Brexit campaign.

Exit before Brexit: The 'unwelcome' EU citizens eying their escape

"I was Britain's biggest fan, pre-referendum," the physiology professor recalls. "I was always very complimentary about it. Compared to Italy it's less chaotic, more meritocratic, more cosmopolitan."

"Then all of a sudden, you find out that a large part of the population don't feel that way. They don't want you here ... I've been rejected by the British people."

Tanja Bueltmann says she saw Brexit coming a long way off. Living in the northeast of England, one of the most eurosceptic areas of the UK, and active on Twitter, where she has frequently been attacked for her pro-EU stance, she was well aware of the rising tide of support for a Leave vote.

"I've no idea why anyone thought it would be otherwise," the German-born history lecturer, who has spent 10 years in the UK, says. "I don't understand how the polls got it so wrong."

Kerstin Albers (not her real name) says she, too, saw the writing on the wall -- but after 13 years in Britain, was nonetheless taken aback by the final results.

Albers and her family, also originally from Germany, were so concerned about the growth of anti-EU sentiment across the country that they began planning for a future outside the UK long before the first ballots were cast.

"Over the past two years, the atmosphere in the UK has changed towards EU migrants. I don't feel welcome here [any more] ... [It was] such a tolerant and open society, and we have enjoyed being part of it, but now it feels different."

She decided to take pre-emptive action: "I am sad to leave friends, but at the same time, I don't want to sit here for two years and wait."

"Britain won the Olympics of xenophobia," on June 23, says physiology professor Marcora. He says he's seen this hatred of foreigners at first hand.

"I wouldn't go talking Italian in one of the pubs in Chatham town center or in Gillingham (another nearby town). I wouldn't feel safe." Even in "slightly posher" Rochester, he says, someone yelled at him to "Go home!" when they heard him speak.

A small survey carried out by the pro-Remain group Academics for Europe found that 71% of those questioned were thinking about leaving the UK in the wake of Brexit.
Boin Cheong grew up in Berlin, but has made London her home. Now she's not so sure about that decision.

"I really don't see my long term future in this country," she says. "I've started looking at other places."

"I want to leave because I feel unwelcome, but also because it feels like there's no bright future here anymore."

Hate crime reports surge in Britain in weeks around 'Brexit'

Brexit: Hate crimes up fivefold in week after UK vote to leave EU

[Decky]

And of course the EU has never done anything to the British eh?

[Atlantis]

And of course the EU has never done anything to the British eh?

Retribution? Have you already mugged a Polish plumber today for the Nazis?

It's quite amazing that the unguided missiles of those days managed to hit anything at all. But you wouldn't know about that Decky. That's long before you saw the light of day and 50 years before the EU was created in 1993.

This is the effect of the British RAF deliberately targeting residential areas:















Aleppo looks intact by comparison. You can be proud of yourself, Decky. Kill women and children first, makes sense. Hit them at their weakest.

[B0ycey]

The Brexit campaign has unleashed a wave of verbal and physical attacks on Europeans in the UK. The hate crimes have multiplied with hundreds of cases up to grievous beatings and murder.

I think this is a massive overstatement. The vast majority within the UK are not against Europeans. Naturally post Brexit a few idiots have removed themselves from their mothers teat and taken to the streets to vent their anger - so hate crime figures would have gone up. But this is not the view of the mainstream UK public. To state otherwise would be like me saying that migrants are against EU values because major Islamic Terrorism figures in the past few years have shot up. The reality is that a VERY TINY minority of IS supporters have taken the opportunity to showcase their support and the majority of peace loving migrants are taking the flak for their actions. Don't judge the many for the actions of the few.

The thin layer of civilization preventing racist hatred from surfacing is only skin-deep. That's the same everywhere. But when your national politicians exploit latent xenophobic sentiments for their own political agenda, an outburst of racist violence is invariably the result. You reap what you sow

As people who have read some of my posts might know, I'm hardly a fan of mainstream UK politicians. They are imbeciles. But I will give them credit when they do something right. Every MP is against xenophobic sentiments and make it clear in parliament. They have said that any xenophobic hate crime will be severely punished. May has been quite diplomatic in trying to ease tensions throughout Europe post Brexit and only morons like Fallon and Fox have said things that have been less than sensible in the Tory elite. Even Buffoon Johnson hasn't done a trademark clanger yet. I think your anger should be more aimed towards the Murdock Newspapers. I wouldn't wipe my ass with them. I'd only get more shit on my backside.

And to anyone who is in the UK from the EU who is thinking of leaving the UK because they feel they are not wanted. I want to give you a digital hug and say that if you can peal away from the haters, you will find a supporter. You will find a friend in the UK.

[Atlantis]

But I will give them credit when they do something right. Every MP is against xenophobic sentiments and make it clear in parliament. They have said that any xenophobic hate crime will be severely punished.

I understand what you say. However, I think Potemkin will agree with me if I say that British politics is not entirely free of hypocrisy and ambivalence.

It goes without saying that political correctness obliges every mainstream politicians to go through the motions and make the usual soundbites, like Muslims aren't to blame, the violence is only perpetrated by a small minority, and the like.

That doesn't change the fact, that almost the entire political spectrum (Farage, Johnson, Cameron, May and even parts of Labour) has pointed to immigration as the root cause of the problem. If you keep on telling people that the immigrants are to blame, you'll sooner or later get some retards beating up foreigners on the street. It cannot be any other way.

In the days of political correctness, even died-in-the-wool racists will claim that they aren't racists and that they have foreign friends. It doesn't always mean an awful lot.

No, the problems were not created by the immigrants. Politicians have exploited immigrants as the weakest part of society to promote their own political agenda. You reap what you sow.

[Political Interest]

Attacking immigrants was very stupid but it is not surprising given that there have always been elements in the British population that respond hysterically to these sorts of situations. Drunkards, degenerates and small minded types will attack immigrants and shout abuse. Their actions were not motivated by genuine patriotism but simply the desire for aggression.

It was possible to leave the EU without these provocations against Europeans living in the UK. Unfortunately this did not happen. All that was necessary was a vote to leave. All of the other excesses did not need to happen. And they achieved nothing, only make Britain look like an uncivilised and lousy country. In fact many Europeans living in England are against the EU and want their own countries to leave. There are Polish Brexit supporters.

[Atlantis]

It was possible to leave the EU without these provocations against Europeans living in the UK.

I don't think so. The anti-immigration argument was the strongest argument in the public mind.

The vast majority within the UK are not against Europeans.

What does that even mean? I have lived in many countries in Europe and Asia and I can tell you for a fact that all people, without exception, have latent xenophobic tendencies. It's just expressed differently according to place and time.

Different ethnic groups will live peacefully next to one another for centuries. And then boom, something happens and they start killing each other. It has happened all throughout history innumerable times and among all people.

Politicians have played with the latent xenophobic sentiments to serve their own political aims in the Brexit campaign. Is the genie going to go back into the bottle without a fight?

May will use the European immigrants as bargaining chip in the Brexit talks. Even in the first 100 days after the vote, we have seen a number of topics on which the EU and the UK will oppose each other. The opposing interests will invariably lead to emotionalizing headlines in the media about the other side. I never cease to be amazed by the ability of the Telegraph to produce a false narrative about the EU.

The British have always tried to belittle the EU's role in preventing conflict in Europe, claiming that it's all due to Nato. That was one of the early false narratives produced by the Brexiteers. They will now see that leaving the EU does indeed increase tension. It probably won't come to a shooting war, but a trade war could happen very quickly. The EU implies much stronger bonds than Nato, in which there is open hostility between members such as Greece and Turkey, for example. This narrative is also shown to be wrong by the fact that the US has always tried to get countries into the EU (Ukraine, Turkey, Eastern Europe, etc.) as a means for consolidating Nato.

[B0ycey]

What does that even mean? I have lived in many countries in Europe and Asia and I can tell you for a fact that all people, without exception, have latent xenophobic tendencies. It's just expressed differently according to place and time.

I agree with this in part, but I won't accept all. There are people in the UK (and the world) who go out their way to make migrants feel welcome. I have worked with Europeans and I treat them the same way as anyone else. I wouldn't say I have any xenophobic tendencies, however I do understand the importance of border controls so it depends whether or not you are saying that is xenophobic. I know that the UK is more sceptical than continental Europeans when it comes free movement. This has resulted in the UK being divide. But don't forget 48% wanted to remain in Europe. I want people in the UK from the EU to know there are people today trying all they can to remain in the EU. Please don't hate everyone in the UK, because that in its self is xenophobic. There are some good eggs from the bad in the UK.

[Rich]

And of course the EU has never done anything to the British eh?

You seem to be suffering a chronology deficit, the EU hadn't even been created in 1940.

[Atlantis]

You seem to be suffering a chronology deficit, the EU hadn't even been created in 1940.

Decky follows the theory of her Majesty's Foreign Secretary (alias Bojo) according to whom EU = 4th Reich.

I wouldn't say I have any xenophobic tendencies, ...

It all depends on the circumstances. If the conditions are such, the most gentle creature can turn into a psychopathic killer and the refugee-hugging do-gooder will turn into a weapon's grade racist. These things have happened. To go by the assumptions that we all have latent xenophobic tendencies is IMHO the most non-racist position imaginable.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to paint a negative image of the British. You folks are not that different from the Germans, except that current political conditions are different due to historical reasons.

however I do understand the importance of border controls so it depends whether or not you are saying that is xenophobic.

You (like layman) try to put the blame on immigration (which can lead to seeing the fault in immigrants). It goes without saying that immigration needs to be controlled, especially immigration from very poor non-EU countries because the difference in income would lead to huge mass migration. Although Germany has received huge numbers of European immigrants, even the racist far right in Germany does not propose limiting EU migration. Nobody wants to close the border with Poland, even though there is quite a lot of crime coming across the border because there is more to steal in Germany.

Movement of labor cannot be limited if you are in the same market. Just like you cannot restrict migration from Leeds to Manchester, you cannot restrict migration from London to Berlin. If you did, you would no longer have a single market. Leeds would belong to a different market than Manchester. The freedom of movement in the single market is not a regulatory nuisance to annoy the British, it is an indispensable condition of the single market. It is moreover important to achieve economic convergence between poor and rich economies in Europe. Poor economies open their market to stronger economies in the expectation that their living standards will rise. Without that, there is no reason why weaker economies should open their borders to your products and services.

What is difficult to achieve on the global scale, has started to work in the common market, poorer economies have seen an increase in prosperity, which in turn lessens the pressure to emigrate to richer economies. The flow of Italian guest workers that moved to Germany in the 60s has come to a halt and many Germans now move to Italy. Thus the self-regulating forces of the market (which the UK is the most ardent advocate of) will prevent the scare scenario of tens of millions of poor immigrants that have been painted by your politician.

We understand that Britain does not believe in European solidarity. That is your choice. But you will no longer be allowed to benefit from the European market, especially in services.

The EU is an elaborate regulatory framework to avoid unbalance. The UK is polarized and by nature unbalanced. The all open policy of Blair was followed by the all closed policy of today's Britain, which could lead to the destruction of the single market. UK politics falls from one extreme into the other.

[Potemkin]

UK politics falls from one extreme into the other.

This is simply another way of saying that we still have real politics in Britain. Our society is internally divided, with different groups and classes of people having conflicting interests, so our politics is divided and confrontational. This is to be expected and is even desirable, as politics should reflect the prevailing conditions in society itself. You don't have politics in Germany, you have a consensus. This, it seems to me, suggests there may be a disconnection between the political system and the social reality in Germany.

[Political Interest]

This is simply another way of saying that we still have real politics in Britain. Our society is internally divided, with different groups and classes of people having conflicting interests, so our politics is divided and confrontational. This is to be expected and is even desirable, as politics should reflect the prevailing conditions in society itself. You don't have politics in Germany, you have a consensus. This, it seems to me, suggests there may be a disconnection between the political system and the social reality in Germany.

In continental countries they still have riots and real politics. People are still in conflict with the system.

The UK is probably the most conformist society in the whole of Europe. Individualism and conformism can exist in perfect harmony. England proves this to be the case.

[Decky]

Aleppo looks intact by comparison. You can be proud of yourself, Decky. Kill women and children first, makes sense. Hit them at their weakest.

No one forced the Germans to vote for Hitler and his gang. The German people made their choice and they had to live with the consequences. I have far more sympathy for the 25 millions slavs and the 6 million jews who had no choice at all in suffering the EU's final solution.

You seem to be suffering a chronology deficit, the EU hadn't even been created in 1940.

I think you will find it was. In this map the EU as it was in 1941 is in blue.

[B0ycey]

It all depends on the circumstances. If the conditions are such, the most gentle creature can turn into a psychopathic killer and the refugee-hugging do-gooder will turn into a weapon's grade racist. These things have happened. To go by the assumptions that we all have latent xenophobic tendencies is IMHO the most non-racist position imaginable.

If you put it like this then I agree with you 100%. But as it stands today, everyone I know supports EU citizens and it's the few chav morons who are ruining people's opinions of UK residents.

You (like layman) try to put the blame on immigration (which can lead to seeing the fault in immigrants). It goes without saying that immigration needs to be controlled, especially immigration from very poor non-EU countries because the difference in income would lead to huge mass migration.

I can't speak for layman but I think our views are very different. I am not against free movement or EU citizens working in the UK. It's just I believe that you should have a job before moving countries and not the other way round. I think this could solve most of the problem because then you won't have people prepared to do the same job for less money (as they wouldn't need work urgently) and people would need to do all the groundwork from their home country like finding the job and residency, and not leave on hope. As for blaming EU residents for the UKs problems, well it all down to Thatcher for cutting social housing projects and services and the following PMs for not addressing the problem when net migration went to unsustainable levels. The UK could hold millions more people if we had the homes for them. And if social housing projects weren't abandoned, I believe we would still be remaining in the EU and live in harmony with our EU brothers and sisters. Damn you Thatcher

[Frollein]

Why aren't they attacking the Pakistanis instead, especially after Rotherham? I guess because Europeans don't hit back with 50+ clan members appearing out of thin air?

[Atlantis]

This is simply another way of saying that we still have real politics in Britain. Our society is internally divided, with different groups and classes of people having conflicting interests, so our politics is divided and confrontational. This is to be expected and is even desirable, as politics should reflect the prevailing conditions in society itself.

The Tories do what they want and Labour self-destructs. That is real politics to you?

Consensus politics has proven very beneficial to Germany, both socially and economically, while confrontational politics has been destructive in the UK. First the militant left-wing unions paralyzed UK industry in the 60s, and then Thatcher destroyed what was left of UK industry to finish off the unions. Now, the Brexshitters will complete the job by the “free free market” as Liam Fox put it. Poor dude is completely delusional.

You don't have politics in Germany, you have a consensus. This, it seems to me, suggests there may be a disconnection between the political system and the social reality in Germany.

On the contrary. Germany has a rich political landscape, while the UK is dominated by two sets of the political establishment which are fixed in their ways since the days of the empire. The fptp electoral system excludes all new political movements with the result that the people have to use referendums like the one on Brexit to voice their opposition to the government. Your system is inflexible and completely fails to reflect the political will of the people. You are stuck with a system that was made for the power politics of the empire but is completely unsuitable for a modern nation.

[B0ycey]

The Tories do what they want and Labour self-destructs. That is real politics to you?

Consensus politics has proven very beneficial to Germany, both socially and economically, while confrontational politics has been destructive in the UK.

I have to agree, consensus politics in my mind is the best form of politics. The problem in the UK today is there is no middle party anymore and that is who the voters want. A coalition of two extremes would results in compromise. As for real politics, Potemkin the UK has to be the most undemocratic democracy ever. We don't vote for our head of state (queen), we don't vote for people who decide on our laws (lords), we don't vote for our PM (we vote for an MP and whatever party has the most MPs decided on who our PM is), and we has an electoral system where you can have the most votes nationally but if it isn't reflected in MPs you have little power. UK politics isn't real politics. It is a medieval system which allows ass sniffing weasels to fight among themselves on tele and gives the pompous peers a wage by allowing laws that only benefit themselves to pass through. Give me a European system anyday.

[Potemkin]

I have to agree, consensus politics in my mind is the best form of politics. The problem in the UK today is there is no middle party anymore and that is who the voters want. A coalition of two extremes would results in compromise. As for real politics, Potemkin the UK has to be the most undemocratic democracy ever. We don't vote for our head of state (queen), we don't vote for people who decide on our laws (lords), we don't vote for our PM (we vote for an MP and whatever party has the most MPs decided on who our PM is), and we has an electoral system where you can have the most votes nationally but if it isn't reflected in MPs you have little power. UK politics isn't real politics. It is a medieval system which allows ass sniffing weasels to fight among themselves on tele and gives the pompous peers a wage by allowing laws that only benefit themselves to pass through. Give me a European system anyday.

Our problem is that we never had a popular revolution. Our revolutions, and they were many, were essentially elitist revolutions - the Civil War of the 17th century and the Glorious Revolution of 1688 were cases of one faction of the ruling elite overthrowing another faction of the ruling elite. The people were merely cannon fodder for these factional elitist struggles. The British people therefore lack any sovereignty of their own - the Brexit referendum result, for example, is not legally binding but is merely 'advisory' (in reality, of course, it would be political suicide for the PM to ignore that 'advice'). We have rights and freedoms only insofar as our lords and masters decide we should have these rights and freedoms, and they can take them away from us again on a whim. True rights and true freedom can only be taken, not given. This is the lesson we have yet to learn.

[Atlantis]

the Brexit referendum result, for example, is not legally binding but is merely 'advisory' (in reality, of course, it would be political suicide for the PM to ignore that 'advice').

And would it be so scandalous if a prime minister considered the interest of the country to be more important than her own political career?

The former German chancellor put his job on the line to implement the economic reforms (against parts of his own party) that made Germany the strongest player in Europe. The current chancellor puts her job on the line to take a stand for the weakest part of society, the refugees, and to fight for the open borders Germany and Europe need to survive.

I can understand politicians in third World countries holding onto their political positions because opportunities to earn a decent living outside the corrupt political elite are virtually non-existent. But in a developed country like the UK?

[Albert]

Markel should be defenestrated out of office. She represents everything that is wrong with destructive progressive liberalism.