British Prime Minister Tony Blair says immigrants have a "duty to integrate"

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The day after we won the Olympic bid came the terrorist attacks in London. These murders were carried out by British-born suicide bombers who had lived and been brought up in this country, who had received all its many advantages and yet who ultimately took their own lives and the lives of the wholly innocent, in the name of an ideology alien to everything this country stands for.

[...]

... it has thrown into sharp relief, the nature of what we have called, with approval, "multicultural Britain". We like our diversity. But how do we react when that "difference" leads to separation and alienation from the values that define what we hold in common? For the first time in a generation there is an unease, an anxiety, even at points a resentment that our very openness, our willingness to welcome difference, our pride in being home to many cultures, is being used against us; abused, indeed, in order to harm us.

[...]

Integration ... is not about culture or lifestyle. It is about values. It is about integrating at the point of shared, common unifying British values. It isn't about what defines us as people, but as citizens, the rights and duties that go with being a member of our society.

[...]

... our essential values - belief in democracy, the rule of law, tolerance, equal treatment for all, respect for this country and its shared heritage - then that is where we come together, it is what we hold in common; it is what gives us the right to call ourselves British. At that point no distinctive culture or religion supercedes our duty to be part of an integrated United Kingdom.

[...]

Yet, because this challenge has arisen in this way, it is necessary to go back to what a multi-cultural Britain is all about. The whole point is that multicultural Britain was never supposed to be a celebration of division; but of diversity. The purpose was to allow people to live harmoniously together, despite their difference; not to make their difference an encouragement to discord.

[...]

Obedience to the rule of law, to democratic decision-making about who governs us, to freedom from violence and discrimination are not optional for British citizens. They are what being British is about. Being British carries rights. It also carries duties. And those duties take clear precedence over any cultural or religious practice.

[...]

Our tolerance is part of what makes Britain, Britain. So conform to it; or don't come here. We don't want the hate-mongers, whatever their race, religion or creed.

Read the full speech at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...8/ublair208.xml

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

Tony Blair for president

yeah yeah i know he can't be...........

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Tony Blair for president

yeah yeah i know he can't be...........

He's a nice public speaker, that's about all I'll say for him.

[pedroh 21]

Tony Blair for president

yeah yeah i know he can't be...........

the issues AMerica has are not even close to UK.. USA doesn't have small radical groups with their own penal code, or beliefs that allow certain groups to commit crimes excusing themselves on some weird interpretation of religions..

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

Tony Blair for president

yeah yeah i know he can't be...........

the issues AMerica has are not even close to UK.. USA doesn't have small radical groups with their own penal code, or beliefs that allow certain groups to commit crimes excusing themselves on some weird interpretation of religions..

we don't?

[pedroh 21]

Tony Blair for president

yeah yeah i know he can't be...........

the issues AMerica has are not even close to UK.. USA doesn't have small radical groups with their own penal code, or beliefs that allow certain groups to commit crimes excusing themselves on some weird interpretation of religions..

we don't?

care to tell me something that happened lately that is like the things that happen in UK?

[pedroh 21]

of course the paranoia that the US govt wants to make u have and think at any moment terrorists are gonna blow up ur local walmart doesnt count.. i mean real events.. not supposed 'terrorists' that 'live in irak'..

there are no rapists justifying themselves on some crazy interpretation of religions or people killing women 'cuz they are not covered'.. unless u count the crazy pseudo-christian groups that do the 'god hates fags' things and other crazy sh!t..

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

Tony Blair for president

yeah yeah i know he can't be...........

the issues AMerica has are not even close to UK.. USA doesn't have small radical groups with their own penal code, or beliefs that allow certain groups to commit crimes excusing themselves on some weird interpretation of religions..

we don't?

care to tell me something that happened lately that is like the things that happen in UK?

and what is your definition of lately?

of course the paranoia that the US govt wants to make u have and think at any moment terrorists are gonna blow up ur local walmart doesnt count.. i mean real events.. not supposed 'terrorists' that 'live in irak'..

there are no rapists justifying themselves on some crazy interpretation of religions or people killing women 'cuz they are not covered'.. unless u count the crazy pseudo-christian groups that do the 'god hates fags' things and other crazy sh!t..

they don't count, eh?

[pedroh 21]

Tony Blair for president

yeah yeah i know he can't be...........

the issues AMerica has are not even close to UK.. USA doesn't have small radical groups with their own penal code, or beliefs that allow certain groups to commit crimes excusing themselves on some weird interpretation of religions..

we don't?

care to tell me something that happened lately that is like the things that happen in UK?

and what is your definition of lately?

of course the paranoia that the US govt wants to make u have and think at any moment terrorists are gonna blow up ur local walmart doesnt count.. i mean real events.. not supposed 'terrorists' that 'live in irak'..

there are no rapists justifying themselves on some crazy interpretation of religions or people killing women 'cuz they are not covered'.. unless u count the crazy pseudo-christian groups that do the 'god hates fags' things and other crazy sh!t..

they don't count, eh?

well those pseudo christian groups are formed by americans, not immigrants.. so, no, they don't count, because Blair talks about the immigrants coming to UK and adapting to their lifestyle and stuff..

and again, no, those invented terrorists that want to blow up ur walmart, are not even real, they are no even close to a real threat

[Reynaldo 0]

Blair is a huge douchebag but he has a point.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

It's sad that it takes speeches to remind immigrants what "immigrating" means. Seems that some folks are just in for the taking but none of the giving. Immigrating is, like most things in life, a give-and-take type deal. I applaud Blair for stating the obvious. Too many politicians ain't got the balls to do that anymore.

[Identity 0]

Britian is not isolated. The muslims here in Australia are whining also.

Will they ever stop complaining and actually take some responsibility?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It's sad that it takes speeches to remind immigrants what "immigrating" means. Seems that some folks are just in for the taking but none of the giving. Immigrating is, like most things in life, a give-and-take type deal. I applaud Blair for stating the obvious. Too many politicians ain't got the balls to do that anymore.

Too bad Bliar doesn't have the courage of his convictions to back up what he says. That's actually a big part of why he has become so unpopular in Britain.

[spiritee 0]

When Great Britain and other European Countries went around the World raping,killing, stealing and practicing the colonalisation of Nations I cannot recall them adapting conforming to the indigenous peoples culture in fact quite the contrary!

The day after we won the Olympic bid came the terrorist attacks in London. These murders were carried out by British-born suicide bombers who had lived and been brought up in this country, who had received all its many advantages and yet who ultimately took their own lives and the lives of the wholly innocent, in the name of an ideology alien to everything this country stands for.

[...]

... it has thrown into sharp relief, the nature of what we have called, with approval, "multicultural Britain". We like our diversity. But how do we react when that "difference" leads to separation and alienation from the values that define what we hold in common? For the first time in a generation there is an unease, an anxiety, even at points a resentment that our very openness, our willingness to welcome difference, our pride in being home to many cultures, is being used against us; abused, indeed, in order to harm us.

[...]

Integration ... is not about culture or lifestyle. It is about values. It is about integrating at the point of shared, common unifying British values. It isn't about what defines us as people, but as citizens, the rights and duties that go with being a member of our society.

[...]

... our essential values - belief in democracy, the rule of law, tolerance, equal treatment for all, respect for this country and its shared heritage - then that is where we come together, it is what we hold in common; it is what gives us the right to call ourselves British. At that point no distinctive culture or religion supercedes our duty to be part of an integrated United Kingdom.

[...]

Yet, because this challenge has arisen in this way, it is necessary to go back to what a multi-cultural Britain is all about. The whole point is that multicultural Britain was never supposed to be a celebration of division; but of diversity. The purpose was to allow people to live harmoniously together, despite their difference; not to make their difference an encouragement to discord.

[...]

Obedience to the rule of law, to democratic decision-making about who governs us, to freedom from violence and discrimination are not optional for British citizens. They are what being British is about. Being British carries rights. It also carries duties. And those duties take clear precedence over any cultural or religious practice.

[...]

Our tolerance is part of what makes Britain, Britain. So conform to it; or don't come here. We don't want the hate-mongers, whatever their race, religion or creed.

Read the full speech at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...8/ublair208.xml

Edited December 13, 2006 by spiritee

[peejay 327]

When Great Britain and other European Countries went around the World raping,killing, stealing and practicing the colonalisation of Nations I cannot recall them adapting conforming to the indigenous peoples culture in fact quite the contrary!

Another self loathing, self hating, guilt ridden Brit. You'll do get along quite well in America with your self hating American counterparts here.

Yes...we deserved 9/11 and the subway bombings. Our chickens came to roost. Feel better now?