Saturday 1 August 2015

Disappointment with Guardian

 As you included two excellent articles, by Alan Travis (Forget migrant madness.This is tabloid media pretence on a massive scale,31/07/15), and by Daniel Trilling (Europe could solve the migrant crisis if it wanted), and first-rate reporting by Matthew Taylor and Josh Halliday (It`s easier if you say we`re bad, not human) on the Calais situation in one edition, it was disappointing not to see any editorial criticism of Cameron`s crass comment. Lack of space clearly could not have been the reason, nor fear of being too "tabloid-like", as both excuses are countered by the whole page, for some strange reason, being devoted to publicising Clarkson`s deal with tax-avoiding par excellence, Amazon.
     The Refugee Council head, Dr Lisa Doyle, rightly described Cameron`s remark as "awful, de-humanising language from a world leader". A prime minister using such irresponsible and odious language about desperate people deserves widespread criticism, including from the Guardian. Admittedly, Thursday`s editorial  did call for "more partnership with Europe and less posturing" on all matters, including migration, but Cameron`s "swarm" remark was so disgraceful, it was worthy of a leader comment, all guns blazing!
      This arrogant Tory government is still clinging to the ridiculous notion that it is the "pull factor" which is responsible for the crisis, and that the people must be sent back. Surely there is someone in government who has read the report on Eritrea by the UN Human Rights council, which concluded that the Afwerki regime was committing  such "gross human-rights violations" that they constituted "crimes against humanity"? Is it surprising, then, that hundreds of thousands of Eritreans are joining the refugees from the Middle East`s wars in their quest for safety in the UK and EU countries? The idea of sending people back to countries where bombings, executions and torture are rife should never be on the table. Why isn`t a summit meeting of European leaders being called this weekend to deal with the refugee problem, as happened over clearly what was deemed far more important, Greece`s financial troubles? Perhaps more pertinently, why isn`t the Guardian demanding one now, instead of waiting until the inevitable catastrophe happens at Calais?

 

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