Sunday 9 November 2008

Metro, Poles, the Daily Mail and Irish racism


Seeing the above headline, you might think Gombeen Man meant to say “Metro, Daily Mail and anti-Irish racism”, and that would be understandable. But it would seem that - in one generation - many Irish have switched from being the victims of prejudice, to being the perpetrators.

When Gombeen Man worked in London, along with so many Irish of his time, he was used to seeing offensive anti-Irish headlines in rags such as the Daily Mail and the London Evening Standard.

Bold 120 point lettering to the effect of “LAZY IRISH SPONGING OFF OUR SYSTEM” . 20 years is a long time ago, so that headline might not be an exact recollection, but that was certainly the gist of it. Particularly galling, as I worked every day of my nine years London. Apart from the odd sickie, of course.

What a surprise then, when the freebie Metro ran a headline last Wednesday, screaming “POLES CAN STILL GET IRISH DOLE AT HOME”. The vindictive column-filler, by someone called John Staples, made great play of the fact that foreign nationals who work in Ireland - and have made the requisite PRSI contributions - are entitled to claim 13 weeks’ Jobseekers Benefit from those contributions when they return home.

This facility, it should be pointed out, is available to all workers, of all nationalities, in all countries in the EU. It is perfectly legal, and Polish workers, or Irish workers, for that matter, are perfectly within their rights to claim the benefits they have earned through their tax and contributions. So why did Metro run this sensationalist, nasty piece?

Needless to say, a polish woman by the name of Magdalena Obrzut wrote to the letters’ page the following day complaining – rightly – that the piece was unfair to Poles, as it singled them out above all other nationalities. She felt that the article was poor journalism, and served only to heighten racial prejudices. A fair point, I thought.

That impression was not shared by contributors to Metro’s letter pages the following day, who saw nothing wrong with the article. One example being a particularly stupid text (predictable, rather than predictive) from an ignoramus called Liam, berating Polish people for “taking someone’s job”, and “sending money home”.

And the Irish never did that, no? Actually, we did. At least those of us who had the intelligence and enterprise to get up off our arses and look for work elsewhere when the economy was in permanent recession back in the 80s. But what would the likes of Liam, with his lazy mind and his lazy texts, know about that? Yet.

Perhaps with the deepening recession in Ireland, he – and others of his spoilt generation – will find out sooner than he thinks.

Bring it on.

Back to Gombeen Nation main page

23 comments:

Peashooter said...

This is a very interesting observation. And even more so since the editor and publisher of METRO is not an Irishman himself, but a Nigerian.
He would likely have an issue with reports about his fellow Nigerians or other Africans abusing the system (and they are masters at that), but at the same time he is happy to blacken the name of the Poles, who after all are EU citizens and thus, as you pointed out, entitled to everything under EU rules, which an Irish person in Poland would receive as well.

The Gombeen Man said...

Hi Peashooter. I suspect you are thinking of Metro Eireann, which is a weekly "pay for" paper. I can't imagine such a piece appearing in that, to be fair.

This article appeared in the daily, free paper, Metro (the one with the blue top) which is usually an entertaining enough read if you are stuck on the bus, or the train.

I thought it was a bad show, as having lived and worked abroad myself, I don't like to see hard-working people, wherever they are from, getting a bad press.

You'd have to have seen the article to believe it, it was such nonsense.

C'est La Craic said...

When I left Ireland I could have claimed that and all the PAYE I had paid for that tax year. I didn't though, more fucking eejit me, because I didn't find out I could until the last minute. We're so critical of foreigners coming to Ireland and knowing or learning their rights. Perhaps if we took a leaf out of their book the country might be in a better state.

Bernd said...

Ach, Gombeen Man ... it is as simple as this:

Once a recession hits, you look for scapegoats. In our enlightened times it usually is migrants the jaundiced eye turns to. "Ferreners" or "Feckin Ferreners" as they are also known. AKA "Spongers Who Take Jobs From Honest Irish".

I've had these discussions ages ago in those welcoming pubs in Dublin 15 ... "All dese ferreners are takin our jobs away, I tell ya!" "Do you speak German?" "No, why?" "In that case I am not taking your job away but am financing your dole money ..." Quick exit stage left.

By the way ... I mentioned "enlightened times". Exactly seventy years before the date of your original posting a similar backlash occured in Germany. Tempus fugit ...

The Gombeen Man said...

Hi Bernd.

I didn't know you were familiar with the joys of the D15 pub scene!

Yes, I know all about the "welcoming" watering-holes of Dublin 15 - and also its reservoir of professional unemployed. Funny how such people can be most critical of others "taking their jobs", isn't it?

Good point about that anniversary. The timing of my post was coincidental, but very apt as it turns out.

Anonymous said...

Great blog. You are performing a public service by telling the truth about what's going on. "The emperors new clothes" springs to mind. Keep hammering away Gombeen Man !!!!

The Gombeen Man said...

Thanks Alsuin. Kind words like yours make doing the blog worthwhile!

Anonymous said...

At last I have found somewhere that paints Paddy as he truly is "warts an all". Its truly amazing as I thought for years there was something wrong with me because I just didnt agree with all the bigoted me feinism in this country. Good Show an fer play to you Gombeen Man

The Gombeen Man said...

I've been feeling that way for years too, Anon. I get a lot of abuse from doing the blog, but also enough positive feedback to know that we're not alone. Maybe we're just not as vocal? One of these days we'll have to get organised!!!

Bernd said...

The Gombeen Man said:

"One of these days we'll have to get organised!!!"

Maybe that'll fill the vacuum left by the untimely demise of the PDs. Untimely in the sense of "a few years too late", I mean.

JC Skinner said...

One small point - if you leave Ireland to go back to a job in Poland, you're not exactly seeking a job, are you? You've got one, in Warsaw or Lodz or wherever.
I concur that the Mail and its off-shoots are despicable rags, but in our current economic circumstances it's hardly out of order to start querying whether paying child benefit to kids in Estonia or jobseekers allowance to workers in Warsaw is a sensible use of exchequer funds.

The Gombeen Man said...

Hiya JC. How's it going? Hope you're still fighting the good fight on p.ie? Good luck to you.

I just take the view that workers who have been paying tax and PRSI are entitled to claim the benefits they have been contributing to. They can claim it here, or they can claim it in another EU state... either way, I don't see it makes much difference. In the case of the Jobseeker's allowance, this only lasts for 13 weeks anyway.

I know too, even from my own experience, when you make the jump to work elsewhere (in another country, or return to your own) you might not have a job lined up, so this can smooth the way towards making that transition.

What really pisses me off about articles like that Metro one, is it's just pure shit-stirring. I mean, the right for EU workers to transfer allowances for short periods has existed for yonks. To me, it's a lazy - and mischievous - editorial decision to publish such a non-story.

That's my take, anyway.

GM

Bernd said...

Just a remark on JC Skinner's comment:

You are entitled to Jobseekers Whatever only while you are looking for a job, in addition it is paid out through the equivalent of the Social in whatever country you are.

Thus a Pole going to Poland to take up a job should have no entitlement - at least that's the way it works if and when you come to Ireland from Germany on your German dole money (which will be paid out by the Social here, after a waiting period currently over the maximum entitlement ...).

Anonymous said...

So I wandered in a bit late but thought this a worthy read. If you knew the amount of times I've ended up that fucked-off listening to Irish people bitching about 'stolen' jobs, never once thinking how recently the boot was on the other foot. A lot of the same naysayers are often those who flog revenue/benefits system to the last cent.
It's staggering short-sightedness and holds us back so much.

Cheers!

The Gombeen Man said...

Yes, LR. Some people have short memories.

Anonymous said...

Rather than worry about Poles, you should be concerned about African migration. I had the following 'discussion' with Captain Purplehead:


"Irish Savant’s comments regarding intelligence and it’s importance in terms of immigration are supported by academic literature. Intelligence, like all behavioural traits, is significantly hereditary. It significantly predicts academic performance, and occupational success in more complex jobs (this is why the US army still uses the tests). As the economy becomes more complex therefore it is vital to have a well educated and highly intelligent population.

Also, it is quite clear that their are group differences in averages. Further, gene variants associated with higher intelligence gene variants (rs2760118-C on SSADH, rs324650-T on CHRM2, and rs760761-C on DTNBP1, for example) are not distributed evenly among the populations sampled in the Hapmap.

G. Cochran, J. Hardy, H. Harpending, Natural History of Ashkenazi Intelligence, Journal of Biosocial Science 38 (5), pp. 659–693 (2006).

“Data from more than 8000 parent-offspring pairs, 25,000 sibling pairs, 10,000 twin pairs and adoption studies provide evidence that genetic factors play a substantial role in the variation of general intelligence, with heritability estimates ranging from 40 to 80%” –Burdick et al, Cognitive variation in DTNBP1 influence general cognitive ability. Human Molecular Genetics, 2006, Vol 15, No. 10.

“Heritability estimtes for intelligence quotient (IQ) range from 0.50 to 0.80. This makes IQ a suitable target for attempts to identify the specific genes involved.” Chorney et al, Role of the cholinergic muscarinic 2 receptor (CHRM@) gene in cognition. Molecular Psychiatry (2003) 8. 10-13.

“A substantial body of literature from twin, family and adoption studies documents significant genetic effects on human intelligence. Heritability estimates range from 40 to 80% and meta-analyses suggest an overall heritability of around 50%” Dick et al, (2006) “Association of CHRM2 with IQ: Converging Evidence for Genes Influencing Intelligence.” Behavioral Genetics.

“Multivariate genetic analyses indicate that general intelligence is highly heritable, and that the overlap in the cognitive processes is twice as great as the overall phenotypic overlap, with genetic correlations averaging around .80.”
Plomin et al (2004) “A functional polymorphism in the succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase genes is associated with cognitive ability,” Molecular Psychology 9, 582-586.

Rushton, J. P., & Jensen, A. R. (2005). Thirty years of research on race differences in cognitive ability. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 11, 235-294

http://www.udel.edu/educ/gottfredson/30years/Rushton-Jensen30years.pdf

Comment by Ben Richards — January 29, 2009 @ 8:51 pm

Also, it is good to have someone questioning the wisdom of mass immigration. Research doesn’t suggest it’s such a great idea.

For instance research on it by Robert Putman at Harvard shows that increased diversity leads to reduced trust and community engagement. Prof. Putnam cited other studies that have found people in “diverse” workgroups-not only of race but also age and professional background-are less loyal to the group, more likely to resign, and generally less satisfied than people who work with people like themselves. He also noted a study that found carpooling is less common in racially-mixed neighborhoods. Carpooling means counting on your neighbors, and people are more likely to trust people like themselves. Studies from Australia, Sweden, and Canada also show that ethnic diversity lowers levels of trust, and the same effect is found in non-Western countries.

Dora Costa of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Matthew Kahn of Tufts University analyzed 15 recent studies of the impact of diversity on social cohesion. They found that every study had “the same punch line: heterogeneity reduces civic engagement. In more diverse communities, people participate less as measured by how they allocate their time, their money, their voting and their willingness to take risks to help others.”

Even the economic benefits of mass immigration are questionable. The report last year in England by the Lords economic affairs said immigration had had “little or no positive impact” on the living standards of the existing population.

Comment by Ben Richards — January 29, 2009 @ 8:55 pm

You may think this is trivial, but the implications of differences in group ability are considerable. Eventually Ireland will require ‘affirmative action’ and diversity programmes. However, as the US experience shows these are hugely costly & lead to resentment.

http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/costofdiversity.pdf

Comment by Ben Richards — January 29, 2009 @ 8:59 pm

Yep! You’re an idiot alright. After three comments and an unbelievably long-winded response, you actually appear to be a bigger idiot that I first thought.

Comment by captainpurplehead — January 29, 2009 @ 9:09 pm

Yup. This is a gravely challenged individual.

Idiot.

Comment by Bock the Robber — January 29, 2009 @ 9:47 pm

He’s one of those unfortunate idiots though. You know the ones. They come up with a whole doctrine to excuse their idiocy but just come up looking like more of an idiot that they originally did. What a fucking idiot..

Comment by captainpurplehead — January 29, 2009 @ 9:55 pm

CaptainPurple Head,

Do you actually disagree with anything I’ve said in a factual sense? It seems you are committing the moralistic fallacy - it’s bad so therefore it cannot be true.

Seriously, can you explain why my post annoys you? And I mean what specifically you disagree with?

Comment by Ben Richards — January 30, 2009 @ 3:21 am

All I’m suggesting is that in 30 years you will realise that the experience in Canada and the UK is not unique. Some immigrant groups will be overrepresented in violent crime and academic underachievement. Others (namely East Asian of Chinese or Japanese descent) will excel academically and be underrepresented in crime.

However, as a result of one group underperforming various diversity and affirmative action measures will be undertaken and you will be blamed for institutional racism in causing their underachievement.

Just giving you a heads up.

Rushton, J.P., & Whitney, G. (2002). Cross-national variation in violent crime rates: Race, r-K theory, and income. Population and Environment, 23, 501-511.

Comment by Ben Richards — January 30, 2009 @ 3:38 am

You seem to have a plethora of quotes to bang away with but no historical substance to your argument. If anything, our race has shown that we’re easily led and quite happy to go with the flow - even if that flow happens to be a flow directed by bigotted dickheads like yourself and, say, Hitler. By the way, if you think that I’m bringing this down to level of hurling insults at you it is because I am. I find you and your fascist buddies to be the most detestable fucking knuckle-dragging morons that happened to spew forth into the midwife’s hands.

Comment by captainpurplehead — January 30, 2009 @ 9:21 am

Oh and another thing; you’re an idiot! History is littered with idiots who thought they knew more than everyone else about race. The only difference with you is that you appear infinitely more vacuous than the rest.

Comment by captainpurplehead — January 30, 2009 @ 4:29 pm

CaptainPurple Head,

I should probably mention to you ‘Godwin’s Law’ in case you haven’t heard of it previously.

If you were serious about history you’d realise that your view that their are no group differences, or that people are essentially blank slates has had equally dire consequences. For instance, the Chinese in Malaysia or Armenian Jews have been persecuted for their overachievement. Of course this overlooks research, such as I’ve cited above, that East Asians and Ashkenazi Jews have a higher group average on intelligence tests. Therefore there occupational and academic success is entirely predictable. By not realising group differences it makes people believe differences must be due to unfairness. This leads to resentment & in some cases persecution as those examples show (also consider Pol Pot’s ‘Year Zero’).

Also, you must realise that group differences do not imply much about a particular individual (for instance you’ll have overlap amongst groups) so I’m not suggesting you prejudge individuals based on race.

Comment by Ben Richards — February 1, 2009 @ 11:23 pm

“bigotted dickheads like yourself and, say, Hitler”

You forgot Gandhi & Albert Schweitzer (see their comments on living in Africa).

Seriously, mentioning Hitler is silly. A couple of points.

1. Nazis were killing people & trying to create an empire - I’m just suggesting you should observe overseas experience in immigration decisions.

2. I’m suggesting IQ is surprisingly effective in predicting a number of outcomes. The Nazis banned IQ tests because Jews outperformed the general population.

Comment by Ben — February 2, 2009 @ 7:18 am

Yeah but you’re still an idiot.

Comment by Cap\'n P — February 3, 2009 @ 6:36 pm

“Yeah but you’re still an idiot.”

Dude, give up. You can’t defend your position.

Comment by Ben — February 5, 2009 @ 10:33 pm

Y’see, Ben, this is the problem with idiots like you. You state your opinion as fact. The fact actually is that you have researched articles that support your idiotic theories - not to mention ideals and you satisfy yourself with the fact that your ignorant rhetoric can be justified because it is in print somewhere else. You seem to be the kind of idiot who has spent your whole life cossetted in the emerald isle in your mother’s house. My opinion of you is that you’re an idiot and I think I’ve defended that really well. By the way, don’t call me dude. You claim to be Irish so stop talking like a fucking American. Y’see there’s another reason why you’re an idiot. If you were really confident in your position, you wouldn’t have even commented on this post but you know deep down that you’re an idiot. You say I can’t defend my position but why should I even bother when you’re doing such a fine job of defending my position every time you leave a comment. There isn’t one sane person out there who agrees with your position. Look, maybe you should just leave your mother’s house and crawl into the same cave as the rest of the idiots like you.

Comment by captainpurplehead — February 6, 2009 @ 8:38 am

Oh, by the way, I’m very familliar with Godwin’s law - having alluded to it in a couple of previous posts. The problem with Godwin’s law is that it has become the primary defence of every facist idiot to whom it has been related.

Comment by captainpurplehead — February 6, 2009 @ 8:49 am

“There isn’t one sane person out there who agrees with your position.”

Again, you resort to name calling rather than making an argument. Essentially the first refuge of the incompetent (well, technically it’s violence but name calling is close behind).

I’ll tell you what, if in 30 years African migrants to Ireland aren’t overrepresented in crime, welfare dependency & underperforming academically, then I’ll pay you $100. I only say this because I bother to look at evidence from overseas & also the psychometric research cited above. I’m not sure what you rely on.

Comment by Ben — February 6, 2009 @ 12:02 pm

I haven’t called you any names. I’ve simply described you accurately. You’re a racist and no amount of tub thumping and quoting every study that supports your theory is going to change that. As I’ve said, with every comment you make, you simply prove my argument. To any reasonable and educated person out there, you’re wrong. It’s as simple as that. You’re Irish and you think that African immigrants are our problem? Look around you, idiot! The Irish are killing themselves. As for your wager; again, I live in the EU so dollars are of little use. Why don’t you do us all a favour and move over to the deep south with the rest of your kind.

Comment by captainpurplehead — February 6, 2009 @ 12:13 pm

“To any reasonable and educated person out there, you’re wrong.”

You keep asserting this, but don’t demonstrate why. Perhaps, like the Emperor’s New Clothes, it’s something that just must be accepted.

Personally, I consider the Japanese to be very educated & reasonable. They don’t appear to be rushing forth to allow mass immigration. Quite the opposite, Japan is 98% japanese. Also, as former Singaporian leader Lee Kuan Yew pointed out, having a multicultural country is problematic in democracies as the vote tends to be a racial head count.

Comment by Ben — February 6, 2009 @ 10:45 pm

“As for your wager; again, I live in the EU so dollars are of little use.”

Ok, I’ll pay Euros or whatever currency you nominate at the time.

Comment by Ben — February 6, 2009 @ 10:52 pm

You really are insecure aren’t you.

Comment by Cap\'n P — February 7, 2009 @ 1:27 pm

I must say that “Ben” has won this “debate” easily. He has all the facts and empirical evidence on his side, the other side just resort to name calling and wishful thinking.

Comment by martin_uk — February 7, 2009 @ 11:37 pm

Captain P,

This is an example of the kind of problem having groups with differing average abilities leads too:

“Seven black firefighters are suing the city, contending that the Houston Fire Department’s test for officer promotions adversely affects blacks.

“This is systemic discrimination,” said the firefighters’ attorney, Dennis Thompson. “Selection rates for African-Americans are abysmally smaller than for white candidates.”

What the article doesn’t mention is that gentile whites would also score below Ashkenazi Jews or East Asians on psychometric tests, but this is never due to systematic discrimination. The reality is that groups tend to have different abilities on average, so achieving proportional results is impossible. However, people will blame it on racism and bring these ridiculous lawsuits.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6247438.html

Comment by Ben Richards — February 8, 2009 @ 3:27 am

Admit it, Captain Purplehead, Ben has won the argument hands down.

Comment by Dave M. — February 8, 2009 @ 6:44 am

Ah well now that Martin and Dave have declared a winner I suppose it must be fact. Listen Ben; just because you’ve got a couple of your racist buddies to lend a hand means fuck all. You’re a racist. If you want one example, take a look at the new American president and compare him to the old white clown that he succeeded. You, Martin and Dave are morons. That’s not name calling; it’s just a simple fact. It’s not your fault that you’re morons but that doesn’t alter the fact that you are. Grow up and grow a brain. You sit at a pc spouting racist bullshit when your time would be better served doing something decent.

Comment by Cap'n P — February 8, 2009 @ 5:41 pm

Cap’n P — This creature has an obsession with black people. I don’t know why you entertain it.

You realise, Cap’n, that it gets its jollies from this kind of argument and that it’s typing these comments with one hand.

Comment by Bock the Robber — February 8, 2009 @ 6:20 pm

I think Ben’s position is far more persuasive, Cap’n. He has research to back up his position, so far you have just called him names. Indeed, name calling is the last recourse for an exhausted mind.

Comment by Martel — February 8, 2009 @ 7:25 pm

“If you want one example, take a look at the new American president and compare him to the old white clown that he succeeded.”

Captain P, read my posts above again. They refer to group averages. There is overlap amongst the groups. For instance there are gentile whites who outperform Ashkenazi Jews academically. This doesn’t alter the fact that the group averages are different.

Comment by Ben Richards — February 8, 2009 @ 8:36 pm

An exhausted mind? Hhmmm, you could have something there, “Martel”. My mind does become exhausted from too mush exposure to people like “you”, “Dave” and “Martin” but I haven’t resorted to name calling, I’m merely describing you all quite accurately. “All” of “you” keep alluding to the fact that he has researched his racist theories but taking a couple of random suggestions simply because they support your idiotic argument isn’t research.

Comment by Cap\'n P — February 8, 2009 @ 8:46 pm

“All” of “you” keep alluding to the fact that he has researched his racist theories but taking a couple of random suggestions simply because they support your idiotic argument isn’t research.”

Captain P, what do you disagree with?

human intelligence:

* can be measured;

* matters, a lot;

* differs by heredity (50% to 80%);

* (most controversially) differs, on average, among various groups, such as races.

Here is an explanation that may help you in relation to how it is distributed.

Seligman does not argue that this means any white you stop in the street will be necessarily smarter than any black. Group averages tell nothing about individuals. Blacks score at all ability levels, including the very highest. Individual black scores as high as 200 have been recorded. There are about 5 million American blacks who score above the white average.

And for those who still believe in white supremacy, Seligman has bad news: On average whites score lower in IQ tests than East Asians.

So why drag all this into the open at a time when reasonable people want better race relations? Seligman’s answer: Since IQ is a good measure of potential job performance, it cannot be ignored in hiring and promotion, as affirmative action quota policies dictate. He suggests that, in attempting to ensure equal representation at every level, public policy may be on a collision course with reality.

Intelligence in a population, Seligman points out, is distributed in a “normal” or bell-shaped curve around the average, or median, score. The further from the median, the more dramatically the number of individuals in that range shrinks.

Thus an IQ level of 115 is considered the threshold for top managerial and professional jobs. Only about 16% of whites, or about 30 million, score at or above it. There are many individual blacks in that range. But their proportion of the total black population is smaller, because the 115 threshold is further from the black median IQ.

Seligman cites University of Delaware sociologist Linda Gottfredson’s work: “It suggests that the distribution of income and occupations may already be about what the IQ numbers would predict.”

“The black-white IQ gap is only one chapter out of 15 in the book,” Seligman says. But, he adds resignedly, “It’s what people really want to talk about.”

Comment by Ben Richards — February 8, 2009 @ 10:13 pm

If you’re still asking what I disagree with, you’re a bigger idiot than even I took you for - and I think you’re an idiot of gargantuan proportions. You can take control groups or you can manipulate them to get favourable results based on your particular ethos. You’re a racist and I hate racism.

Comment by captainpurplehead — February 8, 2009 @ 11:10 pm

“If you’re still asking what I disagree with, you’re a bigger idiot than even I took you for - and I think you’re an idiot of gargantuan proportions. You can take control groups or you can manipulate them to get favourable results based on your particular ethos. You’re a racist and I hate racism.”

1. So people have manipulated results to show East Asians and Ashkenazi Jews outperform gentile whites on average? Hmmm…

2. If I pointed to research showing groups do better in different athletic pursuits would that be racist? If groups have some variance in physical traits because of evolving in different areas, why is pointing that out racist?

3. If it’s simply a case of manipulating the study, why not get some neutral group to fund some research?

You don’t like what a century of psychometricians have come up with? That’s fine: but what have you come up with? You don’t think I.Q. tests are valid as a way to quantify smartness? Then what do you think is valid? What methodology would you suggest? Where is your data? What hypotheses have you generated? Where did you publish your results? What do your results say about group differences?

In science you have to walk the walk. I.Q. deniers are like the Intelligent Design folk: long on critique, pitifully short on research, on data, on work, on science.

Comment by Ben Richards — February 9, 2009 @ 12:37 am

Cap’n, when you’re in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. Ben is all over you, let’s face it. Your mistake was to actually believe the Establishment bullshine about racial equality in every conceivable thing (to the hundredth decimal place). But do you think the Establishment elite actaully believe it themselves? I’ll tell you what, they always make sure that their own children attend all white schools!

Comment by martin_uk — February 9, 2009 @ 1:00 am

Martin; you’re a racist moron - that’s not calling you names, it’s just a statement of fact - and, as such, you will always think anyone who doesn’t think like you is wrong. It’s what makes you a moron.
Ben; Same goes for you.

Comment by captainpurplehead — February 9, 2009 @ 3:15 pm

Captain, I guess you are conceeding the points above. You don’t like them, but you accept they are probably correct. I understand.

Comment by Ben Richards — February 9, 2009 @ 7:24 pm

Ah so you’ve now resorted to schoolyard tactics, Ben. I was wondering how long it would take an utter moron like yourself to do that. You’re a racist. I disagree totally with you as a person and your complete set of ideals. Listen, maybe you should just get out more. Y’know, get yourself laid instead of tossing yourself off to pictures of Eva Braun.

Comment by captainpurplehead — February 9, 2009 @ 7:52 pm

Eva Braun! I love it.

Ben and his aliases remind me of the incredibly boring one-track character in the pub who won’t go away until you agree with them.

This individual seems to be disturbingly obsessed with black people.

Comment by Bock the Robber — February 9, 2009 @ 11:47 pm

“Y’know, get yourself laid instead of tossing yourself off to pictures of Eva Braun.”

Again, this shows that you haven’t been paying attention. The Nazis outlawed IQ tests because Jews scored above average on them.

“Ben and his aliases remind me of the incredibly boring one-track character in the pub who won’t go away until you agree with them.”

You really have 3 options. Agree. Disagree, or withold judgement. All Captain Purplehead has done is hurl abuse. That’s fine, but it isn’t persuasive.

Comment by Ben Richards — February 10, 2009 @ 1:28 am

“tossing yourself off”

Besides, I’m more of a Megan Fox fan.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2gv6ieO34Fo/SK78wtyXIdI/AAAAAAAAD9Q/PiNkfyvdT7A/s400/Megan+Fox2.bmp

Comment by Ben Richards — February 10, 2009 @ 2:11 am

Re the captainpurplehead vs. Ben Richards: Capn, you have been utterly outclassed! Why is it, really, that “progressives” have such a hysterical time accepting the reality 1) of racial differentiation, and 2) that whites are just so much more pleasant on average to have as the majority of your society than other races, especially violent Africans, who bring vice and criminality in their wake literally wherever they go? I would really likt to understand the ricdiculous leftist mind, because you fucking wanker cowards ARE DESTROYING WESTERN CIVILIZATION FOR NO REASON BUT YOUR OWN STUPIDITY.

Comment by leon haller — February 10, 2009 @ 10:21 am

I haven’t hurled abuse, I’ve merely described what you are. You and your alias and the other trained monkeys you’ve got to assist you by stating you’ve won a debate which was never really a debate have proved my argument time and time again. Look at Leon. I mean he must be a card carrying nazi to make that comment. I’m frankly surprised he’s able to work the keyboard. He’s a good example of the kind of knuckle-dragging moron to whom you’ve allied yourself. You’re an idiot but I do feel genuine pity for you, Ben. Your world is pretty dumb and pretty dark. Leon, you’ve got some serious issues. I suggest immersing your head in water for about half an hour. If you find this difficult, maybe you could get a friend - if indeed you have any - to hold your head down for you.

Comment by Cap'n P — February 10, 2009 @ 12:25 pm

Captain, I’m still waiting to hear how Irish Savant is wrong about African immigration.

Comment by Ben — February 11, 2009 @ 9:15 am

Why can’t you recognize reality? Really, I want to know. Come visit the US. Every one of the twenty (or two hundred) most violent shitpile neighborhoods is black. You can’t possibly be such an asshole that you could be indifferent to the prospect of Africans invading lovely white Ireland?! Why allow that? THEY DO NOT BELONG THERE - anymore than whites belong in, say, Ghana. The difference is that wherever white men go, they improve territories; wherever blacks go they ruin them. One need not be a Nazi to recognize that. Indeed, I know at least 6 Jews who are in militant agreement with me. The larger point is that you “regressives” never offer any evidence for your endless, unexamined assertions about race. But I really would like to understand how people like you, who exist at such an incredible psychic remove from reality, come to be. How can any white today NOT be a racist? Anti-racism is obviously a form of psychosis, to which whites are disproportionately susceptible. I just want to understand your outlook (though ultimately, of course, I intend to annihilate it).

Comment by leon haller — February 11, 2009 @ 12:55 pm

Leon: For a white American to talk about another race invading a country they don’t belong in is frankly laughable.
Ben: There has been an increase in violent crime since the influx of other races but that has been between white Irish scumbags who have the IQ of a squashed beetle. You’re full of fucking shit.

Comment by captainpurplehead — February 11, 2009 @ 2:45 pm

Gotta love the Internet. In the old days, Captain Purplehead could’ve endured his humiliation in private. Now, children the world over get to point and laugh at him. Maybe he’ll become a cautionary tale for some village in China or Burkina Faso. Heh.

Comment by JohnP — February 12, 2009 @ 10:13 pm

Really, John? Do you really think that I’m going to be that famous? Wow! I’m coming over all unecessary. John, you’re another one of those American racist friends of Ben. Ben Richards is the most insecure twat who has ever read this blog. But look, John, don’t worry about me being humilliated. If it gets too much I can always delete these comments but why would I do that when all you little racists are adamant that you want to publish your stupidity on my site. Please keep it coming, you’re all hilarious little racists. Little Ben, Little Martel, little John and, of course, Leon the West Highland Terrier. A merry band of idiots. Endlessly entertaining.

Comment by captainpurplehead — February 13, 2009 @ 2:44 pm

“Little Ben, Little Martel, little John and, of course, Leon the West Highland Terrier. A merry band of idiots. Endlessly entertaining.”

Happy to entertain you Captain. Who knows, maybe as I indicated above, one day you might see Irish Savant had a point.

Comment by Ben — February 15, 2009 @ 8:17 am

Cap’n Dickhead would be more accurate given your childish response.

Comment by Harry — February 17, 2009 @ 1:35 pm

According to Leon, wherever white men go they improve territories.

I’d imagine the native Americans would have something to say about that.

Comment by Bock the Robber — February 18, 2009 @ 1:00 am

“According to Leon, wherever white men go they improve territories.

I’d imagine the native Americans would have something to say about that.

Comment by Bock the Robber — February 18, 2009 @ 1:00 am”

How does that address the argument made by Irish Savant? That increasing african migration will increase crime, state dependency, increase conflict (racial bias type lawsuits) and lower educational standards (affirmative action type quotas, ‘diversity’ schemes etc)?

Comment by Ben — February 18, 2009 @ 4:12 am

Anonymous said...

I couldn't help notice that Captainpurplehead was getting some abuse here for not having any research to back his case.

Well, first of all, to back the equality of mankind,one does not need to resort to research. A SELF-RESPECTING human being is one that feels deep down that he/she is equal to others, and helping others understand that is the duty of mankind.

Now, as regards research. Ben, let me just remind you where racism originated. Remind yourself of Thomas Robert Malthus, try to recall Francis Galton. Do these names ring a bell with you? These people founded (along with a somewhat tagging along Charles Darwin) so-called Scientific Racism.

Thomas MAlthus promoted during his life a policy of population control which affected the paupers, on whose backs the industrial revolution was being created. He thought that population was rising too fast, that there was not enough food for the increasing nimmbers of people (particularly the poor), ao it is better if they die off. Afterall, they are base and lowly, and we have no need for them (just enough to keep the factories running should be left :) He actually said that it would be great if there was a disease that could kill them off, and that they shouldn;t get any medical care, it only prolongs their miserable life, and,most importantlu, aboliosh those bloody POOR LAWS...etc, etc,

Galton, the father of modern eugenics is still widely quoted and looked up to as a respectable scholar, even though his methods consisted of quack pseudo-scientific phrenology and craniology. Galton's followers were many, and eugenics was a perfeclty respectable "science" (60,000 people sterilized in USA!) till the Nazis made it too embarrasingly obvious through their wide-ranging program of extermination and sterilization. People of great status like Rockeffeller, Osborn, Shaw, Bertrand Russell, H.g. Wells, supported eugenics, and Rockefeller funded the eugenic institutions in Germany. Hitler made it abundantly clear in his Mein Kamppf that he was inspired by the USA in his eugenic policies. The worst part is that all these people were treating eugenics as the greatest social experiment ever,they thought they were helping the development of mankind, merely assisting/boosting natural selection!

These are the people who started the race discourse. These people were considered perfeclty respectable, still are, they were great intellects in their own ways, and exerted incredible influence on Natural Studies. However, they were not GODS, although they felt they could play GODS. They thought they had the right, or maybe even the duty, to decide who is worhty, who isn't. TOday,although they remain respected, most scholars find many of their views extremely controversial, somewhat embarrasing and not supportable.

What makes you think the research you quote today will be reputable in the future?? Every scholar who is devoted to his field believes his theory as long as s/he is permitted to (i.e. until it is proven wrong). There has been so many studies on race, that you will find arguments to back both sides of the discourse. However, it is all relative and contextualized.

IQ tests, let me remind you, are written by somebody, in a specific context,to TEST SPECIFIC THINGS. there is no way,at least not according to modern genetics, to check which race is more intelligent! All the research you have given tests things in contexts! Just because I know that 2+2=4, doensn;t mean a thing.

Let me illustrate: if there was some sort of, let;s say just for laughs, a Malthusian catastrophe, and everybody in the whole wide world perished, except for an African Tribe, and you were stranded in Africa with them, and they knew (somehow) how to find water, but you didn;t.... tell me then, who would be more "intelligent"? What does intelligence mean to you? Let me answer for you: Adherence to Western Civilisation Norms and achieving Western Goals??

Looking forward to your comment on this Ben.

Captain Purplehead said...

The research is important but there are many so many conflicting publications on both sides, referencing them is simply a matter of what you believe. The racist that posted that conversation he had on my site has had his blog blocked by google because of the offensively racist content therein. Ben is a racist, plain and simple. You can dress it up in whatever rhetoric you like, it comes down to the same thing.
I can'at abide racism and that's why I put up that post.
The proof of the pudding is that he got all of his little racist buddies to post and support him. These guys have regularly encouraged attacks on blogs on the stormfront website. Says a lot about them really.

The Gombeen Man said...

Cheers Cap'n P. I suppose these half-wits NEED to believe someone else is inferior to them. I find it ironic in an Irish context, considering some of the anti-Irish attitudes down the years.

Keep up the good work.

Captain Purplehead said...

Cheers. Ben, in fact, was posting from New Zealand but calling himself the Irish Savant. One of his buddies posted from South Carolina and accused the Polish and Nigerian people of "invading" Ireland. This is great coming from a white American.

Great blog.

Anonymous said...

jasus GM you really set the cat among the pıdgeons wıth thıs öne cheers BH

The Gombeen Man said...

Always nice, BH. ;-)

Dick Mack said...

The Irish (mainly Catholic) migrants from 1845 - 1900 were absolutely despised by large numbers of residents in every English speaking country they went. Canada, for example, had jails with 70% Irish occupancy (obviously a criminal race). The jokes of last two centuries always painted Irish as stupid, lazy and usually drunk. Even Darwin himself said that Irish may not be related to other more civilized western European ethnicities - he put forth a theory they are related to African tribes.

Disgusting rasist ideology huh.

The short (selfish) memory and stomach-turning hypocrisy is ... depressing.