Enoch Powell addressed the Annual General Meeting of the West Midlands Area Conservative Political Centre in Birmingham in 1968 and this is a famous quote from that speech. In your opinion, is it coming true? For the full context and text of the speech please visit www.vdare.com/misc/powell_speech to ensure you have an overview of his speech in relation to the times it was presented in.
2006-08-12 23:20:43 · 5 answers · asked by stingmyflesh 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
No I don't think Powell's Rivers of Blood speech was true then or is becoming true now. I was around (in Birmingham) when the speech was made, so I have some understanding of the context. There are obviously rivers foaming with blood all around the world, but I do not believe it is a real prospect for the UK. I think it is interesting how integrated many immigrant culture's are in contemporary British life, for example the proponderance of eastern European jews in the Thatcher government of the 1980s resulted in the quip that she had replaced 'old Etonians with old Estonians'. And yet, in the past England's rivers (i.e. the Thames at Oxford) have run red with jewish blood. I think Enoch Powell (Thatcher's mentor) represents a reactionary old world toryism that is as out of step with contemporary British society as public hangings and witch trials. All Powell is doing is restating the fears of Thomas Hobbes (1651) 'war of all against all' in a post war (WW2) context calculated to increase his popularity amongst the white working class of Wolverhampton at that time. To now paint him as some sort of prophet or guru of the proto fascist 'new right' rather over eggs the pudding, he was a populist politician playing to the gallery, nothing more, nothing less. He wasn't daring to speak the unspeakable, he was simply playing to the lowest common denominator by giving authority to what a lot of working class people were saying anyway at the time. In my view populist rantings like this are overly simplistic and ahistorical and tend to rise in pitch during times of uncertainty and public disquiet. Hitler did the same thing in Germany in the 1930s.
2006-08-14 07:29:25 · answer #1 · answered by Aaran Aardvark 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Enoch Powell was so mis quoted and represented that it ended the career of this politian. I have no problem with anyone coming to this country and ask for only a couple of things.... they must hold a job for 10 years, have private health insurance for the same period and should they commit ANY crime during this time be immediately deported, after this period they would be entitled to full British citzenship. You cannot blame immigrants for trying to reach a country where they will be given free housing, free health insurance and a whole host of other benefits, most of which should also be withdrawn from those on the dole long term.
2006-08-13 00:25:33 · answer #2 · answered by Breeze 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Enoch Powell was right in everything he said and I see no reason to doubt that this prediction will come to pass in the near future.
He could see then that we were making a rod for our own backs by allowing unlimited imigation.
we now have a fifth column of disafected muslems in this county
bent on destroying everything we stand for.
Its time we formed ourselves into force to combat this at street level. The BNP are a joke.
2006-08-13 00:48:11 · answer #3 · answered by Harry H 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
apparently your point is that the immigrant population of england will cause civil strife you are probably specifically targeting pakistanis well i am not sure what england can do about such matters now immigration is a problem in europe and in america worse than your issue with pakistanis in england is the problem of mexicans in america
2006-08-13 00:30:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The roman supposes to be Lucretius and yes it is true, but, like "the roman", you know what to do, do you not? Does God take part in human affairs?
2006-08-13 03:55:10 · answer #5 · answered by george 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋