To: politics.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk
Re: Increased immigration: essential for British and European prosperity and power?

Date: Wednesday 26 January 05

The following quotes are taken from an article by Martin Kettle, which appeared in Tuesday's Guardian ("Immigration is a necessity for prosperity and power") and which sent a chill down my spine:

Many Europeans may not like this truth, but increased legal migration and increased cultural diversity are fundamental to our prosperity and power. Without embracing them, we shall face decline. With them, we have the option of progress . . .  There is no third way.

. . .  we do not have . . a large enough workforce to maintain our economic growth and affluence. If those are to be achieved . . . .  Europe must do two things in particular: first, encourage mothers of young families and the "young elderly" (50 to 65-year-olds) to return to the labour market; and, second, encourage further legal immigration and improve the integration of migrant populations (quoted by Martin Kettle from US National Intelligence Council's report, Mapping the Global Future).

We can choose not to make these changes, but we would pay a price for that. We would face economic slowdown. Our clout in the world, both as individual nations and as a European Union, would decline. And we would run the risk of encouraging ethnically or religiously based internal conflict.

These are prosperous times. There are jobs for almost all. But this will not last for ever. Ordinarily, this would seem an ideal moment to craft the case for properly managed migration. The fact that we are so far away from even attempting to do that makes one shudder for what will happen when times are harder.

I've read other stuff by Martin Kettle and found much that I agreed with, but this latest article reminds me of the worst intellectual excesses of Communism. Suddenly I was interested to find out more about him. I did a search, but came up with nothing other than links to other articles he has written, and the following biographical detail from The Educational Forum: 

"Martin Kettle, the son of Arthur Kettle, the Marxist philosopher, writes for the Guardian". 

That is the sum total of what I was able to find. Although, learning that he is the son of a "Marxist philosopher" is perhaps enough.

I don't know a great deal about Marx himself, but I do know a little about what was done in his and Lenin's name in the Soviet Union:

Never mind what the (relatively) uneducated masses think or feel they want; never mind human nature: Marx has revealed to us what people need (for their own good), and it is our (the progressive intellectual elite's) duty to see that they get it - even if we have to force it on them. 

Any resemblance with the lengths religious zealots are prepared to go - given the chance - in imposing their beliefs on others, I suggest, is not coincidental.

Marxist-Leninist Communism, thank goodness, has been consigned to the history books, but not the horrible, fanatical and undemocratic mind-set that went with it, which seems to be imbedded in some people's nature.

And it is not just fanatical and undemocratic, it is also quite insane to suggest that "immigration is a necessity for [British and European] prosperity and power". 

From the view point of sustainability (and thus, our long-term survival) Britain and Europe are already greatly overpopulated and should welcome with a great sigh of relief the natural decline that has set in (and which idiots like Martin Kettle think we have to compensate for with immigration). Some of the world's smallest countries, need I say, are among the most prosperous. In the long-term, an overlarge population can only mean less prosperity per head, not more. 

And the conflicts which will arise in the struggles for a share of what prosperity there is, will be greatly aggravated (to put it mildly) if, as is most likely, they become ethnic conflicts as well (Europe's Muslims, Blacks, Hindus, Sikhs etc. demanding a greater share of wealth and political power. Or, conversely, those minorities which do well, being attacked for taking too great a share). Authoritarian government will probably be the only way to contain the violence that results (think of the ethnic conflicts that broke out as the freedom-stifling authority of the Soviet Union collapsed).

Martin Kettle turns reality on its head. We have a small fire (ethnic minorities) which needs to be contained and well tended in order for us all to enjoy the benefits; what he proposes we do, is throw petrol on it. It is difficult to understand how anyone can be so stupid, especially when they are obviously intelligent, well educated (in a sense) and are able to publish their ideas in the Guardian.

As for Martin Kettle's concern for British and European "power", it reminds me of Stalin's question about how many divisions the Pope had at his command? Still, I suppose it fits a grotesque, Marxist-Leninist mind-set.

I am very happy to see Britain's and Europe's population and (relative) power decline; as they need to, if we are to have any hope of a sustainable and peaceful future.

(www.spaceship-earth.org)