Gypsy, Traveller (etc) discussion

[Holden Caulfield]

As the Appelby fair looms and thousands of Travellers come to the county (Cumbria), there has been much talk in the local press of the local attitude to them; it is usually a thinly covered opinion of 'i hate them' or 'they buy my things, i like them'. And so I was wondering what thoughts revleft has,

what also made me want to start this thread was Gogol Bordello posting a bullitin explaining the intolerance towards Roma people in Italy due to the new right wing laws and recent attacks on Gypsies in Italy; such as the arson attack on one of their camps,

before i was a true fully enlightened socialist i have to admit i did not like gypsies, as there is a gypsy camp near the city and on more than one occastion they have tried to kick the shit out of me and other people for no reason, i have dropped this prejudice since

how would this social/ethnic group fit into a post-revolutionary society?
and can we have a fully discussion on the Gypsy people in relation to modern socialism..

[Holden Caulfield]

anybody?

[Cybersomatix]

Gypsies... never did like 'em

I'm kidding... livimg in the United States, I've little contact with anybody that I'm aware of who is of Roma descent... In context of Europe... from what I'm aware of, Romanian inclusion into the EU opened up emigration of a lot of Roma westward from Romania and now the Roma are facing similar problems to those of Turks in Germany or Mexicans in the US

I don't know what to say other than that racism is racism and it is almost always economically driven.

I saw a BBC Panorama piece on the economic problems faced in Slough regarding the massive influx of immigrants from Roma to Poles to Pakistanis to Dutch Somali refugees and how the problem that the government faces is primarily one of how to get an accurate fix on just how many people live in Slough from year to year so as to be able to allocate enough money to social services in that community. Again, living in the United States, I can't begin to understand the situation. If there were a comparable percapita or per population density level of immigration into the United States the government wouldn't even ask these sorts of questions. Considering the uproar caused in the United states over a comparitive trickle of Mexican and Central American immigrants, the governments primary concern in such a case would be stemming the tide and deporting immigrants so as to appease the angry right.

What I can say is this, from what I have observed of the situation in England, nearly all of the concerns brought up by the protions of the population who seem to dislike the Gypsies seem to apply nearly equally to the Polish, Pakistani and Somali immigrants and primarily play into economic and/or social identity related issues and have little, pers se, to do with the Roma themslves.

[Colonello Buendia]

as an Italian I was brought up hearing stories about how the Roma people were all a bunch of child beating pickpockets, this is a flawed story. sure there are child beaters and pickpockets among them but you ge that in any society. it just looks more obvious because of the way the Roma live and the fact that they're not considered natives.

[redflag32]

The problem most people have with Gypsies is that they escape the law of the land. If i dumped shit outside my residence id be fined. I think Gypsies should be allowed live their lives in accordance to their culture and that designated places for those who wished to continue travelling should be built, this would stop them parking up football pitches and on any green area available. But along with this they have to get the message that they cannot dump rubbish anywhere they want or be a social nuisence.

[Reuben]

The thing is redflag, the state supplies the infrastructure by means of which your rubbish can be collected. It does not for gypsies. Blaming them for dumping rubbish is looking at it through the wrong end of the telescope.

[redflag32]

Yea i knew someone would pick up on that,i was going to edit the post but my nephew walked int he room and i just sent it anyway.ha. I do under stand what your saying, totally. An error on my part.

[Reuben]

cool cool.turn your nephew into a communist please,

[Holden Caulfield]

Gypsies... never did like 'em

I'm kidding... livimg in the United States, I've little contact with anybody that I'm aware of who is of Roma descent... In context of Europe... from what I'm aware of, Romanian inclusion into the EU opened up emigration of a lot of Roma westward from Romania and now the Roma are facing similar problems to those of Turks in Germany or Mexicans in the US

I don't know what to say other than that racism is racism and it is almost always economically driven.

I saw a BBC Panorama piece on the economic problems faced in Slough regarding the massive influx of immigrants from Roma to Poles to Pakistanis to Dutch Somali refugees and how the problem that the government faces is primarily one of how to get an accurate fix on just how many people live in Slough from year to year so as to be able to allocate enough money to social services in that community. Again, living in the United States, I can't begin to understand the situation. If there were a comparable percapita or per population density level of immigration into the United States the government wouldn't even ask these sorts of questions. Considering the uproar caused in the United states over a comparitive trickle of Mexican and Central American immigrants, the governments primary concern in such a case would be stemming the tide and deporting immigrants so as to appease the angry right.

What I can say is this, from what I have observed of the situation in England, nearly all of the concerns brought up by the protions of the population who seem to dislike the Gypsies seem to apply nearly equally to the Polish, Pakistani and Somali immigrants and primarily play into economic and/or social identity related issues and have little, pers se, to do with the Roma themslves.

it is different to other immigrants, at least up here in this non-multi-cultural wasteland,

they have not diluted their culture or really integrated into society outside their camps, i am not saying they should be forced to but i makes a different feeling towards them, and perhaps gives them siege mentality,

[redflag32]

cool cool.turn your nephew into a communist please,

I diont force my beliefs on anybody, when my nephew asks me a question i give him my answer,but id never "turn" him into anything, he is his own being! :cool: