Quote:
|
Nationality has nothing to do with race; that is very dangerous territory and can lead to gross misunderstandings.
|
How would you define 'race' ?
The Oxford English Dictionary broadly defines the word as "a group of persons connected by common descent".
Also -
Wikipedia - Race
There is also considerable debate among the media, regarding whether or not the british populace can be considered to be 'a race', considering what a nationality melting-pot it is.
So, it seems to me that you are not necessarily right in your assumptions about race.
I think that it's inappropriate to have opinions and state them as fact while declaring that those who opine otherwise are incorrect, and criticising or chastising them without any back-up, if you wish to have a constructive debate in the process.
If you feel that social perception of race should be based on how people look and the country of origin of their ancient ancestors (scientists have discovered that there is no apparent deviation of genetics which would distinguish between different nationalities of people) , then please consider -
If there is a person whose great-great-great-great-grandparents lived in Africa, whose family has lived in the UK for a century, interbreeding with other similarly African-descent families resulting in African-looking kids being produced by each generation, then why would that person necessarily have any more ability (or right) to comment on a situation in Africa, than i would be ?
Quote:
|
As for your point, you are obviously free to lobby whomever you wish, but I always try to think of it in terms of how I would feel if roles are reversed. If I thought that French citizens were lobbying the British government to change our labour laws to match theirs I would be less than impressed.
|
This is clearly an inaccurate comparison, as shown by what i have been saying. I am confused by why you made it, considering all that I have said so far. Do you not believe me, about the motives of the fair trade movement ?
How about if you were an African worker whose vulnerable government was being manipulated by UK corporations, and allowing UK supermarkets to dominate and exploit the local populace ?
Would you feel better knowing that UK citizens don't care, and view this as a good thing ?
Or would you feel better knowing that UK citizens are concerned about the predicament, are urging their governments to stop nurturing policies which simply increase the desperation of the African government while bringing them deeper into debt, if you knew that UK citizens were encouraging change in UK law to prevent supermarkets from mindfully decimating local economies in poverty-wracked locations, and if they were encouraging the African government to instate a minimum wage which allows full-time employees to at least be able to afford minimum basic food for survival ?
As i have already made clear, i would prefer the latter to the former.