BBC’s sometime sports pundit and Walker’s Crisps ambassador is in trouble.
Let’s be clear about this. Lineker did not call all Tories, um, ‘Nazis’. Not in so many words, anyway.
However, any comparison of a governing party’s policy to the Germany of the 1930s? Not good. Very uncool.
Has he been FIRED? Not quite. Besides, BBC simply sub-contract Gary, as I understand it. Are they actually standing by him? Nah. If anything, the corporation is feeding the frenzy. It’s easy news, right?
In context: The man did not make his comments mid football match. So, he has prima facie, free speech, and can, therefore say what he likes. His influence is surely limited, anyway?
Not the brightest button by any means, his opinion is to my mind, worthless and of interest or impact only to those whose views are, well, of equally limited value.
That said? Influence is influence. And though his platform and views are his own, Lineker nonetheless is empowered by BBC association. Ergo, his comments, whatever disclaimers are in place, could be, easily, taken, even implicitly, as on message with the broadcaster.
He is also just plain WRONG in his views, whilst expressing those as pulpit sermon level wisdom. But hey. That’s endemic, now. Part of a new subculture evolving in news media. The substantial journalists want to editorialise on lifestyle matters and deploy cute little kitten pics as lead headlines. Meanwhile, light entertainers lecture us on substantial policy concern. Stop it. It’s getting weird. Looking at YOU, ITV/ITN.
Back to the policy itself. This latest move by the British Government regarding asylum laws, though brutal and radical, is about saving immigration, not stopping it. Via hard choices on monetary and societal organisation.
It ain’t ideological pandering to racism or even a move to win over hard-line conservatives and floating voters. Instead? Think on it as a last and perhaps, only hope against, rather than signifying any move toward, far right extremism.
By saving money, fast, wherever we can, and thereby propping under-nourished, overstretched public services? We remove excuses for tomorrow’s racism recruiters in waiting.
And by ensuring that the country only admits the very best of workers, citizens in waiting and those genuinely in imminent, immediate fear? A vital propaganda war is won, overnight.
As in, no longer will anyone have a faux sheen of legitimacy in citing immigration, legal or otherwise, as bane of socio-economic existence. That, in itself, saves lives, surely? Or at least, enhances the value placed upon said.
So, let Lineker vent. He will have lost as many supporters as any that might have been won over to his pseudo-messianic posturing. And hey, it is, indeed, right, to champion the underdog. Gary has a point on that score. He just tackled the wrong team.
My one caveat here? If one MUST use Nazi analogies? Deploy it where actual guts and grit are required. Go after the people trafficking scum who think nothing of human life other than as figures in their own illegal coffers.
Thugs! Evil, pure and simple. That class of villain sometimes only responds TO thuggery. And yes, THAT is how we won WW2. Against, um, Nazis. Yah.
We are less likely to see resurgence in far right (and/or left) extremism if we invest, NOW, in defence and policing. Let’s NOT have poor innocents risking lives on dangerous boats, in the misplaced hope of a ‘better’ life in the UK whereby they might be sold into slavery, cleaning toilets for £1 per hour.
IE: It’s time to take the gloves off and double all vigilant and proactive efforts in slaying the international crime dragon, forever.
Take on the gangs. And the countries who shield them. And we might, just might, SAVE LIVES and help, rather than harm, our democratic and generous future in the UK.
The days of limitlessly open immigration and asylum might have ceased while we do that. But a door ajar is not closed entirely. Remember that, Gary and co and read some history, maybe? Just sayin’, like. It’s my opinion. Free speech, innit! 😉
Revolutionising immigration systems is not the same as demonising the immigrant as ‘other’. If we do not make tough decisions, now? And save infrastructure, in Britain? Then sunak or later, there might not be much nation left in which to live at all, let alone seek asylum.
Bit like how the ‘VILE! EVIL! TORY! SCUM!’ austerity policy, for all its flaws, kinda saved the economy, post crash, a decade ago. History does repeat, for sure. But that does not mean one ought jump to the 1930s as the prevailing comparison point when it simply doesn’t work.
BACK O’ THE NET!
HERE ENDETH THE LESSON.
