Bill Sykes' Newsletter from America.
(Summer 2002)
An ex-Brit gives his views-(without fear
or favor)---of the American Scene
Is Right Wing Socialism on the increase in Europe?
 First
there was the surprise support in France for the ultra right
wing politician Jean-Marie Le Pen in his challenge of Mr.
Jacques Chirac for the French Presidency.
The main issues being debated were: Law and Order, Immigration,
Unemployment, Taxes, Europe, Globalization, Corruption,
Social Security, (Pensions and Benefits).
There were major disagreements between the two contenders,
on most of the above noted issues. I will just illustrate
the individual views on a couple of these issues, which
would appear to be applicable to UK also. !!!
Immigration:
Mr. Le Pen wants immediate expulsion of illegal immigrants,
restrict the right to seek asylum, reinstate border control
and establish what he calls "National Preference"
in all area including housing, unemployment and social security
benefits.
Mr. Chirac, it has been reported, does not have any specific
proposals on immigration.
Europe:
 Mr.
Chirac would like to see a European constitution and President,
as well as a common defense policy.
Mr. Le Pen wants to restore the French franc and take France
out of the "Europe of Maastricht", which he says
is an infringement on French sovereignty.
Could I say, that perhaps there are many people in Britain
who would also be inclined to support both of Mr. Le Pen's
propositions, (shown above), but not with the same right
wing fervor I hope, as shown by Mr. Le Pen's supporters.
The European Union can be perceived to have huge problems
when trying to assimilate many nationalities from different
countries, who have different values, different laws, different
cultures, etc into a united entity.
In the United States, (really it should be called the dis-United
States---because each state has it's own laws, etc), we
have been fortunate in being able to take in immigrants
from many nations and make them part of the American culture,
(if there is such a thing), but we do have the Boston Irish
and Italian communities, New York has it's Irish, Italians
and Jewish communities, the Mid-western states have their
German communities, and of course the numerous Chinatowns
throughout the land.
 The
main reason that we have this capability, is that people
came from many parts of the world to escape from poverty,
famine, religious persecution, etc, with a view to making
a better life for their families and they came to a new
country which was not steeped in the concrete traditional
requirements of their home lands.
You will of course have noticed that I have made no mention
of the original Americans - the American Indian---but that
is another story.
Continuation of the Right wing political discussion.
!!!
 Now
we come to the case of Mr. Pim Fortuyn, the anti-immigration
Dutch politician. Mr. Fortuyn, an ex-sociology professor,
the leader of the National Front and a former Marxist, was
assassinated on the 7th of May in Hilversum. The person
accused of the assassination is a thirty-two year old Dutch
Environmentalist campaigner, identified as Volkert van der
Graaf.
Mr. Fortuyn, came to prominence in March when his party
made a strong showing in local elections in Rotterdam.
It was reported that he apparently provoked public indignation
by calling for the Netherlands's borders be closed to immigrants.
Does the immigration issue sound familiar to people living
in both Great Britain and the United States?
Mr. Fortuyn suffered multiple head, chest, and neck wounds,
(caused by six gunshots), from which he died shortly afterwards.
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