Go Back to Where You Came From: the Backlash Against Immigration and the Fate of Western Democracy
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The issues this book charts will only become more salient if climate change pushes millions more to seek safety in Europe and the United States. There are no easy answers and those who want to put migrants in brutal internment camps as Australia has done, or even machine gun them as some German politicians have argued, are just as myopic as those who are not interested in managing migration flows at all or planning the basis for a sustainable future society. A sobering must-read for those wanting to get a look at our possible futures.
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The author has put forward a well researched book about the populist trend in Western Democracies especially in the light of the refugee crises in Europe in 2015/16 and has analyzed how this impacted the national elections up to the French presidential election earlier this year. It would have been easy for the author to just pick sides and tell the left/right what they are doing wrong, but
This book was provided to me by NetGalley and Nation Books. All opinions are my own. Pub Date 17 Oct 2017.The author has put forward a well researched book about the populist trend in Western Democracies especially in the light of the refugee crises in Europe in 2015/16 and has analyzed how this impacted the national elections up to the French presidential election earlier this year. It would have been easy for the author to just pick sides and tell the left/right what they are doing wrong, but he has chosen to look behind the political rhetoric and figure out what motivates the electorate and how populists take advantage of these existential fears.
It's a dense read, but very much worth your time in order to understand this current trend. Polakow-Suransky focuses mostly on Europe in his investigation, but also touches on Australia and South Africa and draws some parallels to the 2016 election in the USA.
This book is in my top 2 non-fiction reads of 2017 right next to Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right and I will recommend it to anybody that is interested in current events and political science.
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He ends the book with an interesting epilogue, which include a number of suggestions on how to move forward. One of them that I reproduce here includes: "The first step in any coherent political project to counter right-wing populists is to reject the fear that fuels their popularity and resist the temptation to adopt their policies. Very few leaders have done this." ...more
Post 9/11, the idea of Islam conquering the West beca
I was hesitant to pick this book up. As a Muslim and a daughter of immigrants, I do not want another white male to explain the issues of immigration and xenophobia to me. However, the author exceeded my expectations. He does an excellent job at portraying contemporary issues concerning immigration in Europe. This book is well researched and I really enjoyed reading both sides to this argument. It is politically heavy but a very important read.Post 9/11, the idea of Islam conquering the West became a concern for many politicians. An increase in immigration has led to xenophobia, violence, and competition. Politicians want nothing to do with Muslims and will literally spend billions of dollars to keep them out (i.e. Australia). They will even try to convince refugees to go back to their war torn countries.
In the first section, we learn the history of immigration to various European countries which began in the 1960s due to work shortages and post colonialism. We are introduced to various politicians and their beliefs. I came to the conclusion that politicians don't seem to educate themselves about other cultures and religions. They know little to nothing about Islam and non-white cultures as they suggest. Integration has become a very popular discussion among politicians however not many seem to have a welcoming approach. The author argues that presently immigration has determined whether one is right or left wing which I fully agree with.
An issue that I resonated with is how foreign looking citizens are never identified as local. Due to the way I look and dress, white Canadians always have the tendency to ask me, "Where are you really from?". This kind of exchange is presented in the book concerning all non-white locals. It seems that you are not a real local unless you "look" like one; whatever that means.
The media is very powerful and in recent years, you've probably learned not to believe everything you hear. The portrayal of Muslims and refugees hasn't been positive in recent years. All Muslims are terrorists and dangerous. The beautiful saying 'Allahu Akbar' became a terrorist slogan. Where non-White criminals are described as "of foreign background" and White criminals as "not the typical image of a killer" who "came from good circumstances and went to a top private school". Middle Eastern ethnicity and violent crimes have become linked which has made it difficult to be a Muslim in the West.
The hijab has become a political topic. Right-wing leaders believe they are "freeing" women by making it illegal to wear a hijab. Suddenly they stand for feminism and women's rights. White politicians have become experts on Muslim women without even acknowledging one. Most white individuals can't even decipher between cultural and religious beliefs. Right-wing leaders have not educated themselves on the differences and it shows.
One of the latest campaigns in Denmark is of serving pork to kindergarten classes. Halal meat is apparently so "frightening". But remember, Muslims are the criminals and Europe needs to be protected in case Shariah Law takes over.
For the "Muslim problem" in Europe, right-wing politicians have come up with two solutions: send them back or deny them their human rights. Unfortunately, there is a high number of refugees who were convinced to return to their homelands only to end up murdered or missing. This humiliation has not stopped the West from continuing this practice.
The third section was probably the most intense. The author raised some of the most important points and we were introduced to some frightening views. 'Hate' is probably a kind word to describe Islamophobia. When examining ISIS and terrorism I can understand these views. However when one does not educate themselves on the differences of ISIS and legitimate Muslims, this is when issues arise.
France is one of the least welcoming countries for Muslims. At French beaches Muslim women are denied the freedom of modesty. However, a nun will not be discriminated upon. Right-wing politicians don't seem to care about women's rights but rather how they can erase Muslim women's rights.
Women who are asked to not wear modest swimwear are excluded from societal activities. Women who are asked to not wear the hijab, are excluded of an education and employment. The west argues that women are oppressed and denied of their rights in the Middle East yet West politicians don't seem to be protecting those rights either.
Right-wing politicians argue that mosques need to be closed because they promote extremism, homophobia, and terrorism. As a Muslim I can attest that Islam is the most peaceful religion. If Mosques need to be closed for these reasons, then I advocate for Churches to be closed whenever a child is molested by a Priest. But that's not the same right, because not all Priests are like that but all Imams are extremists?
Islamophobics are so uneducated that they even violently attack Sikhs wearing a turban mistaking them for Muslims. France is so afraid of Muslims that they seek to de-Islamize immigration. Muslim Danes are only identified as "Muslims" even when they're first or second generation.
The racism in Europe is not limited to Muslims. For decades, Holland celebrated pre-Christmas ritual of a character known as Black Pete who is Santa's little helper. People would dress up in a blackface to play Black Pete. It wasn't until recent years that Black Danes and activists called and end to this tradition.
To conclude, I learned a lot from this book. I do have an expanse of knowledge on immigration, refugees, and statelessness but this book provided me a new lens. I continue to recommend this book and even refer to it months after I finished it. This isn't an easy read but it is an important one.
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What differentiates this book from the excess of literature spawned by Brexit and Trump that seeks to expla
Where was this when I was writing my thesis???? Sasha's book is a great overview of the backlash against immigration (mostly in the context of Muslims in post-9/11 Europe) - and I'm not just saying that because he's my workplace superior. "Go Back to Where You Came From" and its core argument also fit very nicely as a straight-talking follow-up to all of the Jonathan Coe I've been reading.What differentiates this book from the excess of literature spawned by Brexit and Trump that seeks to explain the rise of "populism" and "xenophobia" is that it is less a narrative seeking to disentangle "why did they vote Leave/Trump?" and more an exploration of what the medium and long-term implications of the very real, undeniably palpable populist sentiment in *liberal democracies* are for these democracies' liberalism (though the book accomplishes the former objective, too). Among many key and well-substantiated predictions, Sasha generally posits that the inability of the "left" to grapple with and accept the Brexit/Trump/FN/etc supporters' (usually fundamentally working-class) anxieties in favor of unwavering, uncritical support for immigrant groups will allow the new right to capitalize on a purported defense of nativist "liberal values" (e.g. laïcité) that ultimately drive the *real* cross-cutting liberalism of liberal democracy into the ground. As he makes clear, it is constitutionalism and checks - NOT elections - that protect the individual and group rights that ultimately render democracy liberal (or not). Like Jonathan Coe, Sasha makes a very clear point that many traditionally center-left, working-class parties (pre-Reagan/Thatcher) have abandoned class issues in favor of identity politics. As a salve, he looks to politicians like Bernie Sanders, who demonstrate that the two are not irreconcilable with one another (the reason Bernie would have beaten Trump!!).
This book had an ambitious mandate: xenophobia in "liberal democracies" writ large. That's a lot of countries to tackle, and Sasha did well in providing specific examples that have proven generalizability. Yet, "Go Back to Where You Came From" did seem to focus disproportionally on Denmark, France, and the Netherlands. While it was fascinating, I did find the chapter on South Africa to be somewhat out of place in a book that had theretofore focused solely on EU member states. I'm glad it steered mostly clear of explaining Trump. Through my thesis writing and summer reading, one recurring thought I've had is that the histories of immigration in the US and Western Europe are more different than they are similar. In Europe, immigrants came *after* the establishment of a robust and indiscriminate welfare state. In the US, this welfare state has yet to appear (and probably won't, because immigrants/non-white people predated it). This is a critical divergence.
Overall, this is a work of balance, which is hard to come by these days. It was a sobering read for a young, global idealist like myself, who can be quick to dismiss Trump supporters as racist idiots who should be ignored or silenced rather than listened to or taken seriously. But "Go Back to Where You Came From" reminded me that, no matter how much educated, nationally-philanderous individuals try to wish away nationalism and populism, that won't make them disappear. In fact, it may only make these troublesome phenomena fester and grow. As Sasha says in his conclusion, "pretending nationalism is passé may be popular among globe-trotting university students and tech entrepreneurs but it is not a political proposition likely to win national elections...to dismiss the populist impulse as something completely alien is to miss the point and to preemptively lose the political debate." It's uncomfortable, but it's true. Highly recommended read.
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As the author describes it, political entrepreneurs like Geert Wilders and Marine Le Pen and others have found new ways to unify the traditional European right wingers, who always hated immigrants and minorities, with social democratic voters who want to preserve the social safety nets for native-born Dutch and French citizens. So gays and lesbians and Jews and feminist voters are being drawn into the anti-immigrant parties, alongside the religious and far-right constituencies that traditionally voted for the Front National or the various other right-wing parties. In Germany and France, where centrists and mainstream conservatives erected a political wall to seal off the fascists, new groups like the Alternative für Deutschland are chipping away at the boundaries between respectable and dangerous political movements.
The rationales for anti-immigrant movements differ, and unsurprisingly, so do the responses. One of the most surprising sections of the book deals with the unfathomably harsh approach by the government of Australia, which has kept refugees and would-be migrants out of sight and out of mind through internment in Nauru or other isolated islands. Shielded from media or public scrutiny, the seemingly-tolerant and -welcoming people of Australia have embarked on a dangerous and potentially horrific experiment in offshoring their refugee crisis. It's quite different, although perhaps not as cruel, as the South African case, where migrants are routinely assaulted or have their shops burned down — a case of one African nation resenting an influx of jobseekers from other poorer African countries.
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The author starts with why the world is having Islamophobia, and how all this started only after 9/11, how different right-wing parties of western Europe is changing their thinking to avoid any of Muslim immigrants, and not only right-wing but lefties also turned their understandi /As a student for studying political thinking and how events take place on point of immigration and integration, the author provides us with a wide-open window to look and understand how it works and in past had worked.
The author starts with why the world is having Islamophobia, and how all this started only after 9/11, how different right-wing parties of western Europe is changing their thinking to avoid any of Muslim immigrants, and not only right-wing but lefties also turned their understanding to fear after attack on Charlie hebdo in Paris office, so those who felt bad about cartoon were bad muslims for society and those who felt nothing about cartoon and were muslim, were potrayed and not proper muslim by both side media, hence deepening fear of islam in people's mind.
The author also compares this phobia to anti-Semitism during Nazi era and how nowadays political parties and right-wing media puts innocent people at risk for their political motives.
This kind of activity might lead those who feel marginalised to open towards fundamentalist groups and might indulge in terrorist activities.
Also, the author helps us to understand why left had left Europe after its ignorance of middle-class people and not able to provide them secure feeling about their jobs, the author explains it best in the book.
The author explains this with good examples of American White Christians' mentality and how some parties are using this to please them with promising hard-line laws to avoid newcomers based on ethnicity.
In the last author tries to picturise that what could happen that if only we think about parties who divide voters and lure them on the name of religion and ethnicity.
overall book is more talk on the current context of political scenario of the world. ...more
Why there is a backlash against immigration in the West.
Impressions?
Sasha Polakow-Suransky provides a powerful narrative history of public and political backlash against immigration. 'Many of the world's most advanced democracies,' writes Polakow-Suransky, 'are effectively hitting the self-destruct button rather than take on new passengers.' Over the span of two years, Polakow-Suransky travels across eight different countries to conduct over 120 interviews with individu
Why there is a backlash against immigration in the West.
Impressions?
Sasha Polakow-Suransky provides a powerful narrative history of public and political backlash against immigration. 'Many of the world's most advanced democracies,' writes Polakow-Suransky, 'are effectively hitting the self-destruct button rather than take on new passengers.' Over the span of two years, Polakow-Suransky travels across eight different countries to conduct over 120 interviews with individuals ranging from politicians and activists on the far right to refugees held in immigration detention centers. While the book provides insight into the politics and policies surrounding issues of immigration, Polakow-Suransky's primary focus is on how the backlash against immigrants and refugees can erode political systems within long-standing, advanced democracies. An absolute must-read for students interested in migration and border studies.
Who should read it?
Anyone who is interested in the topic.
Favorite quote(s)?
"When a political party points to an entire ethnic group as being responsible for the actions of a few within it, they are putting huge numbers of innocent people at risk."
"When Muslim women along the beaches of France began to wear burkinis, full-body swimsuits that also cover the neck and hair, they were fined, made to change their clothes or leave the beach. Conversely, French nuns, who were just as covered up as the Muslim women, were free to sit on the beaches undisturbed."
Readability: Hard ---o- Easy
Practicality: Low --o-- High
Insights: Few ---o- Many
Length: Long ---o- Short
Overall: Bad ---o- Amazing
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The populists have been able to strike a chord with a wide swath of voters, because the absence of a political debate about main concerns of the working population by the major parties, which have been focusing on a neo-liberalist worldview. Neverthe A well researched book about the rise of populism and its relation with immigration. Mainly in Europe, but a chapter is also devoted to South Africa, where strikingly a very comparable situation exists due to immigration from other African countries.
The populists have been able to strike a chord with a wide swath of voters, because the absence of a political debate about main concerns of the working population by the major parties, which have been focusing on a neo-liberalist worldview. Nevertheless, the populists offer no constructive solutions, but seem to focus on an idealized past. One of the reasons for the success of the populists is that they have never had any responsibility in Government and therefore can gratuitously claim that all ills of society are due to immigrants without offering any practical solutions. It is just the mongering of fear and hate.
In order to withstand and neutralize the populists, the major parties need to define a positive vision on the areas of concern such as globalization, the distribution of wealth, and the future of the welfare state. This will also assist in reducing the feelings of frustration, helplessness and alienation, which are so favorable to attract people to populist rhetoric. ...more
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Ironically, the United States escapes much mention of any role it could play. Given it played an outsize role in causing this crisis in the first place due to the invasion of Iraq, the ouster of Gadaffi, and the aftershocks that followed these two events, by right it should bear some responsibility. Instead it is Europe that must confront this problem, seemingly alone ...more
I wish that this book was just hyperbole and extremism at its worst, but it is not. This is an excellent, and thorough examination of how our current political climate has came to be. Issues we are facing her in the United States are also prevalent across the globe. The process from which this current political climate was created has been brewing for some time, and at this present trajectory, this ascension will not s
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.I wish that this book was just hyperbole and extremism at its worst, but it is not. This is an excellent, and thorough examination of how our current political climate has came to be. Issues we are facing her in the United States are also prevalent across the globe. The process from which this current political climate was created has been brewing for some time, and at this present trajectory, this ascension will not subside anytime soon. If you only read a few pages of this book, make them the first few pages of the epilogue, which creates the simplest explanation of how Donald Trump gained so much popularity, and was able to win the 2016 presidential election.
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I had high hopes for this book, but whether it was my expectations differing from the actual content of the book, or something else, we just didn't gel. I was hoping there'd be more proper interviews, oral history type reporting, but a lot of it was more dry analysis and academic history. Whilst there is nothing wrong with this, it wasn't that accessible for me, coming from a non academic background in ter
I received an ARC of this from Netgalley for the purpose of my honest and unbiased opinion.I had high hopes for this book, but whether it was my expectations differing from the actual content of the book, or something else, we just didn't gel. I was hoping there'd be more proper interviews, oral history type reporting, but a lot of it was more dry analysis and academic history. Whilst there is nothing wrong with this, it wasn't that accessible for me, coming from a non academic background in terms of history and sociology. The other thing I will say is that this book is extremely thorough, touching on Trump, Le Pen, and many different countries including Europe and America.
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Highly recommended.
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Go Back to Where You Came From: the Backlash Against Immigration and the Fate of Western Democracy
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