Your post made me think as well. Is art only art once we say it's art? Another thought; If something (anything) is on a canvas, is it automatically considered to be art?

I think if aliens came here, we'd need to point out what art is and what's decoration. And what's advertising. How would an alien know the difference between a still life with fruit and a McDonald's McMuffin advert?

This is one flag that will never be waved.

Immigration isn't a problem in the UK, Ignorance is.

The Daily Show did an insightful piece on it this week.

I am in complete agreement, this country (UK) was built on immigration. Change though, is often best managed in a measured way. Society is not static, yet society needs time to be able to incorporate and accept change. Many areas in the UK have seen huge rises in immigrant populations, and feel swamped or threatened by this. This is not the fault of people trying to create better lives, education for their kids etc, but a failure of the current system. It is deeply unfortunate to say the least, that this mismanagement has fed into far right vitriol and rhetoric. This failure which UKIP, BNP etc exploit, has lead to the whole immigration issue becoming terribly polarized now. It is frightening, and the prospect and consequences of a U-Con Government genuinely scares me.

$500 then no sympathy at all Wearology!!!!! ........that's just a disaster. But at least you were there !!!! Much later than that I was at an auction and an original Banksy came up did not do it also .....big mistake

But there you go.... My thoughts are with you on this terrible thread.....Your a mod delete it!!!

It's not flags! It's flegs!!

What a load of bollocks

Just usual lowest common denominator with you as usual

It's not immigration its ignorance....find a couple of rednecks from the US bang all solved. It just like the blame the poor immigrants argument the right uses. You just highlight your own lack of intelligence

You show your ignorance as your stupid little rants and video deflects the responsibility of the government whatever it's pursuasion to manage the process.
Shouting I am UKIP further enhances and highlights your lack of knowledge and intelligence. Shout loud and therefore I must be a UKIP supporter or racist etc nothing could be further from the truth.

its not about no foriegners where ever they come from etc its about the management of a process something that is not being done successfully at the moment. So pigeon holing everyone as either ignorant or racist is plainly just silly. 

Ha ha so I am anti Muslim now am I on what might that be based on. Think you'll find you cannot find one single anti Muslim thing zI have said. Nor will you find any racist comment. Spent 16 years living in the Middle East so I probably would have left if I was anti Muslim.

Lots of accusations but no facts if you want to accuse me come on and present something that supports your case.

If not jump back in your little whole. I am/ was a migrant worker so although not poor like some I do understand some of the problems they have.
You on the other hand just rant rubbish. I have only ever blamed the governments and Europe for the immigration problems that they have. The rise of the right highlights there are problems. You started by saying that it is the ignorant people and everyone is ignorant but the fact is it is you who are ignorant you like to look down on everyone hence your two vids two white middle class comedians that laugh at poorer people like they don't understand. The rise of the right and UKIP is because of idiots like you.

The artwork in question has certainly done its job in promoting a lively debate -which is always welcome.

I feel that this important discussion would benefit from some facts in which to frame the various views held by members.

Statements in this thread that support the premise that "if we all waved our national flags more, there would not be a rise in right wing politics" in my opinion are unfounded, and seek to conflate unrelated issues.

Ignorance is sadly a factor, but the UK populous is not alone in the incorrect perception of the facts around migration. This is a worldwide problem.

The Ipsos Mori social research institute, polled the UK populous, on estimating the percentage size of the migrant population in the UK, and found that the average guess was 24.4%, when in fact, migrants make up 12.4% of the UK population. They demonstrated that on pretty much any issue, the average UK citizen was incorrect by a significant percentage e.g. People thought that there are FOUR times as many muslims in the UK than there actually are, i.e. 21% when there are only 5%.

This is also true of unemployment rates, under-age birth rates, etc...

There is an ignorance index published as part of this research which puts the UK behind the likes of Sweden, Germany, Japan and Spain. We are however, more accurate than the average USA populous.

These mis-perceptions present clear issues for informed public debate and policymaking.

Importantly, the immigrant population as a percentage of the population, is not associated with a fall in real terms living standards for the population receiving them. Countries like Sweden, Norway, Australia, Canada and the USA all have higher percentages of immigrants per population than the UK (UN 2013 Statistics).

Migration and Remittances Factbook published
by the World Bank in 2011 estimated there were 4.7 million UK emigrants (around 7.5 per
cent of the UK population) living abroad in other countries.

Approximately 50% of immigration statistics is due to Study/student Visas - which is a result of the resounding success of the UK Education system. UK Universities are now big brand names globally and attract some of the best and brightest talent. Each of these international students PAY VERY HIGH STUDENT FEES which help subsidise UK students. Top universities like Imperial College, now have franchises in China and the Middle East. Education is BIG money to the UK economy. This is also evidenced by the fact the David Cameron made 2 trips to India to further entice Indian students to come and study in the UK. A study from the University of Sheffield calculated a £120million net benefit to the local Sheffield GDP as a result of international students in the Sheffield region alone.

The UK has long had policies of actively recruiting talent from developing nations (which results in a brain drain for that nation). This is the foundation upon which our beloved NHS is staffed. Nurses trained in the Philippines, doctors from India actively recruited. Roles are now increasingly filled by workers from the European Economic Area.

Immigration is a highly complex and emotive issue, with other factors like, asylum, detention, child migration, joining families, visa extensions, EAA versus Non-EAA migration, Skilled, highly skilled, high net worth migration all playing different roles. 

How does wrestling our flag back from the right-wing political element change this debate? The same debate is had in all nations irrespective of flag waving. 




 

this isnt a problem of migrants/EU/benfit tourists/, this is a problem of perception- as ambs outlines above.

it is an inescapable fact that our capitalist model requires young flesh in ever increasing quantities- you dont have to have a doctorate im marxist economics to see that we all shoulder resposibility for this, either passively or actively- this board is a perfect example of reality detached commodity fetishment typical of this system.

and we are off....

PS, I have a love rat for sale , please see post in FS

Thanks anbesivam1 for a very thoughtful, fact based and insightful post. Appreciated.