London Evening Standard. Only one in five white Britons votes for Labour

[Unix]

How is white defined?

Usually it means white skin.

HTH

[Mich the Tester]

Don't doubt it, there were many people of all ethnicities in places I worked at too and we never had any problems. However, I don't think that the relatively small number of highly educated people that contractors work with are a guide to anything. It is the far greater numbers of low income, poorly educated people that are the concern, they are less able and inclined to adapt to our own culture and more likely to attribute all problems to discrimination.

I think that in many world cities people's identity and hence their social circle is becoming more and more shaped by their education and profession or trade, and less by their nationality or ethnic background. I certainly feel I have more in common with and can deal more easily with the Indian engineer or the Brazilian programmer I work with than a labourer from Rotterdam or Birmingham. But that's perhaps a preserve of the highly educated; it's great to be working with these guys and building contacts around the world. Trouble is that at the same time there are many people who feel in some way threatened by this 'globalisation',but what do we do about that? Slow it down to something they find less threatening? That doesn't seem realistic to me, so perhaps people need help to adapt and the education system needs to help people to thrive in this society. It looks to me like we're getting a big dichotomy between people; well paid, highly educated professionals who like and benefit from cosmopolitan societies and want to puch ahead with them, and at the same time a big group who feel threatened and seek a way out in radical nationalism or religion.

[Mich the Tester]

Usually it means white skin.

HTH

Oh well mine's kind of pinkish beige but it turns light brown after a few days of sunshine.

[BrilloPad]

Not much to worry about then?

I think I have been the only non-indian hire in 3 years. But I will enjoy it until I get the push.

Usually it means white skin.

HTH

As opposed to a coconut?

[xoggoth]

I think that in many world cities people's identity and hence their social circle is becoming more and more shaped by their education and profession or trade, and less by their nationality or ethnic background. etc

I agree. Many who bang on about discrimination are equally biased, they just draw the lines in a different way. They associate with others of their own economic level and education and fail to appreciate the real problems that the ordinary man has in ethnically mixed areas, living among those who cling to their own culture. In my experience it never takes long to goad an educated socialist into mentioning "working class attitudes".

[KentPhilip]

I certainly feel I have more in common with and can deal more easily with the Indian engineer or the Brazilian programmer I work with than a labourer from Rotterdam or Birmingham.

OK so you're not a racist. But perhaps you're a snob? As in not feeling comfortable surrounded by the "lower orders",from a vocational perspective.

[UglyBetty]

Usually it means white skin.

HTH

How white though? If I have an Asian great grandparent, am I white? What if they were African? What if my sister has inherited the dark gene, and I don't? It's a grey area (pun intended...)

[SueEllen]

I agree. Many who bang on about discrimination are equally biased, they just draw the lines in a different way. They associate with others of their own economic level and education and fail to appreciate the real problems that the ordinary man has in ethnically mixed areas, living among those who cling to their own culture. In my experience it never takes long to goad an educated socialist into mentioning "working class attitudes".

So you are saying middle class Indians etc don't cling to their own culture?

[xoggoth]

So you are saying middle class Indians etc. don't cling to their own culture?

Not to the same extent they don't. Hard to run a successful business, be a GP, or a contractor for that matter, and not even speak English or be unable to interact normally with anyone outside your own culture.

[Gittins Gal]

I think that in many world cities people's identity and hence their social circle is becoming more and more shaped by their education and profession or trade, and less by their nationality or ethnic background. I certainly feel I have more in common with and can deal more easily with the Indian engineer or the Brazilian programmer I work with than a labourer from Rotterdam or Birmingham. But that's perhaps a preserve of the highly educated; it's great to be working with these guys and building contacts around the world. Trouble is that at the same time there are many people who feel in some way threatened by this 'globalisation',but what do we do about that? Slow it down to something they find less threatening? That doesn't seem realistic to me, so perhaps people need help to adapt and the education system needs to help people to thrive in this society. It looks to me like we're getting a big dichotomy between people; well paid, highly educated professionals who like and benefit from cosmopolitan societies and want to puch ahead with them, and at the same time a big group who feel threatened and seek a way out in radical nationalism or religion.

What, do they recommend a good curry house in Bangalore in case you happen to be there some time?