Calais Migrants Crisis: Analysis

An on-going issue currently is the Calais migrant crisis affecting not only France and England, but also the wider realms of Europe – who have to deal with the knock-on effects. For the past few days, several thousand migrants have been attempting to pass through the Eurotunnel, with the aim of making it to the United Kingdom – where an attractive benefits scheme for the migrants lies in wait.

PC: Wikipedia

After talking to several others about the situation, it is near-shocking now negatively the migrants are being seen. It is arguable this is because how they have been portrayed in the media. I had the misfortune of hearing one person’s view at my workplace, a customer suggested the Police should “shoot them all.” But of course that would never happen thankfully, and never work, after all, Europe is a highly civilised continent, with integrity at the heart of their values. We hear so many grizzly stories about events in Syria and Iraq, and yet it is people trying to flee these war zones that are the migrants. It isn’t just Iraqi’s and Syrian’s, people from the likes of Libya and Somalia are doing the same.

We in the United Kingdom are so fortunate to live where we do. These migrants risk their lives to make it to the UK. What is most important to remember is – they are humans too. I am sure any of us British people would attempt to do the same thing if the crisis was the other way round, and the UK was in disarray with other nations safer. One person even died in the chaos, going to show how dangerous it is for the migrants once they reach Europe, let alone the travails they go through to get here in the first place.

However there is no avoiding the chaos that has come as a consequence to the migrants crisis. It is understandable the resentment towards them for the closures of the channel tunnel at times, and the mass queues on British motorways. But in response to this, the same idea is prevalent – they are human and deserve better. Hopefully attitudes towards them will change in the coming times, all it takes is a bit of consideration of what they have been through to get to where they are today.

It is just so difficult to imagine the pain they have been through – and how happy, and relieved they must be, to have made it to Europe. The pictures I have seen have painted the story that the migrants are tired and struggling, but that their faith has never dwindled and that they continue to hold belief that they can make it to their intended destination. They seem relieved to be surrounded by the French Police in that they feel safe – something I am sure they haven’t been able to feel for some times – after all, that is what we all yearn to feel – safe.

Overall, the migrant crisis is a very difficult situation to analyse, with no real true solution. Of course, there simply isn’t the space for all of the migrants to be housed in Europe, though it would be totally inhumane to send them back to where they came from, as hurt and pain, perhaps even death, is all that they would go back to. But hopefully a strong solution will result from this crisis. We shall have to wait and see, but I hope safety awaits the migrants, regardless of what is decided for them.

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Apologies for the lack of posts recently, more to come soon, thanks for reading!

Debate: Is USA the Greatest Country in the World?

“When USA sneezes, the world catches a cold.” That famous quote which has been repeated over the years is still relevant to this day. When ascertaining what the greatest country in the world is, many different factors have to be taken into account. While there is no definite answer to this question, there is no doubting how powerful USA are, and that they are great.

While there can be no doubting the fact USA is a global super-power, it appears in recent times that the country has been in somewhat of a decline. Broadcast network HBO’s series “The Newsroom” managed to make the real-life news thanks to a scene where a character tells a young woman through the use of statistics and well-constructed arguments, that despite her beliefs, that USA isn’t actually the greatest country in the world.

The conclusion from the scene sees the character say “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.” The people of USA, at least from a British perspective, are renowned for being hugely patriotic and proud of their nation. But it appears that perhaps the people of USA are starting to think otherwise, and aren’t as patriotic as they appear.

If you think about what “great” entails, freedom and democracy would be at the forefront of any list. The idea of the “American Dream” truly is great, and is thought of fondly by British people as a fresh start. The famous Statue of Liberty also has connotations of freedom, while USA has a very successful democracy, allowing everyone within the country to have a voice. Finally, USA appears to be a very fair country, where the citizens are free to live life in their own way.

Criticisms of USA, and those who would oppose that USA is the greatest country, have many statistics and theories to provide substance to their argument. The arrival of Obamacare could be attributed to many alarming statistics based on health, while the lifestyle, healthcare and education system as well have all been questioned on numerous occasions.

Back to the pro-USA argument, it could then be argued as to why successful education countries such as China send an influx of students to USA for their education. Some of the greatest and most innovatory businesses in history, such as Microsoft and Amazon, have been founded by American’s – and who can question the impact Google has had – again, an American creation, as well as the social media giants of Facebook and Twitter.

On balance, it is hard to question the power USA has, and the positive impact the country and its people have had on society, and overall, the world. Although perhaps there is not as much patriotic behaviour as there once was, the people of America seemingly have a lot to be proud of. Overall, it appears, that there could well be a very strong argument to suggest that USA is indeed the greatest country – without doubt they have had a hugely influential impact on the lives we all lead.

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This post was written as Millicent Faith approaches 1000 views from USA, thanks for the support, and all the best. 

American Police Black Person Shooting: A History

Not for the first time in recent history, an unarmed black man was shot dead by a member of the American Police a few days ago, prompting widespread condemnation of the incident. As mentioned, this is far from the first time something like this has happened, with down the years several black people shot dead. Perhaps what is most poignant about this story, is that it has led to black citizens in America to detail their plight, with several interesting images surfacing since the shooting.

American Police

In the latest incident, Walter Scott, a black man, was shot dead by a Police Officer named Michael Slager, who is white. Although White looks like he could be prosecuted, there have been several instances when this hasn’t been the case. Recent cases similar to this include Tamir Rice, Eric Garner and Michael Brown among others.

As mentioned, several images have surfaced, with many being shared heavily on social media. The first of these features “the talk”.

The image above was created by writer Derrick Jaxn recently, yet after the shooting of Walter Scott, gained mass notoriety. The talk suggests that parents need to tell their children to fully comply with authorities, but not as it is necessarily the right thing to do, but because it seems it is either comply or die, if you are black.

The next image shows how Walter Scott was linked with the military.

It is interesting in this image how there is a quote about how “black lives matter.” It is almost as if the recent incidents surrounding black people has led to them believing that black lives aren’t as important – which is highly harrowing. The fact that Walter Scott was a US Veteran could change any perspective on this incident.

This final one is perhaps the one that provokes the most discussion. The image shows protests taking place back in 1936, and now once again in 2015 – almost eighty years later. Quite rightly, it asks – “how far have we come?” This is a great question – in all of that time have things really changed? It doesn’t seem so, with again black people seemingly at risk from police brutality more than ever.

Overall, this is a another sad incident to engulf USA. For such a great country – there are many disappointing incidents involving their Police force. The images that have raised on social media since the incident sum up what life is like for black people in USA – it isn’t equal.  In this day and age there really should be equal rights, it also questions how far society has come in the last few years – it is highly apparent things need to change. In conclusion., may Walter Scott Rest in Peace, and hopefully time will help solve this issue.

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For more reporting on this issue, a writer specialising in this topic, for whom much inspiration for this article was gained, can be found here: https://twitter.com/mwendling

Wrestlemania: The legacy lives on

Last night saw wrestling company WWE stage Wrestlemania 31 – the biggest event on the wrestling calendar. With millions of fans worldwide viewing the event, it is always seen as a phenomenon. With several surprises and great moments throughout, the event has been greeted with praise by fans. Wrestlemania always seems to deliver – the WWE has proved again what a great company it is.

A record 78,363 fans attended Wrestlemania 31 at the Sun Life Stadium in California, USA. Wrestlemania has turned into an extravanganza in recent years, and it easily the most-looked forward to event for any WWE fan. There is an international audience for each event, while some of the worldwide trends on Twitter since the event have been WWE-related. It is highly impressive how WWE continue to stay relevant, fighting off various challenges from other promotions – Vince McMahon is a genius – he has created a masterpiece.

Highlights at this years’ event included seeing DX and nWo meet in the ring at the same time – something any fan from the Monday Night Wars era would have enjoyed. While The Undertaker returned, this time in a winning effort, while The Rock and UFC favourite Ronda Rousey made appearances. Fan favourite Daniel Bryan won his match, while the biggest surprise of them all saw Seth Rollins cash in his “Money in the bank” briefcase, entering into the main event, where he won the WWE Championship.

Wrestlemania is an incredibly special event. So many of the iconic moments and matches in the illustrious history of WWE have taken place at Wrestlemania. Year in, year out, it never fails to entertain. Next year, it is expected over 100,000 people will watch the event live. While many criticise wrestling for being “fake” – you can’t deny how much of an impact the event has every year.

Overall, the general consensus is that Wrestlemania 31 was the best Wrestlemania in recent memory. There have been rave reviews for the event. WWE seems in good health at the moment, with Vince McMahon and Triple H controlling proceedings, it appears success is still to come in the forthcoming times. WWE continue to be on the top of their game, continuing to thrive, entertaining the masses!

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The Ultimate Act of Selfishness: Alps Plane Crash

In what can only be called a tragedy, 150 people were killed in the French Alps due to a plane crash. There have been many aviation accidents in recent years, with this one amongst the worst. Since the crash, there has been intense speculation on what caused the plane to crash – it has been revealed a pilot suicide is the cause, in what is an unbelievably selfish act by a man named as Andreas Lubitz.

On Tuesday Germanwings Flight 9525 set off from Barcelona, Spain to Dusseldorf, Germany. During the flight, the Pilot left the cockpit, leaving the co-pilot in the cockpit,and when attempting to return, was locked out. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t break down the door. The co-pilot was heard to be breathing, meaning he was conscious, as he deliberately brought the plane down. The descent lasted eight minutes, but thankfully, the passengers weren’t aware until the final seconds what was happening. The plane crashed into the alps at almost 400mph.

Details regarding the co-pilot are scarce at this point. But one thing that does look certain is the fact that it was the co-pilot who was responsible for the plane’s crash. If so, this is surely the most selfish thing anyone can do. 150 people died in the crash, that is 150 lives lost, and then you think of the poor families of the deceased – they will never forget this incident and a part of them is gone forever. There are incredible efforts people are going through to identify the bodies, the entire operation is highly costly and uses a lot of manpower.

However the whole thing could have been avoided. It is clear the intention of the co-pilot was suicide. He could have just done so alone, without having to take 149 others with him. It really is a tragedy. It is likely that he was suffering from some sort of mental disorder. Of course it is too early to confirm this, it is just merely a speculative thought, but it also suggests mental health issues need to be looked at further – something already seen as a problem, but there is nothing that can excuse the actions of the co-pilot.

Furthermore, it also says something for the society we live in that the news of Jeremy Clarkson’s departure, coupled with the departure of Zayn Malik from boyband One Direction made for bigger news than the death of 150 people, it is a shame. Suddenly, since details have emerged that it was the co-pilot who caused the crash, there has been much more mainstream reporting of the tragedy.

Overall, whenever 150 lives are lost, it is a real shame. This is a tragic incident which will be remembered for a long time. The circumstances in which the crash took place presents many questions, with none more prevalent than the question over why the co-pilot was so selfish to the others involved. The only way of closing this post is to pay tribute to the 150 people who lost their life in the crash, may they all Rest in Peace.

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University: Challenging the stereotype

University – a place where academic-minds have freedom to study what they want, surrounded by fantastic buildings and near-limitless resources, a place where world-class education can take place. However, at University, after spending six months here so far, I would question whether or not some people just attend a University for the night-life. The culture of going out and partying-hard seems synonymous with University, but is it really necessary?

Picture Credit: Social-Student

I am not personally one to go out most nights in a week with friends and drink copious amounts of alcohol. I attended University in order to enhance my skills in my subject area and ultimately, attain a degree for which I believe will lead to an improved life for me. Coming to the University I am currently attending, I was hugely excited to meet fellow students. However I was left disappointed. Considering how high up the University was in the League Rankings, I was unpleasantly surprised!

As mentioned, the culture is that alcohol is the most important thing in University life. Although socialising is great, sometimes people can take it a bit too far. Spending most evenings in the “Students Union” or out at one of the local nightclubs, it appears to me as dull and repetitive. Of course, it is each to their own and they are entitled to do whatever they like with their life. I remember when members of the flat and I stayed in one night and opted to play a board game, one commented how “sad” we had become. There lies the problem. Furthermore, it is almost expected that a student will attend the “Union” when open.

However having, as already mentioned, studied at University for six months, despite not going out frequently, I have had a fine time and work take the time in the evenings to avoid work and take a break. There is nothing wrong with staying in as opposed to going out at every opportunity. It should also be noted that I have no issue with people who do go out, as I mentioned they have the right to do what they want. I think overall what is most important in life is to be happy. If going out every day makes you happy – they should go ahead with it. But I would question those who come to University simply for the social side of it.

Overall, University is a fantastic place to be. Many people say that the University years are the best of their lives. I would tend to disagree, however when looking back in a few years I may think differently. What makes it great is the freedom that is involved. But this freedom doesn’t mean you have to go out every day consuming alcohol. Rather, it can be a place where people with strong-minds and a strong ethic for work can strive.

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Radicilisation in Britain: The Problem

With the proverbial unmasking of “Jihadi John” – now being reported as Mohammed Emwazi, together with the disappearance of three young girls from England to Syria, England, the UK and the world in general continues to become more and more at risk of radicalisation.

The advancement of ISIL would have been near-impossible without the influx of foreign fighters into Syria and Iraq. It has been estimated that 30,000 foreigners have travelled to the war-torn areas to join the so-called caliphate. A few days ago, three schoolgirls based in England fled to Syria. For the families it is horrible, yet you would have to question the motive for anyone who is radicalised. First, to leave a successful life in England for a war-ravaged area would be near unheard of, this suggests that anyone who has done this is leaving little behind. While you could also suggest that there is always a choice in terms of choosing the radical ways of ISIL or staying with Western Values – this suggests people that are radicalised are weak.

As if three schoolgirls fleeing the country wasn’t bad enough, it has been reported that “Jihadi John” is the pseudonym for a man named Mohammed Emwazi. Emwazi was born in Kuwait, though spent many years in the UK, even graduating from the University of Westminster with a degree. It is such a shame, what could have been a highly successful life has turned into a horrible one, with the blood of so many innocent people on his shoulders. Though the real issue is how he became radicalised.

It could be argued that more needs to be done to help people that feel withdrawn from society. The more withdrawn they are, the more likely they are to be swayed by radical messages. However a bridge to that stage would be to shut down public speaking’s from known Jihadists. Incredibly, the University of Westminster were due a talk the very same day as the unmasking of Emwazi from an infamous Islamic preacher. Some would suggest you are just asking for trouble with events like this being held.

Overall, the fact is that radicalisation is not going to stop anytime soon. It is a shame, as in some instances people leave good lives behind to go and fight against freedom. What has happened to Emwazi is a shame, there have been many before him and many after him. Britain and the rest of the world needs to do something to stop radicalization, or things will only get worse.

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James Bond: 24th Film Announced

The 24th instalment of the James Bond series will be released in November 2015, with the filming of the film starting next week. Named “Spectre”, it will be following up the highly-successful Skyfall. There is nothing quite like James Bond films, with a huge amount of marketing of all-James Bond related products and wide publicity. There is already a lot of expectation from fans and critics alike, with Spectre facing a tough ask to rival Skyfall.

The James Bond series is one of the most successful ones of all time – 23 films and billions of dollars grossed in sales. Skyfall, released in 2012, was one of the most successful Bond films yet – with the film receiving widespread praise. It is of course far too early to suggest if Spectre is going to be a success like Skyfall, but the early signs are good.

Sam Mendes will be directing Spectre, just like he did with Skyfall. James Bond will be played by Daniel Craig for a fourth time. Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci will become the latest “Bond girls.” Of course the villain is so often the difference between a good and great film, although no announcement has been made concerning the villain yet. In the coming weeks and months, more details are sure to be released.

With filming set to get underway soon, the countdown has begun, with less than a year to wait to see the end product. As mentioned in the Introduction – there isn’t really anything quite like a James Bond film. We have plenty to look forward to, which will culminate in the film itself in November 2015. Until then, plenty of news stories and eventual advertising will take place, in what has become nothing short of a spectacle.

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UK Terror: Arrests made in Cardiff, Barry

Reports on various news outlets revealed that this morning five terror-related arrests were made across Wales, while two others were held in London. It is almost becoming customary to here such news, it is a shame that the UK has become like this. But what is even sadder is the location – Barry – a location that primarily brings laughter and joy – due to the popular program Gavin and Stacey.

The town of Barry has popular connotations – many people associate it with the popular show Gavin and Stacey. Such a light-hearted program, and yet now the town is shrouded in bad news over these arrests. It also shows no location is safe from terror. Sometimes it seems the only locations at risk in the UK are the big cities like London and Birmingham, but these arrests prove otherwise.

In terms of the actual arrests, it is a shame. It does make you wonder what people see in terror – it is beyond me how they think killing innocent people helps in any way, or can be justified by religion. As for what plans the seven people had – they are currently unknown. But there will be more people after them, just like there have been countless before them arrested like this.

It is a shame that the UK continues to be at risk rom terrorism. But then so many countries are – but with the Police and other law enforcement agencies doing their best to keep the public safe, there is hope yet that the UK can remain a safe place to live.

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