An interview with Gene Basler - Thursday 22nd July 2010

 
Gary,
Your comment when interviewed by 'say it as it is' Gene Basler, that Turkey is a democratic state did not ring true to me.
You said it with as much conviction as someone saying that 'Stork' margarine tastes the same as butter!
Do you really believe that Turkey is a democratic country? I don't think so!
Neither does Amnesty International, which has presented evidence and photographic evidence of torture of Turkish citizens whilst held in police custody. I myself have seen these photographs, and the photographs of the detention centres where these people were held and the instruments used to torture information out of its citizens.
Brutal is an understatement.
I understand that the EU has put Turkey on the 'naughty step' and will not allow it to join the EU till it puts its house in order and there is a clear cessasion of torture allegations from his citizens.
Some people could argue, that allowing Turkey to join the EU despite their failure to comply with European demands of 'no torture to its citizens', would be helpful, on the pretext that the other European states could influence Turkey and enable them 'to see the light' and stop this habitual torture.
Right!
As if other member states of the EU do not torture their citizens. Russia for one, does.
The thorn in the flesh to Turkey being accepted into the EU fold surely is the practise of Islam by millions of its citizens.
The fear of the unleashing of practising Muslim Turks into the rest of Europe would I think be catestrophic, in creating more tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims.
For instance, in the UK immigration and the fear of being overwhelmed by Muslims is deeply worrying for many people.
In Leeds where I live, the population of foreigners has doubled over the last 10 years, and this includes many Muslims who move specifically to Leeds to join the already established thriving Islamic community.
At the moment tension are low in the City, but if there was a huge influx of Turks into the city that could quickly change.
I myself was told 8 years ago that Polish immigrants took priority over my need for rehousing, despite the appalling conditions I was living in.
This is why there has been an increase of British people joining the BNP in recent years.
The British Government, not factoring Europeans who come over and settle in the UK in their immigration quota is I think quite ridiculous and non-sensical.
Every single person who enters the UK to live and works, whether a European or not, puts an extra strain on the British infracture, institutions and resources.
Here in the UK, anyone coming to live and work here from Europe is not considered an immigrant.
An immigrant is defined as somenone solely living outside the EU.
How daft is that!
That mean millions of people can enter, live and work in the UK via  EU membership, iand the British Government has no authority to stop them!
That, in itself, must be in the top three reasons to question the validity of UKs' membership of the European Union.
Housing, schools, hospitals, and numerous other institutions cannot cope and building more of the same costs millions of pounds which the UK, already in debt cannot afford.
The last thing the UK needs is Turkey to be allowed to join the EU.
If they do, then here in the UK there will be a serious risk of increased social tension and protest.
Already here, people feel overwhemed by the masses and masses of foreigners in particular Muslims, inhabiting citys, towns and villages and changing the social landscape of Britain by their dress code, different culture and the occasional demand for Islamic Law to be respected.
Just as at the time of the painter Constable, Britians' landscape was portrayed soley in shades of green, now in the 21st century that would not be so.
We  have imported so many foreign plants. Red, Orange, indeed every colour imaginable, is seen in the huge array of exotic plants that have been introduced into this country from overseas. 
Britian, which  wa depicted by  poet william Blake, as ' the green and pleasant land' is now inhabited by so many species of plants that are not green, that the words do not quite have the same impact.
Colour. Did I mention colour?
Well, of course what colour your skin is does play a part too ..... 
MELANIE PHILIPS
 

Gary,
One of the difficulties of  being employed by the EU I suppose is in what you can and cannot say.
This was reflected in your brief comment stating that Turkey is a democratic state.
I presume as an employee of the EU stating this would be an absolute must as the EU intend to accept Turkey into the fold, and or course if Turkey was seen to be undemocratic, and stated so by one of their own employees; a political scientist then this would question their eligibility.
It's hard to disagree with your paymasters.  Stating your real views on Turkey could open a can of worms. And who likes worms?
The French of course!
They wouldn't want more Turks living in their country.
Three naughty words in gay Pari; Race, Islam and Skin tone.
 
MELANIE PHILIPS
 

Gary,
I noticed that Gene Besler failed to ask your opinion on the environmental impact of the recent oil spillage in the Gulf of Mexico!
 
MELANIE PHILIPS
 

Gary,
Was it really fair. or necessary even, to mention that Peter Mandelson was a Communist during your interview with Gene Besler?
After all, that was decades ago when Mr M was a student.
What student does not join any number of groups when they are at University to explore and work out their 'political identity'.
You yourself in years gone by were a candidate of the National Democratic Party, but later 'saw the light' and left.
 
MELANIE PHILIPS

Gary,
You would think starting an interview discussing the weather would be a trouble free opener.
It never causes problems in the UK.  We love discussing the weather.
Not not so in this interview!
Put an Englishman in Brussels for 5 years and ask him what 28 celcius is in fahrenheit and he'll be truly stumped.
We British are just no good at calculating what appears to most Europeans a simple matter, celsius into fahrenheit and fahrenheit into celsius. Don't mention litres and metres, We British are still truly stumped by that.
Give us pints, yards, and pounds and shillings and pence.
As for Euros....
We Brits love to show off how good at maths we are in this respect, and men in particular like to show off their mathetical genius by converting the cost of a cup of tea or a pint of lager into 'real money', pounds and pence.
So it was, that American Gene Besler struggled too, wondering what 28C could be in Fahrenheit. A studio producer whispered in his ear 82F and boy did Gene sound confident when he announced it.
Americans!
I Googled this question and the answer is 82.4F.
By the way, the interview was fascinating. Really enjoyed it.
 
MELANIE PHILIPS