Dining Over the Divide: An Meeting Between Opposing Perspectives
Introducing the Individuals
One Diner: P., 34, from London
Occupation Ex- government employee, currently a student focusing on public health
Voting record Voted Green recently (and a affiliate of the party); formerly Labour. Identifies as “left, and internationalist rather than nationalist”
Amuse bouche A sketch of a teacup he created as a child was once displayed in the Irish National Gallery
Other Diner: A., 43, from Harrow
Profession Risk analyst in the infrastructure industry
Political history Hailing from the Indian subcontinent, Akshat has lived in the United Kingdom for five years, and supported the Conservative Party. Describes himself as “somewhat right of centre”
Amuse bouche He self-learned to read and write the Urdu language. “It has no practical use for me, I was just fascinated”
Initial impressions
The first participant During the past two decades, I’ve lived and worked in the Middle East, East Asia, the United States. The topics Peter and I talked about are focused on Britain, but they are also universal, because people's lives more or less follows the same curve wherever it is. I anticipated a staunch liberal, but he was quite measured – we had a good, rational discussion. I had a couple of beers, Peter had mojitos.
Peter We split appetizers – seafood rolls, dumplings, radish cakes with sprouts, which were excellent. I felt somewhat anxious, as I think Akshat was. Was he going to attack me for my sensitivity? We’re both immigrants. My childhood was in Dublin; I’ve lived in the US and the Iberian Peninsula. We connected through our love of the capital.
The big beef
Akshat I view immigration similar to adding salt to a meal. When you add a little bit, the dish tastes wonderful. Add too little or too much and the dish is insipid or overly seasoned.
The second participant He had a metaphor about seasoning. It would be odd to exist if the state was selecting some ideal ethnic makeup of the country.
Akshat There are, unfortunately, individuals fleeing persecution, but a lot of people coming to the United Kingdom are economic migrants who may not contribute much and can burden the welfare system. Nobody forces you to move to a different nation for prospects, so you ought to relocate if you are able to support your own needs and your relatives.
The second participant We got lost with some of the facts. In my view it is the case that you arrive and are employed and then following a half-decade you get permanent citizenship. No process is guaranteed. It’s been a hostile environment for some time, visa fees are quite expensive, there is an healthcare levy, eligibility for support is limited. There is no special treatment for anyone. And concerning the new policies, whereby you can’t bring your family over, it is astonishing to state: we desire your labor, but we reject you as a person. I believe we must maintain a degree of compassion.
Sharing plate
The first participant Peter questions unchecked capitalism. I am, too, but simultaneously, economic growth benefits society and ought to be promoted.
Peter We’re both internationalist. And we concurred that some parts of society – government, the press – thrive off creating conflict. We discovered shared understanding in basic principles and ethics.
Dessert and debate
The first participant Peter believes that because the UK benefitted from the colonial era, it ought to provide reparations to those countries. My view is simply: you cannot judge the past with present day morality; times are different, modern people were not responsible of events decades or a century ago. Suppose the Britain was obliged to repay India, it would be a significant sum of money. Is the UK in a position to do that? Certainly not.
The second participant Until recently, I don’t think there was much reckoning with colonial history. As an instance, when I first moved to the UK, the public had little knowledge of the Great Famine and the part that colonialism played in it. My view is decolonisation is not merely about issuing payments, it ought to involve examining what went wrong and where we should be now.
Final thoughts
Akshat It won’t change the my perspective, but I appreciate his worries. I converse with individuals every day with opinions are contrary to my own. The goal is bringing everyone to the same page, so that everyone can work towards the betterment of society.
Peter We remained for two and a half hours. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I had some sweet Japanese wine. I didn’t persuade him of any point, but we each liked the meal, so we could hopefully be more open to engaging in dialogues with others in future.
