Dining Over the Gap: An Meeting Among Different Perspectives
Meeting the Participants
One Diner: Peter, 34, from London
Profession Former civil servant, currently a learner studying public health
Political history Voted the Green Party recently (also a member of the party); formerly Labour. Describes himself as “progressive, and globalist rather than patriotic”
Amuse bouche A drawing of a tea cup he did as a child was once displayed in the National Gallery of Ireland
Other Diner: A., 43, Harrow
Profession Risk analyst in the infrastructure industry
Voting record Hailing from India, he has lived in the UK for half a decade, and supported Conservative. Identifies as “somewhat right of centre”
Interesting fact Akshat self-learned to understand Urdu. “It has no practical use for me, I simply found it intriguing”
Initial impressions
Akshat During the past two decades, I have resided and been employed in the Middle East, South Korea, the United States. The issues Peter and I discussed are UK-centric, but they are also universal, because human life largely follows the same curve wherever it is. I was expecting someone very liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we engaged in a good, rational discussion. I drank beer, he opted for mojitos.
The second participant We split starters – fishy spring rolls, dumplings, radish cakes with sprouts, which were superb. I was a little nervous, as I believe he was too. Was he going to attack me for being a snowflake? We each have immigrant backgrounds. My childhood was in Dublin; I have resided in the US and the Iberian Peninsula. We bonded over our affection for London.
The big beef
The first participant I look at migration similar to adding salt to a meal. With a small amount, the food tastes wonderful. Add too little or too much and the dish is insipid or overly seasoned.
Peter He had a metaphor regarding salt. It would be odd to exist if the state was selecting some preferred demographic of the nation.
Akshat There are, sadly, people escaping oppression, but a lot of people arriving in the United Kingdom are economic migrants who do not necessarily contribute much and can burden the benefit system. Nobody forces you to go to a new country for prospects, so you should only go if you are able to support your own needs and your relatives.
The second participant We got lost with certain details. I don’t think it is the case that you arrive and are employed and then following a half-decade you obtain permanent citizenship. Nothing is automatic. The climate has been unwelcoming since Theresa May, visa fees are quite expensive, you pay an NHS surcharge, eligibility for support is limited. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anybody. And regarding the new policies, whereby family reunification is restricted, it is astonishing to state: we want your work, but we don’t want you. I think we must maintain a certain level of humanity.
Common ground
The first participant Peter questions unchecked capitalism. I am, too, but simultaneously, economic growth benefits society and should be encouraged.
The second participant We each have global outlooks. And we concurred that certain elements of the community – government, the press – benefit from creating conflict. We did find shared understanding in basic principles and ethics.
For afters
The first participant Peter believes that because the UK profited from the colonial era, it should pay reparations to those countries. My view is simply: you cannot judge the past with contemporary ethics; times are different, modern people were not responsible of events decades or a century ago. Let’s say the Britain had to compensate the Indian nation, it would be a significant sum of money. Is Britain able to do that? No.
The second participant In the past, I don’t think adequate reflection occurred with the colonial past. As an instance, when I first moved to the United Kingdom, the public had little knowledge of the Irish famine and the part that colonialism played in it. My view is decolonisation isn’t just about issuing payments, it ought to involve examining what went wrong and where we should be now.
Takeaways
Akshat It may not alter the my perspective, but I appreciate his worries. I talk to individuals every day with opinions are opposite to my own. The goal is bringing everyone to the same page, so that everyone can work towards the improvement of the community.
The second participant We were there for two and a half hours. Akshat had dessert and I drank a Japanese dessert wine. I did not convince him of any point, but we both enjoyed the meal, so we could hopefully be more open to having conversations with others in the coming times.
