Having been busy yesterday entertaining friends I only had the occasional chance to glance at the comments on my previous post, however throughout the day it became obvious to me that some people misunderstood my attitude to the China Gateway.
As for the business of trying to cloud the issue with racism, firstly I should point out that I am not against the China Gateway or Chinese customers coming to Thanet and buying books in my shop, and yes the Chinese people who have made it as far as Ramsgate have proved to be both utterly charming and good book customers.
What I am against is lower standards being set for this development than the others on the site, having seen the very high standards that the Chinese have set for the Olympic Games and in view of the fact that the development is set to be a showcase for the Chinese in Europe, it would seem unlikely that they would be entirely happy with a UK developer building them a development that falls below the standards of the surrounding developments, occupied by European companies.
I am also concerned that the Chinese are being lead to believe that permission will be given for the development of the surrounding prime farm land, to complete phases two and three of the project, which I believe is essential to the requirements of the Chinese.
I would certainly be much happier to see the project not built on prime farmland, especially when we have large brownfield sites like Richborough and frankly think doing so constitutes bad PR for the Chinese, something else they probably wouldn’t want.
It’s over thirty years since I had a great deal with Chinese people, at the time I was a member of an Anglican contemplative community that was set up to look into the ways meditation and prayer techniques of other religions and cultures could be used within the Anglican community, we were asking favours from them and not giving much back in return, all of the people from the different cultures and religions we consulted were both charming and helpful.
News, Local history and Thanet issues from Michael's Bookshop in Ramsgate see www.michaelsbookshop.com I publish over 200 books about the history of this area click here to look at them.
Monday 11 August 2008
20 comments:
Comments, since I started writing this blog in 2007 the way the internet works has changed a lot, comments and dialogue here were once viable in an open and anonymous sense. Now if you comment here I will only allow the comment if it seems to make sense and be related to what the post is about. I link the majority of my posts to the main local Facebook groups and to my Facebook account, “Michael Child” I guess the main Ramsgate Facebook group is We Love Ramsgate. For the most part the comments and dialogue related to the posts here goes on there. As for the rest of it, well this blog handles images better than Facebook, which is why I don’t post directly to my Facebook account, although if I take a lot of photos I am so lazy that I paste them directly from my camera card to my bookshop website and put a link on this blog.
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I am sure that the local councillors in Thanet will agree with a lot of what you wrote.
ReplyDeleteSo why does it appear that there has been scaremongering and incorrect news reports?
Private Researcher
Incorrect news reports from whom?
ReplyDeleteThomson Finance released a statement to the press in which it refers to 'CGP's Manston site of 3 million square feet' and also refers to a deal signed with Aigo's parent 'company opening there'.
As 2 million square feet is still farmland without any mention of being in the local plan for development you have to ask is this a case of 'counting chickens' or an attempt to mislead potential investors into thinking there is a business park of multi-million square feet already in existence?
Knowing you [& several people against this development] quite well, this is what I was trying to get at yesterday [see previous posting 14.18 & 18.11]. I'm sorry, but I think it incredulous that some people using this blog can blindly cast aspersions of Racism. Whether for or against the scheme. EVERYTHING needs bringing out into the open so that the public can make an informed opinion.
ReplyDelete13:26
ReplyDeleteIn the 1970's people had the view that racism is a non-issue. But this is the 21st century,and we can tell the difference from those who just want Thanet to stay in the doom and gloom and those that are against progress because they are anti-Chinese. Those of us that read the news will know that water issue has been resolved. End of story, lets continue with progress.
Private Researcher.
Private researcher
ReplyDeleteYou may wish to have a look at the southern water discharge consent letter that TDC have apparently recently received, it says no discharge from car parks into soakaways. That means either balancing ponds, with the current plans there just isn’t room for them, or a very big mains sewage plant, millions of litres in a big storm or discharge into the internationally acclaimed wetland of Pegwell bay.
Micheal
ReplyDeleteI will be looking in to what you are saying.
Many thanks
Private Researcher
(Sorry, but I can't give my name at this stage)
It's nothing to do with racism but everything to do with wanting to see a well-planned development that will be a source of employment for many years. The current plan of crammed-in warehouses with thousands of HGV movements every day clogging up our roads, sacrificing farmland, risk to the water supply -that's what we've been fighting. Most of us over a certain age have heard these promises of jobs before and, as a result, feel justified in being a bit cynical. The developer said in last week's Gazette that what is being insisted on by the planners in terms of dealing with waste water is 'uneconomic' so we can expect an appeal after the planning committee wanting the conditions changed.
ReplyDeletePrivate researcher
ReplyDeleteYou can of course always contact me in confidence.
A thing that worries me here is that the firm that did the drainage reports for the developer is very well known and reputable, they must have known Southern Water would refuse discharge consent.
As for the hints of racism the people I know of all other ethnic backgrounds tell me that they find extreme political correctness fuels racism and makes everyone more uncomfortable than they would otherwise be. Accusing people of racism because they want the normal environmental standards for a new development, to prevent pollution that could harm the local population, well consider if you like, if poison gets into the food chain or water supply it won’t be selective, it will poison you regardless of race.
Yes, you have us!! We are all blatant racists, parade back and forth each night along Queen Street in our KKK outfits and armed with burning crosses. We are really covert members of an underground neo-nazi organisation intent on persecuting the Chinese. Michael, just humour these odious little people with their narrow minded opinions...they can't help it!!
ReplyDeleteSomeone has just put it to me that perhaps the Chinese are after use of the airport, as apparently their exports come in mainly from Felixstowe currently. If so, then surely this would be great for the local economy, and let's face it the airport is never going to take off [if you will excuse the pun] as a commercial success otherwise. If this were the case then surely this development would be perfectly sited.
17:47
ReplyDeleteYou are a disgrace. We have just had two Chinese people killed in the UK and you try to make light of the growing problem of racism towards the Chinese.
Then you go on to write:-
"Someone has just put it to me that perhaps the Chinese are after use of the airport"
If you were a victim of hate crime you would not be so arrogant and clearly prejudice in your attitude.
Private Researcher
Private Researcher,
ReplyDeleteI, as a non-red neck person agree with you.
anoymous17:47 appears to be one of those people that is racist due to their attitude, but thinks they are not.
To take the pee out those that object to racism is just another form of racism.
David Cohen
somm of us who lost family to the nazis believe that it is bad taste to talk in the way 17:47 did even as a sick joke.
ReplyDeleteWHAT IS FREE SPEECH?
ReplyDeleteEnough of this talk lets get back on topic
ReplyDeletePriavte Researcher
Mr Childs what community was that?
ReplyDeleteNo Private Researcher. You label people racists when you know absolutely nothing about them - have never met them. That makes you a dangerous individual, and probably a little unbalanced. You hold obvious predjudices towards people - draw conclusions about them with no evidence whatsoever. The people who killed those poor Chinese students probably did so, as they labelled them [without knowing them] in the same way you libel people here. What's the difference between you? You share the same thought processes. I'm not taking the piss out of them, but out of you; for it's the only way of dealing with such pathetic little people.
ReplyDeleteAlong with military aggression, the Russian Federation is blocking Georgian internet portals.
ReplyDelete21:53
ReplyDeleteyou clearly talk like a bigot.
If we were in a meeting you would be the one that would be upsetting a number of ethnic groups, not me. I respect all ethnic groups and would not make reference to nazis as you did. People are not as daft you you would like them to be. You are a bigot.
Private Researcher
21:53
ReplyDeleteIf you scroll up, Private Researcher did not use the word racist about you. But did he need to? Others will judge you by what what you wrote. You can say it was a joke, but you totally disrespected others. I think Private Researcher goes on a bit too much and he should stick to what we are meant to be taking about, but he has every right to stand his ground against someone who is politically incorrect.
KS
OK can I take it that none of you feel that the Chinese should be offered a development in any respect inferior to the existing developments there, that are occupied by Europeans?
ReplyDeleteIt is my contention that the planning department has an extra duty to the Chinese, who may be unaware that environmental aspects of this development are sub standard, I think it likely that any large UK company wishing to locate a showcase development on prime agricultural land and a source protection zone, would be much more likely to seek local peoples views.
I also feel that TDCs failure to post on their planning website the letters from statuary consultees and objectors, may have had the effect of cutting the Chinese off from a proper understanding of the situation.
21.21 The Society of St John the Evangelist’s community in Sussex sadly now closed.