Hitler ordered his army to invade Poland in August. Saddam Hussein paraded into Kuwait in August. The First World War started in August. The Nazi-Soviet accord was endorsed in August. Now in August 2019 the world stage hosts loss of freedoms in (formerly British controlled) Kashmir and Hong Kong. This month’s Spectator magazine rather aptly insists that although unconnected, these invasions are part of a larger global pattern. Think Putin’s invasion of Crimea or Xi’s presence in Tibet and Turkestan (and now Hong Kong) or Netanyahu’s Israel in the West Bank. These events indicate a predilection for a ‘hard man’ stance and popularism that is spearheading a policy of attack on minorities in regional enclaves incapable of defence. In effect population replacement seems to be extensive in some regions of the world.
The protests in Hong Kong are visible in both the broadcast media and in print, while Kashmir seems to have been neglected by the media. Condemnation has been audible from Whitehall on the situation in Hong Kong, but silent on Kashmir. According to Peter Osborne writing in the Spectator:
“While the Hong Kong tragedy is played out on live television, 14 million under-siege Kashmiris suffer a communications black out. Well over half a million Indian troops are on their streets. Armoured cars and jeeps are outside every row of shops and at the end of every road. Researching this article I made repeated attempts to contact Kashmiri friends. One of them is a poet, the other a local journalist. It was as if they had vanished off the face of the earth. ” (1)
This occupation of a small unprotected and vulnerable land is nothing new in international relations. While the Twentieth Century is the obvious manifestation of brutal occupation, prior centuries clearly underwent similar occupations albeit on a smaller tribal scale without advanced weaponry.
But surely the quarrel should be the method of the invasion/occupation? The application or threat of violence is always condemned internationally and it’s this use or threat of violence in these regions that disgust the political commentators. It isn’t an infringement of civic privilege, human rights, religious conviction, or sexual orientation, it’s merely that violence is a tactic utilised or threatened by the aggressor. When a process of people replacement occurs slowly and incrementally the elite are delighted or merely indifferent to the process.
Let’s look at the UK. The Telegraph recently ran a headline: “British court recognises sharia law in landmark divorce case” (2) describing how Sharia Law although not yet integrated into UK law can co-exist alongside it. This basic example of a shift in principle undermines the foundation of society. Sharia Councils have been in existence since the 1980’s in the UK and continue to proliferate. Some suburbs of London are unrecognisable from a few decades ago and when there is an attempt to illuminate that change, the proposer of the idea is vilified. I propose a simple question; is population replacement happening in some regions of the UK? The actor and comedian John Cleese has been one of the few public figures to comment on this phenomenon. The following Guardian newspaper sub-headline said in response: “Sadiq Khan and comedian Dom Joly among those condemning ‘racist’ and ‘hypocritical’ claims.” (3)
It appears that a larger authority prevailing over a small region against its will is something abhorrent. Conversely if slow, unhurried and measured population replacement happens over a long period, this is a trend that is acceptable. In fact it’s the individual who criticises this change who is in turn criticised! The 2011 census in London reveals a sharp increase in diversity which is why perhaps Mr. Cleese felt it necessary to ignite a debate on the future of the City and the UK at large. The census reveals:
“London as a city is considerably more diverse than the rest of the United Kingdom. Across England and Wales, 86% of the population is white based on the 2011 Census, but in London that number falls to 69.7%. The white proportion of London’s population increases when traveling away from the city center.” (4)
The results of the forthcoming census are expected to reveal that this trend of population replacement has continued. White English/British people will be divulged as a minority in their capital city! But hey, providing population replacement isn’t accompanied with violence, who cares?
I hope you enjoyed my article. I compiled this piece while in Hong Kong amidst the civil unrest. Feel free to read it HERE.
(1) Spectator magazine, India’s Land Grab, Peter Osborne, August 2019, P 24,
(4) http://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/london-population/