Dining Across the Divide: A Encounter Among Different Viewpoints
Meeting the Individuals
One Diner: Peter, 34, London
Occupation Ex- civil servant, now a student focusing on public health
Political history Supported the Green Party recently (and a member of the political group); formerly Labour. Identifies as “progressive, and internationalist instead of nationalist”
Amuse bouche A drawing of a tea cup he created as a kid was once hung in the National Gallery of Ireland
Other Diner: A., 43, from Harrow
Occupation Risk analyst in the construction sector
Voting record Originally from India, Akshat has lived in the UK for half a decade, and supported the Conservative Party. Describes himself as “somewhat moderate right”
Amuse bouche He taught himself to read and write Urdu. “I have no use for it, I was just fascinated”
For starters
The first participant During the past two decades, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, East Asia, the US. 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 anticipated a staunch liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we engaged in a good, rational discussion. I drank beer, Peter had mojitos.
The second participant We shared starters – seafood rolls, steamed buns, radish cakes with sprouts, which were superb. I was a little nervous, as I think he was too. Was he going to attack me for my sensitivity? We each have immigrant backgrounds. My childhood was in Dublin; I’ve lived in the United States and the Iberian Peninsula. We bonded over our affection for the capital.
The big beef
The first participant I look at immigration like adding salt to a dish. When you add a little bit, the dish is delicious. Use too little or too much and the meal is either too bland or too salty.
Peter He had a metaphor about seasoning. It would be a funny place to exist if the state was selecting some ideal ethnic makeup of the country.
Akshat There are, sadly, people fleeing persecution, but a lot of people arriving in the UK are economic migrants who do not necessarily add significant value and can burden the welfare system. Nobody forces you to go to a new country for opportunity, so you should only go if you can take care of yourself and your relatives.
The second participant We got lost with some of the facts. In my view it’s like you come over and work and then following a half-decade you obtain permanent citizenship. Nothing is automatic. It’s been a hostile environment for some time, visa fees are really high, you pay an NHS surcharge, 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’s incredible to say: we want your work, but we reject you as a person. I think we must maintain a certain level of humanity.
Sharing plate
The first participant Peter’s sceptical of unchecked capitalism. I am, too, but at the same time, economic growth benefits society and should be encouraged.
The second participant We each have global outlooks. And we agreed that certain elements of the community – politics, the media – thrive off creating conflict. We did find shared understanding in fundamentals and values.
Dessert and debate
The first participant Peter believes that because the UK profited from the colonial era, it should pay compensation to affected nations. My view is simply: you cannot judge the past with contemporary ethics; times are different, current society had no control of what happened decades or a century ago. Let’s say the Britain had to compensate the Indian nation, it would be a huge amount of money. Is the UK in a position to manage that? Certainly not.
Peter Until recently, I don’t think there was much reckoning with the colonial past. As an instance, when I first moved to the United Kingdom, the public weren’t aware of the Great Famine and the role that colonialism played in it. My view is decolonization isn’t just about signing a cheque, it should be about looking at what went wrong and where we should be now.
Final thoughts
Akshat It won’t change the way I think, but I understand his worries. I talk to individuals every day with opinions are opposite to my own. The goal is uniting people to the same page, in order that all of us can work towards the betterment of the community.
Peter We remained for 150 minutes. Akshat had dessert and I had some sweet Japanese wine. I didn’t persuade him of anything, but we both enjoyed the meal, so we might become more receptive to having conversations with others in future.
