Dining Over the Divide: An Meeting Between Opposing Viewpoints
Meeting the Individuals
First Diner: P., 34, London
Occupation Former government employee, currently a student studying community health
Political history Supported the Green Party recently (and a affiliate of the party); formerly Labour Party. Describes himself as “left, and internationalist instead of patriotic”
Amuse bouche A drawing of a teacup Peter did as a kid was once displayed in the Irish National Gallery
Other Diner: Akshat, 43, Harrow
Occupation Risk analyst in the infrastructure industry
Voting record Hailing from the Indian subcontinent, Akshat has resided in the UK for five years, and supported Conservative. Describes himself as “somewhat right of centre”
Interesting fact He self-learned to read and write Urdu. “I have no use for it, I simply found it intriguing”
Initial impressions
Akshat Over the last two decades, I’ve lived and worked in the Middle East, East Asia, the United States. The topics Peter and I discussed are focused on Britain, but they are also global, because people's lives largely follows the same curve across the world. I was expecting someone very liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we engaged in a productive, logical conversation. I drank beer, he opted for mojitos.
Peter We shared appetizers – fishy spring rolls, steamed buns, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were superb. I felt somewhat anxious, as I believe he was too. Was he going to attack me for my sensitivity? We’re both immigrants. My childhood was in Dublin; I’ve lived in the United States and Spain. We connected through our affection for London.
The big beef
The first participant I look at migration similar to sprinkling salt to a meal. With a small amount, the dish is delicious. Use too little or too much and the dish is insipid or overly seasoned.
Peter He had a metaphor about seasoning. It would be a funny place to be if the government was choosing some ideal ethnic makeup of the nation.
The first participant There are, unfortunately, individuals fleeing persecution, but a lot of people arriving in the UK are economic migrants who do not necessarily contribute much and can burden the welfare system. No one compels you to move to a new country for prospects, so you ought to relocate if you can take care of yourself and your family.
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. No process is guaranteed. The climate has been unwelcoming since Theresa May, visa fees are quite expensive, you pay an healthcare levy, access to benefits is limited. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anyone. And concerning the new policies, under which family reunification is restricted, it is astonishing to state: we want your work, but we reject you as a person. I think we must maintain a certain level of compassion.
Common ground
Akshat Peter questions unchecked capitalism. So am I, but at the same time, economic growth benefits society and ought to be promoted.
The second participant We each have global outlooks. And we concurred that some parts of the community – government, the press – thrive off creating conflict. We did find shared understanding in fundamentals and ethics.
For afters
The first participant Peter is of the opinion that because the United Kingdom benefitted from the colonial era, it ought to provide reparations to affected nations. I simply think: it is unfair to assess the past with contemporary ethics; times are different, modern people had no control of events decades or a century ago. Suppose the UK was obliged to repay India, it would be a huge amount of money. Is Britain able to do that? Certainly not.
The second participant Until recently, I don’t think there was much reckoning with the colonial past. For example, when I first moved to the United Kingdom, the public weren’t aware of the Irish famine and the role that colonialism played in it. My view is decolonization is not merely about signing a cheque, it ought to involve examining what went wrong and where we should be now.
Takeaways
Akshat It won’t change the my perspective, but I understand Peter’s concerns. I converse with people regularly whose views are opposite to my own. It’s about uniting people to the common understanding, in order that all of us can work towards the improvement of society.
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 each liked the meal, so we could hopefully be more open to engaging in dialogues with others in the coming times.
