Ireland of the Welcomes

[waider]

Speaking on RTÉ's Questions and Answers, Mr Lenihan said the Romanian community in Ireland had advised him that if the State allowed the Roma people into Ireland, thousands more would follow. (link)

This reminds me of a half-remembered quote comparing someone's attitude to a new batch of immigrants as being akin to the people on the Mayflower looking down on the people in the second boat.

The local support groups mentioned in the story have not been particularly impressive, either, simply stating blankly that they don't believe anyone else's version of events. Yesterday, they were refusing to believe the Romanian ambassador's statements to the effect that some of the squatters are property-owners back home, or her statements that the conditions in Romania aren't anywhere as bad as the squatters are making out. Today they're refusing to believe that the Gardaí didn't coerce people into leaving. If it were a case of "We have proof to the contrary", I might be willing to pay them some attention, but so far, it's all been statements of faith in the squatters.

updated to add: The quote is from Mitch Kapor on Usenet elitism: "This is the snobbery of the people on the Mayflower looking down their noses at the people who came over ON THE SECOND BOAT!"

Comments

[wisn.livejournal.com]

As a descendent of people who rode the Mayflower and the next few boats, I can firmly state that the suspicion was justified.

I vaguely recall some social research that the people most active in lobbying for regional anti-sprawl laws tended to be the ones in the newest neighborhoods. Which is so predictable it's scary.