Conversing Across the Gap: An Meeting Between Different Viewpoints
Introducing the Participants
One Participant: P., 34, London
Occupation Ex- civil servant, currently a learner studying public health
Voting record Voted the Green Party recently (also a affiliate of the party); formerly Labour. Describes himself as “progressive, and globalist rather than patriotic”
Amuse bouche A drawing of a teacup he did as a child was once hung in the Irish National Gallery
Other Participant: Akshat, 43, from Harrow
Occupation Risk analyst in the construction sector
Political history Originally from the Indian subcontinent, Akshat has lived in the UK for half a decade, and voted the Conservative Party. Identifies as “somewhat moderate right”
Interesting fact Akshat self-learned to understand Urdu. “It has no practical use for me, I was just fascinated”
Initial impressions
Akshat During the past 20 years, I’ve lived and worked in the Middle East, South Korea, the US. The issues we discussed are focused on Britain, but they are also universal, because human life more or less follows the same curve wherever it is. I was expecting a staunch liberal, but he was quite measured – we had a productive, logical conversation. I drank beer, Peter had mojitos.
Peter We split appetizers – fishy spring rolls, dumplings, radish cakes with sprouts, which were superb. I felt somewhat anxious, as I believe he was too. Would he criticize me for being a snowflake? We’re both immigrants. I grew up in Dublin; I’ve lived in the United States and Spain. We bonded over our love of London.
Key disagreements
Akshat I view migration like adding salt to a dish. With a small amount, the dish tastes wonderful. Use too little or too much and the meal is either too bland or too salty.
Peter He had a metaphor regarding salt. It would be odd to be if the government was selecting some preferred demographic of the nation.
The first participant There are, sadly, people escaping oppression, but many people arriving in the UK are those seeking better finances who do not necessarily contribute much and can burden the welfare system. Nobody forces you to move to a different nation for prospects, so you ought to relocate if you can take care of yourself and your family.
The second participant We got lost with certain details. In my view it is the case that you come over and are employed and then following a half-decade you get permanent citizenship. Nothing is automatic. It’s been a hostile environment for some time, application costs are really high, there is an healthcare levy, eligibility for support is limited. There is no special treatment for anyone. And regarding the recent changes, 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 believe we have to have a degree of compassion.
Sharing plate
The first participant Peter questions unchecked capitalism. So am I, 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 some parts of the community – politics, the press – benefit from stoking division. We did find shared understanding in fundamentals and ethics.
For afters
Akshat Peter believes that since the United Kingdom profited from colonial times, it should pay compensation to those countries. My view is simply: it is unfair to assess the past with contemporary ethics; eras vary, current society had no control of what happened 50 or 100 years ago. Suppose the Britain had to compensate the Indian nation, it would be a significant sum of money. Is Britain able to manage that? Certainly not.
Peter Until recently, I don’t think there was much reckoning with the colonial past. For example, when I first moved to the UK, people had little knowledge of the Great Famine and the role that imperial rule played in it. I hold that decolonization isn’t just about issuing payments, it ought to involve examining what went wrong and our current responsibilities.
Final thoughts
The first participant It won’t change the my perspective, but I understand his worries. I talk to individuals regularly whose views are opposite to mine. It’s about uniting people to the same page, so that all of us can strive for the improvement of the community.
The second participant We remained for two and a half hours. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I had a Japanese dessert wine. I did not convince him of anything, but we each liked dinner, so we might become more open to engaging in dialogues with other people in future.
