Brendan O’Neill on life in an age of euphemism:
The footage from Ceuta is extraordinary – throngs of foreigners, mostly men from Morocco, gatecrashed an enclave of the Spanish kingdom. They scaled fences, kicked down gates, colonised the beach. Some punched the air with glee, clearly delighted with their successful storming of Spanish territory. I dare the left to call this ‘asylum seeking’.
All cheered on by ladies of a certain kind.
But hey, I’m sure the situation will improve on its own, spontaneously, leading to no further degradation or untoward events. Because sharing and caring, right?
And clearly, these immensely vibrant young men are merely using other people’s cars to start fires of neighbourliness. Arson being the universal language of warm feelings.
It’s all one big expression of gratitude.
And when the uninvited newcomers swarming through your streets start desecrating your ancestors’ graves while hurling rocks at you, it’s just a sign that they want to get to know you better.
I’m reminded of the scene in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, in which Zaphod Beeblebrox visits the headquarters of the eponymous publication, which is under attack, being bombarded from orbit. Despite the thunderous explosions, he encounters obliviousness. In disbelief, and trying to be heard over the explosions, he shouts, “Do you know your building’s being bombed?!”
As a summary of our times, and in more ways than one, it does have a certain resonance.
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