Posted on 04/15/2005 9:05:55 AM PDT by Jakarta ex-pat
During a speech on immigration and asylum, Mr Howard said those who dared to criticise groups that bent the rules were "intimidated into silence".
But no one stood up for British values which were "being trashed", he added.
Mr Blair said Mr Howard was playing on people's fears. The Lib Dems said he had a problem with his own Britishness.
Mr Howard said he had been "attacked ferociously" by Labour ministers when he said a "small minority of travellers" were abusing planning rules to set up illegal encampments.
These reactions went to "the very heart of what's gone wrong in our country", he said. Some people call it political correctness. Others call it moral relativism. I call it madness," he told party supporters in Watford.
"Common sense has been stood on its head. The victims have become the aggressors and the aggressors have become the victims."
On immigration, Mr Howard said a Tory government would "stop people abusing Britain's generosity".
There were "literally millions of people from poorer countries" who would like to settle in Britain - but the country could not take them all.
But he was also keen to stress the contribution many valuable immigrants had made to Britain over the years.
Mr Blair accused the Tories of fighting a single issue campaign on immigration and said everybody knew what Michael Howard was doing at this election.
"I have never accused him of racism. What I have accused him of is opportunism because he is focusing on this issue and saying the government has done nothing."
Mr Howard was "playing on people's fears without having any sensible policy to deal with the issue", because the Tory economic plan had fallen apart.
The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said political parties were focused on a "narrow numbers game" of how many people the UK could keep out, detain and deport.
"This is an incredibly short-sighted and repressive approach. It fuels anti-migrant feeling while failing to make a vital connection between immigration and other policies."
Environment secretary Margaret Beckett accused Mr Howard of jumping on any passing bandwagon, adding that the asylum system was in better shape than the "shambles" he left in 1997.
"So it's nothing on the economy, lots on gypsies. Nothing on the impact of their cuts in public services, lots on isolated cases where things go wrong."
Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said: "I'd like to hear from Michael Howard what is it he's uncomfortable about, as someone who's instinctively hostile about Europe, who apparently is not very satisfied with the domestic mix of our make-up of this society, and was blatantly hostile to devolution within the United Kingdom.
"It seems to me he's the one who's got the problem about being British."
Later Mr Howard was tackled on BBC Radio 4's Election Call on the issue by a fellow son of a Jewish migrant who said every time the Tory leader spoke about immigration, he got a hard time. He's making life impossible for us because he has pandered to the xenophobic views of the readers of the Daily Mail," the contributor said.
Mr Howard countered that unless immigration was brought "under control" community relations would get worse.
But the caller accused the Tory leader of peddling a "cheap trick" and "patronising" him.
In his speech, Mr Howard also attacked "yob culture" - the effects of which were being felt across the country.
But tackling youth crime was not just a question of policing, it was also about parents and their responsibilities, he said.
A day after launching their manifesto meanwhile, the Lib Dems are trying to show there is a "green thread" running through all their policies.
At a morning news conference, leader Charles Kennedy highlighted plans for targets of recycling 60% of household waste by 2012 and using renewable sources for 20% of electricity by 2020.
Friday also saw the UK Independence Party launch its manifesto on a slogan of "we want our country back". It wants to withdraw from the EU but insists it is not a single issue party.
Gordon Brown and Tony Blair meanwhile began the day by focusing on Labour's policies for families but both left the campaign trail after news broke of MG Rover's imminent collapse.
The chancellor and premier headed to Longbridge for talks where they are expected to unveil a package of measures to help those workers who have lost their jobs.
It's time for a revolution against the revolting.
If only life were that simple.
If I lived in the UK-this is what I'd want:
Abolish the pointless waste of money that is the Crown
Write an actual Constitution
The Crown actually makes us more money that it costs.
If we abolished it we would end up more like France than America. The crown is the last bastion of Britishness. It is also the only thing holding us together. No Crown = No Wales or Scotland = no North Sea Oil = big trouble.
You are right.
Let's sell the Crown Jewels and British Heritage so we can add even more money to the Tsunami/famine/Aids/ "poor everybody but us" relief.
Let's sell the Crown Jewels and British Heritage so we can add even more money to the Tsunami/famine/Aids/ "poor everybody but us" relief.
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LOL!
Okay, you're right. I'm not having a good day, apparently. I'm getting flamed worse than a hot dog at a cookout.
I offer an apology to British freepers and the Crown.
Ah don't worry. It is a logical assumption that the monarchy are bad but TBH the politicians are much, much worse. (Just imagine a thousand English Jacques Chiracs)
Keep smiling,
Philip
Nice profile, BTW. They need more like you over there. And we need more like you over here!!!
It really is that simple, but not for those who dwell in the Land of 1001 Excuses.
No one wants to look in the mirror for the source of their problems. MUCH easier to blame "others," especially the leaders those folks elected.
Lol. Ultimate victimology -- those leaders we democratically elected in our free country are so bad. Wah, boo-hoo. What ever CAN we do about it?
Ah, we can whine, moan, groan, scream, cry, act out, bellyache, complain, winge, get syndromes, vent, over-eat, kick the dog, blame Halliburton and generally cry in our cereal.
There ya go.
No kidding.
Shudder.
That's as bad as 1000 Billys and Hillys.
Double shudder.
I couldn’t care less what you think.
I was born in the “scrap heap” of poor and working class Britain of the 1960’s.
So what!
My country, Boadicea, Elizabeth, Shakespeare, Nelson, Churchill, and Thatcher gave me my Heritage.
Tony Blair?
The present "votables"?
I shit em!
Ah, more of your clear, straight thinking. No emotions there.
Way to go. You INVITE comment then vent.
That will get your far in life.
It really is that simple, but not for those who dwell in the Land of 1001 Excuses.
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Do you mean Britain or Jakarta?
So.
You have learnt to shout,underline, and colour.
Well done.
Those who dwell in the Land of 1001 Excuses COULD be in either Britain or Indonesia.
It's about those people, singularly or collectively, who absolutely refuse to take the consequences of their actions, who won't ever look in the mirror for the source of their problems and who adamently recite the standard litany of excuses for things which ARE, so some extent, in their power to change or influence.
This website is an excellent example of people who are frustrated with things and DO try to influence people's minds and make change through exposure to ideas, presentation of information and rational arguments for their ideas.
Ahh so Land of 1001 excuses is a state of mind. I understand now.
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