SCOTS FED UP WITH IMMIGRANTS.

LARGE numbers of Scots hold racist views which could lead to a rise in the fortunes of far-right politicians north of the Border, a disturbing new opinion poll reveals.

Almost half of all Scots would back moves to return immigrants to their country of origin, according to the exclusive Scotland on Sunday/Scottish Opinion poll.

The survey - conducted in the wake of National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen’s success in the French presidential race - also reveals that only 46% of Scots believe immigrants make a positive contribution to society.

The poll found that a majority of Scots - 58% - believe it is too easy for immigrants to enter the UK and only four out of 10 do not think there are too many immigrants in Scotland.

The findings of the poll shatter the myth that racism is not endemic in multicultural Scotland.

They also sparked grave warnings last night from one of Scotland’s leading anti-racism campaigners that the British National Party, tipped to win seats in England’s local elections this week, could soon capture Scottish parliament or council seats.

Rowena Arshad, the director of Scotland’s Centre for Racial Equality, said she was "shocked" by the findings.

She said: "I am very concerned that the BNP could rise here. Scotland needs to be more comfortable with diversity."

Arshad, who is also Scotland’s equal opportunities commissioner, said Scotland has been "in denial" over racism which is "rife" in this country and does not just exist "among yobs and BNP supporters".

Scotland on Sunday can also reveal that the BNP has escalated its activities north of the Border and is considering plans to contest next year’s Holyrood election for the first time if it does well in the English local elections.

Unfortunately, I lack the time and enthusiasm for a rousing debate on Economics. Instead, I'd recommend that you read "Knowledge and Decisions by Thomas Sowell, or anything at all by FA Hayek. Services do add to the wealth of a community (in spite of what Ms. Browne and the few remaining keynesians might say) and unless you think the only value in a particular product is in the physical labor it took to make it, it's easy to see.

Local markets employ people and retain other services for their operation, but even if they don't, they consume resources (which are paid for)and engage in trade. The delivery men and manufacturers of the products they sell all benefit from the opening of a local market. And by the way, if it were a "fully developed economy" then it couldn't very well support another business could it? I mean where does their revenue come from if the local economy was, as you put it "fully developed".

The answer is, there is no such thing as a fully developed economy, and adding any trade at all increases wealth. How is it exactly that your "money circulates longer in a community" without doing so?

BTW, if you think my Economics education is somehow lacking, I'm sure the people that issued me my Masters degree, and all of my employers for the last 16 years would beg to differ.

Whereas the towns might previously have had a haberdasher, a hardware store, a ladies garments store, an appliance store etc. when Walmart came into their community all those little local businesses go belly up. No new net business is created it is simply sucked up by Walmart.

OK, just this once more then I'll let you have the last word.

The Economic benefit to those communities is felt because Wal-Mart charges less for the same product, leaving each consumer with more money to spend on other items. If Wal-Mart was no cheaper, then they would not be able to run all those other businesses out of town. (I'm sure you can site specific examples of pricing discrepancies, so I'll confess up front that I'm talking in general terms about any business which dominates a small retail market like that.)

You seem to be continually falling back on that socialist argument that there is a fixed amount of "wealth" in a community, and the only thing subject to debate is how the existing "wealth" is proportioned. To refer to your last example, "Opening a Burger King across the street from the town McDonalds does not prosperity make" I'd like to see you tell that to the formerly unemployed workers at Burger King, or the salesman responsible for selling ground beef in that territory, or the garbage collectors, or for that matter, the guy who can only afford to take his kids out for fast food when the chains run a special. His economic benefit isn't direct, it's felt in greater choice for him and his family. Just because there are fewer businesses doesn't mean there is less business.

You've been polite, and I'd like to be the same, but I have to admit that your mention of (admittedly recently) outdated economic theory is just a way for you to try to lend credibility to the fact that you feel threatened by immigrants. Like it or not, anyone who manages to prosper personally, adds to the overall wealth of a community. And in my experience, most immigrants are the kinds of people (personally I mean) who will go the extra mile, leave their freinds and family, and work harder than average, often in the most difficult of conditions, in order to prosper. Not only is this the kind of person I want in my community, I want them running my local market, and my local wal-mart, and I don't care what color they are, or what language they speak in their home. If they'll step up and take responsibilty for themselves, then they can come from the worst, third world backwater imaginable, and I'll welcome them as my neighbor.

Also, I think you really should read "The Economics and Politics of Race" by Thomas Sowell. It's a short book, and a good read, written by one of the great thinkers of our time, where he painstakingly cites the specific economic data to refute all of your "fixed wealth & redistribution" claims. You seem a bright person who would no doubt benifit from, and make good use of, the increased knowledge.

And now I have to get some work done.

It brings no new money into the community beyond the construction of the restaurant but even that seldom happens with immigrant businesses. They merely make use of existing commercial space.

Let's not forget about the feral (and maybe even state) gooberment programs that lends interest-free money to immigrants who can claim "persecuted minority" status so they can start a business,and they don't even have to pay income taxes for the 1st 7 years they are here. The gooberment even has volunteer retired businessmen (SCORE)who volunteer to teach them how to fill out the forms and do their books. This is all on top of giving them tips on how to run their businesses,and none of this costs them a nickel.

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