Isle of the Dead, cont.

First, the British couldn’t extradite al Qaeda honcho Abu Qatada to Jordan, because Jordan might mistreat him or kill him.

Then, the British couldn’t hold Abu Qatada in custody, but had to release him back into society, though it’s not clear why they couldn’t have tried him on numerous charges of calling for terrorism and murder.

And now comes the final step, as reported in the Daily Express. The British have installed Abu Qatada in a four-bedroom home where he lives with his wife and five children.

But that wasn’t the final step. The Qatada’s house is located in a wealthy neighborhood and the rent on it is 576 pounds per week, which is paid for by the British government, out of “housing benefits.”

According to a currency converter I found on the Web, that’s $1,133 per week, or close to $5,000.00 per month.

Can British readers tell me why the British taxpayer is paying Qatada’s rent? And rent many times more than what the average person pays?

What I mean is, can they give me some reason for this other than, “The British seek to make themselves the most contemptible people who have ever lived on this earth, so that when Britain is finally extinguished, no one will care.”

- end of initial entry -

Phillip M. writes from Britain:

“Can British readers tell me why the British taxpayer is paying Qatada’s rent? And rent many times more than what the average person pays? “

It is a universal, means-tested benefit. If any adult is unemployed, he is entitled to a housing benefit. As he has a large family, he will get a house, as, in theory, if he could not find work, the whole family would be out on the street.

But I know this only explains the “why” in a practical, rather than a moral sense.

I think I once heard Quentin Crisp say that in America the people were kind and the government was hard, and in Britain it was the other way around. It obviously never occurred to him that it was socialism that created this situation in Britain. We don’t have to care, because we have nationalised our compassion. Other people are paid to deal with society’s problems (although I don’t regard this particular chap as being my countries problem).

Yes, my country is awful.

Can you get me a green card?

I will do the jobs Americans won’t do!

LA replies:

And this benefit just runs without any time limit, without any expecation of its ever ending.

And why would they put him in a rich neighborhood in a $5,000 a month house?

Since when do the taxpayers and government of Britain have infinite money?

As for your request, under the newly proposed “Larry’s Law,” it will soon become harder for British subjects to immigrate to the U.S.. Under Larry’s Law, Britons are assumed to be guilt-ridden, tolerance-addicted, passive Eloi, filled with anti-American and anti-Western attitudes, and must be screened for such characteristics before being allowed to immigrate. However, as a VFR reader, you should have no problem getting a green card.

Phillip replied:

I doubt there are many 4 bedroom houses in London for rent that you could get for less than that amount. You seen house prices in London? It’s mental. 2,500 pounds per month isn’t excessive. A cynic might say that the government encourages mass immigration whilst not building any more houses in order to keep the house prices high, so people feel wealthy and borrow credit on the strength of the inflated value of their house. Housing benefit is also assessed on need, so an immigrant will always be greater priority than a Brit because they will be deemed to have no support networks to turn to. (Which is ironic when I think about it, what with them always talking about the “Muslim community.” Maybe they should pay for their own welfare state.)

Charles T. writes:

The secular religion of our modern age requires that we love our enemies and hate our allies, friends, and yes even our own country for the sake and welfare of those who hate us. The British government is applying this principle perfectly … to the ruination of their own country. This is not Christian practice, but some damn fool will say that it is.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at June 25, 2008 07:48 PM | Send