"Racism in the UK certainly exists, but it is not usually fatal for the discriminee, whereas that seems commonplace in the USA and I don't think we have ever seen the like of the recent US police brutality to unarmed black teenagers (in swimming costumes) reported for making too much noise at a pool party in a white neighbourhood, nor the gun nut retard who used a rifle to threaten a Muslim couple collecting their young son from a classmate's birthday party.

I don't think Shimrod has fully got a grip on English "classism". The problem (IMHO) is that people identify with the ruling class and so vote in the interests of the ruling class."

I have to agree with Bunter, in all of the above, but particularly with regard to the reason for 'working-class' people voting Conservative. I don't believe that 'what's in their own best interests' even enters the mind of many working-class Tories - they vote Tory because it makes them feel good about themselves and elevates their own perception of their social status.

I'm also persuaded that racism in the U.S. police is exacerbated by the gun-lunacy that is rife over there.