June 10, 2009
Not in our name…
Here’s one of my favourite quotes, It’s from Mark Twain:
“It’s better to remain silent and have people think you’re a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.”
Yesterday, in Westminster, Nick Griffin of the BNP wasn’t given the opportunity to remove any doubt that he’s a fool (and worse). I think that’s a problem.
I’m no fan of the BNP, make no mistake. But I am quite a fan of democracy and free speech. Griffin and his cronies have for years claimed that free speech in the UK is a fantasy and that democracy here is a farce. By pelting him with eggs, attacking him with placards and not allowing him to speak, yeserday’s protesters have simply added fuel to the BNP fire.
Do you think Griffin’s upset this morning? Is he bollocks. He’s splashed across every national. It’s exposure the Green Party would kill for (but only in the most sustainable way, natch).We have a process in this country for blunting the ability of racists like Griffin to gain any traction. It’s called voting for someone else. Not enough people did, so we’re sending a couple of fascists to the European Parliament. Sure, we can moan at the greedy, corrupt mainstream politicians for failing to give us a compelling alternative, but the BNP? Really?
Let him speak. Let the public hear the bigoted, racist fool air his vitriol. When you do that - when people watch videos like this one - you’ll start to turn people against him.
Oh, and sign this.
(Normal TWL service will resume shortly.)
Comments
Stuart Bruce:
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve also don’t agree with those politicians who think it is wrong to share a platform with the BNP. I’d be quite happy to do so because I’m convinced the force of my arugments could decimate and destroy their idiotic policy ideas. Jaw Jaw not War War, that’s how we defeat them.
Sam Oakley:
Agree completely with the sentiment, though I’m not 100% sure about the hope not hate campaign. I agree with what they are trying to do but not their way of getting it done. It seems to me that their appeal is weighted towards an audience which would never support the BNP anyway. If they want to make a difference they need to think about their messages and how they might influence potential BNP voters.
Maximilian Tatton-Brown:
So what you’re saying is that Green Party supporters need to start egging their own politicians for publicity?
...the world's leading...:
Yes Maximilian, that’s correct. But probably not eggs. Perhaps protesters could spray them with deodorant? Not that they’re smelly, you understand, but to damage the atmosphere.
Best of luck with the new blog, by the way.
Simon Marks:
Quite agree with Sam. The BNP got elected partly through voter apathy, but also because the mainstream parties haven’t addressed the concerns of the type of people who would vote for the BNP.
Although - as has been shown, pretty much any time a BNP candidate gets elected to anything (local council, etc.) they end up making such complete fools of themselves that they very rarely get re-elected. Sort of political Darwinism
Steve Loynes:
I watched the video clip and noticed Nick Griffin’s car is white.
Then I wondered if I might be able to flog him some media training.
I feel a bit dirty.
Phil Dwyer:
Wow Steve, time to use the force I think..
Somewhat unimaginatively, I’m also agreeing with the general idea here, although I’m not convinced that mainstream politicians actually want to engage with the BNP for fear of getting into difficult waters. Most people realise the BNP has a hidden (or at least discreetly avoided) agenda of ‘voluntary repatriation’ but they have become clever at focusing on issues that appeal to the self-styled ’silent majority’ who feel ignored. Easier then for other politicians to ignore them and feel superior rather than risk a debate on the wrong decisions that allowed them in in the first place, but this is the only way they’ll be drawn out and exposed for what they are.
Alex O:
Although I do agree wholeheartedly with the article, I’m not so sure I agree with Sam. Although they got the EU and MP seats through voter apathy, there are still a million Brits out there who voted for them, and I think they are just getting started… they are adjusting their marketing messages and I think more and more people will fall for the lines they spout. More needs to be done in terms of “interpreting” what they actually mean by people who are not ranting against the BNP but just giving people a chance to discover what they are in fact voting for. When interviewed, a lot of BNP voters have no idea how extremist the ideology behind their vote is…
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