Farage’s racism

[CuriousKangaroo]

I haven’t yet seen a post about this story: Twenty people allege he has a racist past. He denies it. Who’s telling the truth about Farage’s schooldays? | Nigel Farage | The Guardian

Farage no longer categorically denies these incidents, and is now trying to fudge things by saying he didn’t mean any harm and it was a long time ago - presumably because he knows it is true and realises that 20 separate people saying it means only the truly deluded wouldn’t believe he was a racist.

But what I am interested in is does this actually assist his election chances? We already know that many of his supporters are racists - does it actually work for him that this blatant racism from him shores up their support? Are they secretly (or perhaps not so secretly in some cases) pleased?

And what do those of you who are Reform supporters but believe yourself not be racist think? Does it make you change your mind about him or Reform?

I do not think that just because many were openly hostile towards Germany and the Nazi's meant there wasn't anti semitism about

There absolutely was and open racism was for many an every day occurrence

That's the thing about racists that can separate truth and facts from their beliefs so hating the Germans and being in support of what happened to Jewish people its not an issue

hating the nazi's for most here in the UK was not about what they did to Jewish people it is what they did to British people

They fought a war against being invaded by German fascists

They does not mean that many did not hold fascist views its not that simple people separate their feelings from facts that do not sit comfortably with them

People are brilliant at cognitive dissonance.

As well as the antisemitism exhibited by Farage, there are also reports of racism against black and Asian people. I'm not going to repeat the words used here, we all know what they were.

And from the Guardian article, from a named person, there is this

“When I became a prefect, he [Farage] said: ‘I’ll show you how to do it.’ He took me for a walk up to the lower school playground, where all the children from about nine years old to 12 would be. And he singled out, completely at random, a kid of Asian extraction, and just put him in detention for no reason whatsoever. I was flabbergasted, absolutely stunned. I was just disgusted, really. No rhyme or reason, just purely based on the colour of his skin.”

I absolutely do not doubt this happened

but to be stunned by this at such an elite school (or any school) in the 70's I find hard to believe

I was born in the early 60s. When I was a teenager making awful comments like he allegedly did was already shocking. Perhaps more so as some of my peers had parents and grandparents who had fought in WW2 and against fascism in the 1930s. I remember going to Rock Against Racism events in the 70s, anti racism is not new either.

Not the 70s. Farage was only born in 1964 so he would've been a prefect in the early 80s.

This isn't directed at you, but it sometimes feels like people talk about him like he was a contemporary of Prince Phillip! The whole "oh all men of his generation are a bit racist/told racist jokes" thing. He's 61. That is both old enough and young enough to know better.

I am so surprised so many on here are saying that racism was really shocking in the 1970's

It was part of everyday life for so many asian and black people, and i suspect for many Jewish people too regardless of anti German feelings running, I really do not think the anti German feeling proves anything apart from people are totally illogical when it comes to prejudice.

How many saw people being pulled up for making comments or challenged. I doubt it was very often

I would say way into the 80's too

Oh yes Prince Philip was such a laugh 🙄

I was a prefect in the 70s and it simply didn't happen. Mind you, it was a school in a very multiculturally mixed area and black and Asian girls were also prefects, so perhaps it was an altogether more wholesome environment than Dulwich College.

If the man (then boy) in question came from a home that had evolved beyond the Jurassic I can see him being shocked. It's on another level to the casual, unthinking use of eg the P word, however wrong that is. It is actual bullying by someone in a position of authority over much younger boys and it speaks to NF's character. There are apparently (I say that because I can't source) accounts that some teachers opposed him becoming prefect because of his behaviour around race but he still became one.

ETA @HRTQueen I will agree that outside our school, many of my classmates and friends did experience obnoxious racism.

It happened, it happened to my family and myself frequently the p word was banded about all the time. Close family friends had to deal with open racism often too which is a form of bullying

You may have just not noticed it because it was possibly not directed at you or you family (or maybe it was). Unfortunaly it part of many peoples lives

That's not a excuse for NF (suitable initials) he was a racist and is still a racist that he is still and leading such a popular part is the issue

That's not a excuse for NF (suitable initials) he was a racist and is still a racist that he is still and leading such a popular part is the issue

I think this is the crucial thing @HRTQueen . People can and do move on and repent things from their youth, but there is no sign Farage does, he's doubled down.

I am not far off his age and DH is older than he is. I have never laughed at this type of so called humour and I’d bet anything DH and most of our friends. a number of whom are Jewish or Asian, haven’t either.

Just to critique this. The guy who wrote it has a hell of a memory, much better than mine for detail for what was and wasn't said when i was 18 and under and for comments apparently made 43 years ago. He also is very left politically judging by his bio, which does make him potentially bias. He states that Nigel had no friends and was widely derided, yet was a prefect in the upper sixth, that is a contradiction and doesn't make sense to me. Overall, I am unsure about what really did or didn't happen. Don't flame people for being a little bit sceptical about this or the timing of it.

i called it ' probably pretty vile' and not 'racist banter', as you well know.

One does tend to remember the standout bullies and awful people of one's school years. I certainly do.

And being left wing does not mean automatic false memory of racism syndrome. This is just a giant smear from someone who thinks Farage can do no wrong.

No flaming, just thought you might not have read it.

Everyone in the upper sixth in my school was a prefect. Prefects weren't voted in by their peers. Farage might have been a prefect by default, not popularity.

Farage isn't denying he did it.

He wasn't the only one remembering Farage's racism.

All that matters is if he and the 20 odd other people are telling the truth or not. I believe them, not least because Farage is hardly a shining beacon of antiracist thought in his 60s, is he?

Also, I don't think from everything that has been reported it was the odd word or incident, but a pattern of behaviour that went on for years. People will remember such things.

Probably?

Did you make jokes about Hitler?

Victims remember the paralysis, shock and fear more than their bully/assailant does. It happening in the teenage, school years makes it easier than than things that happen in adulthood and earlier childhood.

Nigel Farage was a racist, antisemetic bully in his youth. He has not changed, he's still a racist, antisemetic bully but he's expanded his hate to all the UK and most of its citizens in recent years.

They didn’t go to the same school. Powell gave a speech at Farages school

And he asked him to endorse the UKIP party

Yes, my old form teacher was in EP's class at St Edwards. His words were pretty much, when asked about the rivers of blood speech "He was brilliant but was a fool then and is a fool now". I think Mr M meant that his intelligence didn't extend to critical thinking about the impact of his words..

I wished I had asked him more at the time but he really wasn't impressed by EP.

Amazing what you remember from your teenage years, isn't it? Perhaps NF could take notice.

i have used the word probably as the allegation is just that and is unproven. I would say ‘as you well know’ but I don’t think you do.