To timidly suggest that Nigel Farage is not a racist

[Millyonthefloss]

Can I just start by saying that I am not a racist. Thanks.

This is my AIBU.

Lots of people on mumsnet say Farage is a racist.

But this is what I think.

He is a geezer. He is a city boy. He smokes. He wears dodgy coats. He looks weird. He says non PC things, like my FIL does. He doesn't like overcrowding and change.

But I am beginning to think that he is not a racist.

What he is in fact is a man with an absolute obsession with British parliamentary democracy and an absolute hatred of EU waste, extravagance and unaccountability. He is totally obsessed with getting the UK out of the EU and independent again.

He is enraged and infuriated by the wasteful things the EU does like moving the EU Parliament from Strasbourg to Brussels all the time and wasting millions and millions of British taxpayers money that could be spent in his beloved UK.

I don't even think he is that interested in immigration.

But he is so obsessed with his aim of UK independence that he will work with anyone. So when free movement of labour became the big issue - years after he started his campaigns - he was willing to embrace it. And there have therefore been racists in UKIP. He is not choosy.

But I don't think Farage himself is a racist.

He seems to be genuinely delighted now that he can stand on a platform with Kwasi Kwateng or Frank Field.

He does his weird grin when he is with people like them.

All he wants is UK independence.

What do you think? AIBU?

'Some people are disagreeing with me, I must have this thread delete'. Grow up OP, this is a discussion, there's always more than one side in a discussion .

Tinkly That is a good system. A friend in Italy adopted two children from Poland. They were not allowed to start school until they had a fairly good conversational ability in Italian. She of course had to pay for their Italian tuition.

Saga Drive through Tower Hamlets for a perfect illustration of white flight.

Why op??

I have reported the thread to be deleted. I don't think you can have this discussion on the Internet.
My mistake.

Because you object to people disagreeing with you. What a baby you are!

I really don't know Once. I only investigated what would happen to the DC's if we moved to Gwynedd. I think personally I would trade 6 missing months of general schoolwork for being able to access the curriculum properly from that point on.

And maybe they do general schoolwork in the language unit anyway.

I'm not disputing you saying it happens, Cleo, I just rather object to the phrase "white flight."

Oh Cleo what crap your post

Sorry should have said your post was ridiculous...

Thanks badabadabadabwee.
I have reported the thread to be deleted. I don't think you can have this discussion on the Internet.
My mistake.

Is this an admission that on balance, lots of people do think Mr Farage us indeed racist, and can provide a good case for it, but you don't want that in black and white because if you do, you might just have to adjust your moral compass?

I have asked for the thread to be deleted because people are making racist comments. I realise that that is just going to escalate.

My mistake for starting it.

I have a very thick skin and like an argument but don't want to be the cause of offence to others.

I should not have started a thread with the word racist in the title.

Goodness, just because Nigel Farage has made comments about 'niggers' and 'nig-nogs' in the past, made off-colour comments about other nationalities such as Romanians, defended UKIP party members who have used racist slurs, is the leader of a party who has repeatedly had members making horrendously racist (and sexist, and homophobic) 'gaffes', and has joined with Swedish, Polish and French MEPs from far right and white supremacist parties (including one who said that beating women would help 'bring wives back down to earth), doesn't mean that he's racist!

We're all having a wonderful debate and someone's calling time?? Shucks. You totally can have this debate on the internet. We are.

I'm with the poster saying with all these immigrants who will we blame for the poor governance? Yes, right now infrastructure can't cope with all the people they have to cater for. Schools can't cope with the issue of language, the volume of pupils etc. But everyone's first thought is to blame the volume of people, not the funding, not the decision-makers; is there a way to run this country such that our current level of immigration is sustainable and actually beneficial? That's a very pertinent question. In my opinion, yes, probably. But I'm no expert.

The state of governance at the moment is pushing the population to believing the volume of people is the main - perhaps the only - problem. It is a contributory factor, but is it the biggest problem? And I'm going to say it, this is exactly how things were in Germany before the second world war. Things were difficult for the average German; the economic state of their country and the decisions of the people in power meant they were struggling, and rather than have blame fall where it should (at the feet of the decision makers) those in positions of power encouraged the people to blame the presence of a group of people for their woes.

Just read your last post Milly and I see where you're coming from. Hope you didn't find my "we can totally debate this" comment scathing

RedToothBrush you don't want that in black and white because...

...racial segregation isn't ok?

Sorry

Butbutbut MetalMidget, he once stood next to a black man!

I am quite willing to acknowledge now that most people on Mumsnet think that Nigel Farage is a racist. Fair enough. That's not why I deleted it. I deleted it because of all the gollywog stuff - and that is just going to continue to run so I am killing it off.

Actually I just think it was a silly thing to try to discuss on Mumsnet and I apologise. You have to be face to face for a really complex issue involving a sensitive subject.

TinklyLittleLaugh, would your children be going to primary or secondary? I'm my secondary, the English children did 'second language Welsh classes' when the rest of us were in normal Welsh lessons. I went to a tiny primary, where there was a one-to-one who helped children during normal class time. Mixing children in with native speakers leads to quicker language learning. I've known plenty of adults who have picked it up pretty quickly by just living in the area (sorry, digressing a bit from the thread).

I have reported the thread to be deleted. I don't think you can have this discussion on the Internet.

Hahahaha. That's almost as good as your Farage isn't a racist, he's just a geezer OP.

That's a good question Ego, I'm interested to see if it gets a response.

Of course not. He's a geezer who was lonely campaigning by himself but now is happy again because he gets to smile and stand beside black people.

Or something along those lines.

I still say he is not a racist though. I don't even think he is interested in the issue. When he started his furious campaign against EU corruption and waste and unaccountability, Europe was entirely white and thought of as a very middle class posh place. Dordogne etc.