The Anti-Fascist Thread: who wants to join?:

[VulpusinaWilfsuit]

Because it is time, again, to say these racist, ill-informed notions are unacceptable. Because a bigger agenda, of properly tolerant and civil politics needs to win. Because the BNP and their ilk need outing for the ignorant nonsense they spout, however attractive it sounds to some of the electorate.

So is anyone else interested? In a thread countering arguments, identifying nonsense, challenging perceptions, offering alternatives?

Because I don't want to go down, as resources get tighter, as someone who didn't care that we were stepping backwards in time to when it was OK to subtly undermine the culture of tolerance and acceptance and inclusiveness in our society.

Bollocks to them. Hopefully they'll identify themselves as idiots. But let's provide some alternative ideas for those who are persuaded otherwise?

I am torn I really am, we live in a county where (thank goodness) we have freedom of speech, the right to vote etc - but I just can't settle myself to believing that we should, as a civilised country ever legitimise this vile racist, fascist, biggoted and any other phrase I can think of by giving them political standing.

I know what you mean.

Personally I have a list of people who will be first against the wall when they make me king and a certain party leader is way up near the top but maybe the solution is just to all bring up our children to be tolerant rather than trying to enforce it from the outside.

I do think that an awful lot of BNP supporters will be ignorant racists, but there may be as many who feel it's the only party that addresses their fears/needs. The other parties could undermine the BNP by addressing those and taking the wind out of their sails.

i think the media have a lot to answer for as well with regards to stirring up hatred - we have the stories splashed over the front pages of the muslim extremists living on benefits etc etc - why do we never have the stories of people moving into this country to escape the attrocities in their homeland, who have integrated into and enriched their communities, who work hard etc etc.

What about 5. The housing shortage/high house prices are caused by too much immigration?

I have heard this a lot recently but was under the impression it was more to do with net movement of people away from the old industrial centres into the south-east/demographic change which means more people are living alone than before. If anyone knows of evidence on this it could be quite useful.

I'm in too please.

ABetaDad haven't the Tories aligned themselves to some right wing eastern Europeans? Isn't that their own fault that people then comment on it?

Vulp on your point about schools where English is not the first language it is interesting that it seems to depend what the other language is as to how bothered people get. Our school has something like 1/3 Portugese - and nobody seems bothered. I know this is still only a minority but I've heard comments about neighbouring schools where the "non-English" are a similar proportion but are from Asia / Africa and the attitude is noticeably different.

alana39 - what happened was that Michael Kaminski, a Polish politician, said he did not think the entire Polish nation had to apologise for the Jedwabne massacre in 1941 of 400 Jewish people. That is all.

However as he points out: "Rabbi Schudrich made it very clear that he didn't want to make any political statements about me, but he wanted to make clear that he has nothing against me and does not regard me as an anti-Semite."

He feels that this is entirley a controversy whipped up by a weakened Labour party in the UK and he even points out that UK Conservatives and his party in Europe have quite different views on some issues.

The story first arose in the New Statesman and is being relentlessly pushed by the Labour party. The story that the Tory party is now linked to right wing extremists has already taken hold and is being constantly pushed into the media.

Read the other side of the story in an interview that Iain Dale did in Total Politics.

Whatever the truth of the matter, the Tory party are not a racist party and it is just plain wrong to say they are. Itis also plain wrong for any party to stir up race as an issue in the upcoming General Election.

on the other hand...

I am not saying the Tories are a racist party - although I suspect some Tories are, just as some Labour supporters are. I do think it is perhaps a little foolish not to have foreseen something like this happening.

But then I read the same news as preciouslillywhite.....

I'm in too, please.
It seems to me that people are becoming so afraid of being called politically correct, that casual racism and general misogyny is on the rise in the media.

This worries me; I don't want to see a return to the 70s/80s-I can remember NF marches in my southern rural town

I read that article too, it sent shivers down my spine.

I think we do have a tolerant society on the whole.
It does seem to me sometimes that anyone who is concerned about immigration gets shot down in flames on here though.
Does tolerance mean letting extremists have their say?
We kick up a big stink about NG being on QT (as we should) but I am equally appalled by the message that this march here is trying to promote.
Does no one else on here feel the same?

Oh I'm in too.

I have just watched that Panorama from monday on iPlayer. Sadly it did not come as a surprise, I have friends who live somewhere where people are every bit as vile.

mrsr- I'd be very about the veracity of that article given that it comes from the Express- which never lets the facts get in the way of a good old racist story

On Lenin, I never said everyone in the community felt like that. I have been brought up in a very multicultural community and really don't need to be patronised,
Just as NG doesn't represent all white people.

I have seen this advertised myself, not just in the express and it is pretty much what is stated

Count me in. And DS as well.

I am most seriously and definitely in.

I am of the view that they can say what they like within legal perameters, because then I can freely say that they're troglodytic parasites, feeding on the fears of people who have been trained to process thought through a series of soundbites.

mrsruffalo I do beg your puddin, it is true!

Sorry. I now assume everything in the Express is a pork pie (I think since the Asylum Seekers Eat Swans headline, iirc )

Today I heard this

'I don't care who gets in as long as they get the foreigners out'

I think anyone who calls anyone a 'foreigner' is usually a racist ime - and sometimes they don't even know it

That footage of NG which can be found on you tube, where he says once they had control of the media we'd all be brainwashed was truly chilling.

Talking of crying wolf, harpy, how interesting that you are here making this 'neutral' point, when you've been over on the other threads about the BNP trying to be an apologist for various odious ideas...