The BNP

[Meowster]

They've just won two seats in the European Parliament, with 120,000 in Yorkshire voting BNP.

So two questions - first of all, why would anybody ever support the BNP? And secondly, how is such an incredibly racist party allowed to exist? Surely what they do is illegal?

Nick Griffin comes out with shit like "the most tragic victims of a multi-racial society are the mixed race children it produces". I thought promoting racial hatred was illegal, no?

[poc301]

Not to sound like an ignorant yank...  But what is the BNP?

-Bill

[Gilbert]

The Big Nose Pony? 

Anway, googling gave me this.

[Andail]

Right wing extremists has advanced throughout Europe, along with Christian parties and, thankfully, Green parties (although to a lesser degree).

It's very sad to see nationalist parties gain popularity, when the majority of their members are pure racists and often sentenced for hate-related crimes.

[Hudders]

Can't start banning political parties. Otherwise we're no better than they are. As much as you or I might dislike him, Nick Griiffin isn't fostering racial hatred; he's exercising his right to free speech.

Interesting fact is that the BNP didn't actually get more support than in 2004. The reason they won two seats this time was entirely due to the appaling turnout, (less than 35%). Another 1200 people voting for UKIP or 5000 for the Green Party in the North West region could have prevented them from winning that seat.

[Eggie]

And that's why you can't throw hissyfits when the government doesn't do what you want, there are awful people out there who'll take advantage while you're busy sulking in the corner.

[Meowster]

This is true; voter apathy is to blame. I still find it incredible that 120,000 people in Yorkshire voted BNP. I hope all of you who could, did vote...

Also I recognise that people have the right to free speech, however I thought it WAS illegal to promote racial hatred in the UK and as far as I can see, there has been plenty of evidence of them doing just that. It's crossing the line between free speech and hate-mongering.

We bang on about Islam. Why? ...If we were to attack some other ethnic group â€" some people say we should attack the Jews … But … we've got to get to power. And if that was an issue we chose to bang on about when the press don't talk about it … the public would just think...'oh, you're attacking Jews just because you want to attack Jews. You're attacking this group of powerful Zionists just because you want to take poor Manny Cohen the tailor and shove him in a gas chamber.' That's what the public would think. It wouldn't get us anywhere other than stepping backwards...And we wouldn't get power.

Suggested policies to help police this "threat to all of us" include a Muslim no-fly policy, which would ban Muslims from flying in and out of the UK.

Founder John Tyndall proclaimed that "Mein Kampf is my bible".

[Eggie]

I don't think they're promoting it so much as articulating it; I'm certainly not won over. You can't solve the worlds problems by telling people to shut up.

Here's another choice quote from an ex BNP minister, though:

Rape is simply sex (I am talking about ‘husband-rape’ here, for those who deliberately seek to misunderstand me). Women enjoy sex, so this type of ‘rape’ cannot be such a terrible physical ordeal. To suggest that rape, when conducted without violence, is a serious crime is like suggesting that force feeding a woman chocolate cake is a heinous offence. A woman would be more inconvenienced by having her handbag snatched.

Nothing to do with their policies, just more evidence that it's an institution exclusively run and supported by dickheads. Odd coincidence, that.

[Meowster]

Holy shit.

[Arboris]

Nationalism is all the rage again these days. We ourselfs got our "white knight" Geert Wilders from the dutch party PVV (translates to Party For Freedom). And according to the latest voting outcome, people actually listen to this platina blonde loudmouth. Go figure

[BOYD1981]

I really do fail to see how white people voting for the BNP or UKIP is any different from black people voting for Obama.
And parties like the BNP and UKIP are atleast upfront about their policies and intentions, and people have the freedom to vote for whoever they choose - which goes for people of all races and religions and that's the way it should be.
Personally I didn't vote, because I feel there isn't a single political party that puts the public before their own interests (be they political or financial...).
And I really do agree with what Reggie D Hunter said on Have I Got News For You the other week; Discrimination is just bad, whether it's against racists or black people, it's still discrimination.

But as usual, as I have disagreed with you you're going to completely ignore what I just said and continue to think what you want anyway. You should change your name to Sheepster.

[Mr Flibble]

I really do fail to see how white people voting for the BNP or UKIP is any different from black people voting for Obama.

We-ll I don't think Obama ever expressly said "Death to the Whities", "America for African Americans", or anything like that.

I'm not happy about the BNP getting seats but... people did vote for them so.. clearly someone wants them. Not allowed to stop them being a party because I disagree with their politics. Good old democracy.

[Intense Degree]

I have to admit that personally, I really do fail to see how white people voting for the BNP or UKIP is in any way similar to black people voting for Obama?

[Hudders]

I really do fail to see how white people voting for the BNP or UKIP is any different from black people voting for Obama.

Of course there's a difference! It's such a ridiculous position to take that I'm not sure it's even worth refuting! Surely you must be trolling with statements such as this!?

UKIP is entirely different from the BNP, it's a legitimate party and it's unfair to lump it in with them. I just think voting for them is a bit of a waste because the only reason they stand for these things is to take up a seat so nobody else can use it, (they'd rather we weren't part of the EU at all). But still, voting UKIP would have been better than not voting at all.

@Meowster: According to Wikipedia, Nick Griffin has twice been prosecuted for incitement to racial hatred but found guilty only once, in 1998, for publicising material that denied the holocaust.

[BOYD1981]

Well if you want to see it as trolling that's entirely up to you, but it's not.
And it would probably be absolutely futile to try explain the reasoning behind what I said, so I'll just say this: both are part of the problem, not the solution.

[Renal Shutdown]

Back when I still lived in london, there were Indians who were voting BNP, too.  Mostly as they were sick of my Borough's efforts to take in as many Kosovan Refugees as possible.

I'm all for immigration, if the people are willing to work, but those Kosovan's were forming gangs, who'd then spend their time drinking, claiming benefits and mugging old ladies.  My town voted in a BNP guy, I think.

I guess some people are willing to ignore the racism issues, if they think they'll get a better life out of it.  The Indian's are also some of the most racist people I know, due to them arguing over religions from the same country.  They've had racism against them in that town for years, and the BNP's racism is like a Diet version to what they're used to.

And no, I didn't vote.  It's not so much apathy, as the fact that all the parties are bad.  I also refuse to acknowledge Gordon Brown as the Prime Minister, as people voted for Tony Blair, not him.  I understand that it's a vote for the party, but if it was solely to do with party and not person, then pretty much every vote in history should be recounted.

Also, Mein Kampf isn't just about hating Jews.  Take out the racism side of the Nazis, and they actually had good policies, rebuilding Germany, giving people jobs, making life better.  If people want to read that from Mein Kampf, then I've no problem with it.

UKIP and BNP may be different, but Robert Kilroy Silk was UKIP, and was in a racism scandal.  So it's fair to say they both have racist problems.

Obama was voted for by African Americans because of his skin color.  Sure, he's probably the best thing that's happened to the country in years, he's an intelligent man, a great orator, and he's compassionate.  But that doesn't mean that people didn't vote for him just because he was black.  Black people can be racist, too.  Racism doesn't just cover the negatives, it also cover people who are pro-race.

Some of the blacks voted for a black guy, just on this occassion they came out in droves.  Whites will inevitably do the same, they vote based on who the person is, and whether they feel a connection.  People voted Labour/Tony Blair, as he made himself out to be a likeable, average guy, and not some posh, rich suit with no personality.

Everyone is to some extent a racist, I include myself in this.  I don't like it about myself, but it's not something I can change.  It's to do with how I was raised, and events in my life.  I personally abhor racism, being on the receiving end of six people attacking me, for having Indian friends.  I took a beating, so they could get away.  That doesn't mean that I don't have Issues with Islam, the French or Kosovans.  And it's naive to think that anyone's not partly racist.

Also, Patriotism is a form of racism.

[Layabout]

I really do fail to see how white people voting for the BNP or UKIP is any different from black people voting for Obama.
And parties like the BNP and UKIP are atleast upfront about their policies and intentions, and people have the freedom to vote for whoever they choose - which goes for people of all races and religions and that's the way it should be.
Personally I didn't vote, because I feel there isn't a single political party that puts the public before their own interests (be they political or financial...).
And I really do agree with what Reggie D Hunter said on Have I Got News For You the other week; Discrimination is just bad, whether it's against racists or black people, it's still discrimination.

But as usual, as I have disagreed with you you're going to completely ignore what I just said and continue to think what you want anyway. You should change your name to Sheepster.

Yuster always gets very passionate about things she believes in. Things that piss her off. You should know this by now? How does this make her a sheep? Just because your opinion on the subject matter differs Boyd, does not make you right. It doesn't make Yufster right either. My opinion of the BNP is that they are a racist bunch of inbred fools and no facts you may present me will change that opinion.

The reason it happened is people living in the English countryside are very intolerant of people not like them. Also, if you don't like what is happening in English politics, you are in your right to set up a political party. You may not get voted in, but it's a right.

[BOYD1981]

It's not the fact she gets passionate about things and then starts threads here, it's the fact she totally ignores anybody that disagrees, which doesn't make for a very interesting discussion, and seems to have tendancy to (although it is by no means restricted to just her) go with what she's told rather than really examining all the information available and making her own mind up about it. The world is full of sheep all just following the rest of the herd.

And can you actually back up your claim that people living in the English countryside are intolerant of people "not like them"? Do you have any data that suggests that the majority of the BNP votes were from people who lived in the countryside?
To paraphrase: Just because your opinion on the subject matter differs, does not make you right.

And also, I completely agree with what Spleen said. There seems to be an almost universal belief that white people are the only ones capable of being racists. And I also believe that racial waryness and tension is a natural human reaction to something which is different/unfamiliar which too many people try pretending doesn't exist which is also part of the problem. I remember a few years back I was in a town with a large black population, much larger than my town, and I felt intimidated. And although absolutely nothing happened, intimidation is something pretty much every creature on earth is programmed to respond to with either aggression or fear.
And to be honest, I don't think that there is much hope for a multi-racial society while people of the same race can't even get on with eachother - and this goes for whites, asians, blacks, eastern europeans etc

[Cryxo]

The government and the most of the UK won't give a monkey's arse about the BNP, as long as they don't do anything. We are British, it's our native tradition the complain and whine but do nothing whatsoever.

[Eggie]

Boyd, I'm a little confused by your posts... What's your interpretation of the Obama situation? That he has some kind of secret anti-white agenda that's going to come into play? It sounds unlikely that that's a thing someone would think so could you clarify?