12 October, 2009
So that's another propaganda win for the BNP, then
BNP frozen out at the commons
Harperson is going through with the threat to withdraw the Palace of Westminster passes formerly granted automatically to British MEPs, citing "growing pressure on facilities". Presumably the need to provide separate eating and sanitary facilities for Griffin and Brons to avoid cross-contamination.
I do like this gem though:
Do they not realize that every petty victimization is a propaganda victory for the BNP? On two fronts: firstly, in that the BNP can rightly claim victimization and secondly, because the BNP demonstrate that they have an impact, if only a reactive one, on Government, demonstrating that voting for them is effective even if they have no real hope of attaining direct power.
And every concocted smear too. Remember when the nation was shocked by those dreadful revelations about Julian Leppert's number plate?
Idiots.
Harperson is going through with the threat to withdraw the Palace of Westminster passes formerly granted automatically to British MEPs, citing "growing pressure on facilities". Presumably the need to provide separate eating and sanitary facilities for Griffin and Brons to avoid cross-contamination.
I do like this gem though:
But one Labour whip said of the far-right, racist BNP: "These are not people you want around. Some of their supporters are not beyond doing physical harm."I think the only reaction I can muster in response to that is that old web standby: WTF?
Do they not realize that every petty victimization is a propaganda victory for the BNP? On two fronts: firstly, in that the BNP can rightly claim victimization and secondly, because the BNP demonstrate that they have an impact, if only a reactive one, on Government, demonstrating that voting for them is effective even if they have no real hope of attaining direct power.
And every concocted smear too. Remember when the nation was shocked by those dreadful revelations about Julian Leppert's number plate?
Idiots.
# posted by Edwin Greenwood @ 13:28 
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I used to think along those lines. That something like this is a propaganda result for the BNP. However this implies that the BNP are not what they say they are, that their complaints about the system are not genuine and that despite their hamfisted stupidity Labour are actually on the side of the angels.
I no longer subscribe to this.
The BNP say something looks like a dog, wags its tail and barks then its a dog.
Its not a matter of the state playing into their hands and making it seem like the BNP are right about said dog. ie a propaganda victory. The BNP is right, it is a dog.
I no longer subscribe to this.
The BNP say something looks like a dog, wags its tail and barks then its a dog.
Its not a matter of the state playing into their hands and making it seem like the BNP are right about said dog. ie a propaganda victory. The BNP is right, it is a dog.
# posted by 
: 13 October, 2009 01:04
: 13 October, 2009 01:04
You are quite right. The point I was trying to illustrate, however opaquely, is that the political establishment's response to the BNP and its ilk, by deploying the tried-and-tested strategems of "shout down, disparage, ridicule, harass, exclude", is not only no longer effective, but is also increasingly counterproductive. The popular response to a blatant attempt to exclude Griffin and Brons from Westminster and to deny them equal UK civil service support in Brussels is not, as the establishment seem to expect, "Quite right too! Filthy Nazi scum!", but "That's grossly unfair. They're democratically elected representatives." For the BNP it's a win-win situation, irrespective of the rightness or otherwise of their own position, for it channels both underdog sympathy and political interest towards them.
The political establishment seems unable to grasp, certainly unable to cope with, the changed situation. The BNP, smaller movements like the English Democrats, and the interesting phenomenon of the EDL represent a genuine and growing constituency which cannot be dismissed out of hand. The old tactic of silencing opposition by screaming "Racist!" still works remarkably well — you cannot throw off 40 years of intensive conditioning overnight — but is progressively less powerful and subject to open challenge. The constituency represented by the BNP/EDP/EDL etc, call it by whatever nasty name you will, needs to be brought into the political dialogue as a full and equal partner: continued attempts to exclude or suppress it will result in an explosion.
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The political establishment seems unable to grasp, certainly unable to cope with, the changed situation. The BNP, smaller movements like the English Democrats, and the interesting phenomenon of the EDL represent a genuine and growing constituency which cannot be dismissed out of hand. The old tactic of silencing opposition by screaming "Racist!" still works remarkably well — you cannot throw off 40 years of intensive conditioning overnight — but is progressively less powerful and subject to open challenge. The constituency represented by the BNP/EDP/EDL etc, call it by whatever nasty name you will, needs to be brought into the political dialogue as a full and equal partner: continued attempts to exclude or suppress it will result in an explosion.
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