TV BNP to appear on Question Time

[`mongoose]

BBC forces Labour to rethink BNP ban | Politics | The Observer

Interesting point here - looks like BNP have successfully played their discrimination card and are forcing their way onto "mainstream" political shows etc.

So, should they be considered a mainstream party?

I dunno what you guys think. I think the party is abhorrent myself and I'm not sure allowing them a slot on television to spread their version of the truth is a good idea. Part of me thinks it's brilliant because he's bound to trip up at some point and part of me thinks it's fail because I suspect they know what questions are coming and are probably preparing for them now so they appear plausible and reasonable individuals. (well, reasonable for politicians this is)

Thoughts?

M

 

[cHodAX]

Long overdue, they are racists but they operate within the law and for that reason alone they should be given airtime to show what a bunch of fuckwits they are.

The bit that annoys me is they have some valid points but they go totally overboard with extreme solutions. We need a new party with relevant policies that actually represent what the British people need and want instead of the bullshit we get at the moment where the differences between the main 3 parties are almost nil on 90% of policies.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Is the BNP different from the pre-WW nazi in germany?(clarification question)

Because honestly if they don't go on about gassing people, why not give them a voice. It's the people who vote afterall and people should be given all options without government interference.

 

[Shovel]

As a man residing in a country where abhorrent politics is basically an accepted norm (America, btw), I'm increasingly of the view that where a party like the BNP get themselves legitimately elected, news sources with a non-bias premise have to make proportionate room for them. Give them the room to expose their problematic viewpoints and be take apart by a sane audience and moderators.

Labour and others shunning the BNP is understandable, but ultimately harmful to progressing against their small electoral success. If you allow a party to be both democratically legitimate whilst at the same time shunning them from the process, they will be left to find their own outlets, on the fringes. Their support and media that do promote their message will be small, but powerful without the backdrop of balance.

They'll find mouthpieces who, since they aren't welcome on the mainstream stage, will simply rant unchallenged to a small but ever-growing populace of people who won't ask questions to challenge them. That audience will believe that because the BNP are shunned from the mainstream, they are shunned to. They will reject the mainstream discourse out the same feeling of principal as the mainstream rejected them. And in that situation, you have a massive problem, since the media outlets the BNP find will be completely disconnected from right-thinking people.

The strength of democracy comes from the challenging of ideas in open forum. If you shun people from democratic discourse on principal you lose them to crazyland.

So yes, the BNP won an election and should be invited into all the media places that other parties go to. It's the only way to expose them to an intellectually engaged audience who will challenge their views.

 

[Hawkwind]

In private meetings Toht they are as bad as the Nazi's. In public they tone down their racism somewhat.

 

[old.Tohtori]

In private meetings Toht they are as bad as the Nazi's. In public they tone down their racism somewhat.

More meant that are their views etc like the "non satan" nazi party that was before the WW2. cause they weren't frowned upon that much and were treated like any political party. (if memory serves)

In any case, it's neither here nor there on second thought, thanks.

 

[Chilly]

look them up on wiki or something toht.

Im going to try and get into the audience for this one if possible, should be a good one.

 

[Raven]

They should be allowed a voice as much as the hand wringing lefties. Surely that is the whole point of democracy? Whether anyone agrees or disagrees with what they have to say is rather moot.

Personally I think they are a bunch of ***** but they have as much right to say what they think as any other party, anyone who tries to silence them are just as bad if not worse than the BNP itself.

 

[DaGaffer]

More meant that are their views etc like the "non satan" nazi party that was before the WW2. cause they weren't frowned upon that much and were treated like any political party. (if memory serves)

In any case, it's neither here nor there on second thought, thanks.

LOL, the "non-satan" Nazi party. Look up Kristallnacht for a delightful example of the pre-war Nazi method. Any "political party" with a paramilitary arm (which the BNP has, despite denials) should be viewed with deep suspicion.

I'm torn on this one; while I'm all for denying these ***** "the oxygen of publicity", we live in a democracy and they have a mandate, so so be it. I just hope whoever's up against them on Question Time has the balls to really tear Nick Griffin apart.

 

[throdgrain]

I'm glad they are going to be on that show, although anything they say, rightly or wrongly, will be shouted down by the wankers in the audience, who have always been predominantly lefties. And if the BNP had some of it's own supporters in the audience to shout for them, then the lefties would say omg-intimidation-it's-like1930s-Germany-all-over-again.

So they can't possibly win. And people who support them, or who are sympathetic to some of their thoughts, as I am, will have to keep quiet, or they will get BBC-sponsored abuse anyway.

The older I get, and the more I see the collapse of our country, the more I see some of thier ideas as relevant.

But don't worry about that boys, you just scream NAZIS!!! as loud as you like, and bask in the reflected light of your BBC inspired Moral High Ground.

 

[old.Tohtori]

LOL, the "non-satan" Nazi party. Look up Kristallnacht for a delightful example of the pre-war Nazi method. Any "political party" with a paramilitary arm (which the BNP has, despite denials) should be viewed with deep suspicion.

Yes i know, they weren't the pinnacle of human rights and/or kind humans, the point was that they weren't frowned upon(as much) and were involved like other parties.

Like said, give them a voice and let the people decide

 

[Tom]

Good. Its about time the BBC poked the government in the eye, and presented them with a party that is prepared to deal with issues that mainstream politics would rather pretend did not exist.

That doesn't make me a BNP supporter, I abhore their politics; in fact I wrote the Wikipedia article on Nick Griffin, and try as I might even as I made it as neutral as I could, he still comes across as a twerp.

The best we can hope for is to see a Labour/Libdem politician visibly squirm, and an erudite panellist put Griffin flat on his back with rational intelligent discourse.

 

[Bugz]

"Give them a platform, I say: then, by the power of argument and debate, knock it away from under them."

A quote that isn't famous enough.

 

[Hawkwind]

They should be allowed a voice as much as the hand wringing lefties. Surely that is the whole point of democracy? Whether anyone agrees or disagrees with what they have to say is rather moot.

Personally I think they are a bunch of ***** but they have as much right to say what they think as any other party, anyone who tries to silence them are just as bad if not worse than the BNP itself.

Agree with one exception, they should not incite violence. Something they clearly have done famously on camera in the past. Fair exchanges of views is right in any democracy.

 

[nath]

"Give them a platform, I say: then, by the power of argument and debate, knock it away from under them."

Yeah that's a good line. I also like "Give them enough rope and they'll hang themselves with it". I'm all for it and I sincerely hope there's no shouting/abuse from either side of the debate as that's completely counter productive.

 

[Aoami]

fuck giving the bnp any air time

fuck giving any politician air time

 

[Thadius]

BNP are a democratically elected part, therefore, they should get the same treatment as every other politician does.

Might be a shitty suituation for the rest of us, but meh, that is true democracy.

 

[Hawkwind]

BNP are a democratically elected part, therefore, they should get the same treatment as every other politician does.

Build them up for years then out them as a child molester/homo/racist/liar so they have to resign?

 

[Thadius]

Build them up for years then out them as a child molester/homo/racist/liar so they have to resign?

I think most people realise the bnp are racist

But if the BNP are so bad, what possessed so many people to vote for them? Either the North East of England is racist or the fact people are protesting at the other parties due to them making a bollocks of everything.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Well in a true democracy, the racist get a vote too

 

[Aoami]

BBC NEWS | England | West Midlands | Rival protesters clash on streets

for english defence league, read NF. sour times ahead.

 

[Lamp]

They should be allowed to appear. As much as I despise everything that they stand for, they are a political party, this is a democracy, you lot were stupid enough to vote them a few seats so they are entrenched in the political system whether we like it or not, the BBC has to appear impartial, so they should go on and let everyone else have a fair crack at them. Anyone watching them on TV who subsequently vote BNP are already pre-disposed to vote for them anyway

 

[GReaper]

I think Daniel Hannan has it right here (and an article here):

YouTube - Daniel Hannan: "The far left BNP is an anti-British party."

Don't give them any attention and don't cry for people not to vote BNP, as those who don't trust the politicians will do the complete opposite just to annoy them. Deal with it logically instead of coming up with irrational fears.

 

[Garaen]

aoami and megadave vote BNP, or so i've heard.

 

[Tom]

Don't give them any attention and don't cry for people not to vote BNP, as those who don't trust the politicians will do the complete opposite just to annoy them. Deal with it logically instead of coming up with irrational fears.

Not giving them attention is exactly what has allowed them to gain votes. Their supporters are generally (and I make no apologies for this) rather stupid people. These people need their fears assuaging, not ignoring, and ignoring is exactly what the three main parties have done.

Take a look at this story:

Genocide: How Islamic Colonisation Destroys Your Heritage : The British National Party

That is exactly the kind of bullshit that the BNP uses regularly to manipulate people of low-enough intelligence to believe it.

 

[old.user4556]

This is superb news, I will record Question Time if it does actually go ahead.

I think it's about time some fire and passion was ignited, and the BNP are the kind of petrol to fuel the fire.

I'm quite excited to see this.

 

[Raven]

Not giving them attention is exactly what has allowed them to gain votes. Their supporters are generally (and I make no apologies for this) rather stupid people. These people need their fears assuaging, not ignoring, and ignoring is exactly what the three main parties have done.

Take a look at this story:

Genocide: How Islamic Colonisation Destroys Your Heritage : The British National Party

That is exactly the kind of bullshit that the BNP uses regularly to manipulate people of low-enough intelligence to believe it.

There is a load of bullshit from the lefties too, its not just the BNP that can chuck it about. You will also notice that whenever a picture of Nick Griffin is used it is always this one

Mid rant.

As mentioned above in my previous post, they are a bunch of twats and very dangerous but I don't think they are given a fair voice or fair coverage, which isn't very democratic at all. Especially from the BBC who should not even have an opinion when they are publicly funded, they should be neutral. People who try to silence them for their views and beliefs are hypocrites.

 

[Tom]

People who try to silence them for their views and beliefs are hypocrites.

I completely agree, which is why I'm keen to see this debate proceed.

However, lets not forget that Nick Griffin is a Cambridge-educated former leader of the NF, a convicted racist, a historical revisionist, and an author of quotes such as this:

"I am well aware that the orthodox opinion is that six million Jews were gassed and cremated and turned into lampshades. Orthodox opinion also once held that the world is flat."

Charming and inoffensive he may appear on screen, but I suspect his motives for power are altogether less 'British' than most people might like to think.

 

[Trem]

Is the BNP different from the pre-WW nazi in germany?(clarification question)

Because honestly if they don't go on about gassing people, why not give them a voice. It's the people who vote afterall and people should be given all options without government interference.

True tbh.

In private meetings Toht they are as bad as the Nazi's. In public they tone down their racism somewhat.

But they are the only party that have had an undercover journalist secretly recording everything that is said. Trust me if the same happened with ANY other party in this country it would be just as sickening.

I aren't sticking up for them but they deserve a voice and the more the people of this country think they are being treated like the pariah's the more votes BNP will get.

 

[mr.Blacky]

Take a look at this story:

Genocide: How Islamic Colonisation Destroys Your Heritage : The British National Party

That is exactly the kind of bullshit that the BNP uses regularly to manipulate people of low-enough intelligence to believe it.

Tom come on. Sensational yes. But not really bullshit. Now I don't know how truthfull it is but part of it is rather bad. Smashing up grave stones?? if you remove graves for what reason or another you do not smash them on the site with a big crane that is just dumb.