I detest Nick Griffin and all his party stand for.  When the whole brouhaha began about his appearance on QT, however, I thought 'OK........bring it on...........know your enemy'.  I had hoped that he would get a chance to express the BNP's stance on matters such as the economy, education, the NHS, the benefits system, transport, the environment, civil partnership and for me, importantly, how they view a woman's role in society. Don't get me wrong, I know they would happily drag us back to Victorian Britain (or worse) if they could, but just to hear him say that in order that anyone who feels so disenfranchised and disheartened that they feel they will or already have voted for them would be able to see the wider agenda and see them for what they are.  The BNP is not a one trick pony........neither is fascism.  My mum and dad told me that what I hoped for would not happen.  They're always right (bummer).  How naive I was.

 

This did not happen, and because of that it was a shambles, not a true debate. However, I took comfort in Nick's under-confident, nervous, sweaty performance. He knew that the audience would tear him a new one........surely.  If I was a fan (and that's a big if) I would have been mortified, even if I was one of minority who felt he was hijacked, he did not come across as a confident, self-assured politician under fire at all.  I chortled as he laughed at comments made at his own expense.  It was incredulous!! I went to bed feeling safe.  But then I had a thought. What if those high up at BNP HQ realise what a fool he is and boot him out in favour of a more confident, suave, articulate guy who can put across a more acceptable face of fascism?? And, on top of that, those who feel disheartened and disefranchised by the double standards (ie, if you are a benefit thief you are scum of the earth who can and may be prosecuted, but to claim false expenses to pay for SECOND homes, porn films, needless trinkets, well, slap on the wrist for you please don't do it again), unanswerability and sheer arrogance of the main political parties fall for this?? 

 

To this end, I do agree with Ivan Pugh-Hurt.  The current government would be to blame to an extent if we were to fall into the hands of fascism, however, I would hope that people would and could not allow this to happen, but may happen if the BNP are not allowed to discuss their full agenda.   

 

I am also in agreement with Ivan's point that racism is not different according to what race you are. I lived in Hong Kong for a while and worked in an exclusively Chinese environment in the UK and quickly realised that racism is a two way street.  I would listen to some, but I would stress not all of my colleagues telling me how they view 'Western' people as lazy and promiscuous, that they would not start a serious relationship with a 'Western' person and would certainly not allow their future children to do so.  Traditional values or racism? YOU decide. I know I have, and I know that I would never stoop to their level.      

 

What the alternative is to the current situation, well, its too late for me to get into just now (what a cop-out I know, but, hey, I'm tired).  All I know is, that fascism in NOT the way forward.  

In a few countries in europe they have fascist governments and far from being aloof from the public(like our government is) they appear to be more answerable to the public than any of the other governments of the e.u. Is this the reason that our current government are afraid of? Because our current governemnt seem to be putting two-fingers up to the public that they "serve", they are answerable to no-one, refuse to apologise when they are caught out(expenses), they have ruined the economy by backing institutions that have made bad investments(banks), and to say that they represent the working class ! Who's now paying for all these mistakes? And this is the governmnt that is critisizing other parties on their policies while they literally shaft the public for more monies for the coffers because they have screwed up!

If you really want to blame any body for the increase in bigotry and race hate blame the p.c. brigade! These are the people that apparently know more about racism than anybody else, and apparently according to them(if you read their pamphlets) rascism is different depending on what race you are! To me that is racism at it's lowest form! IT IS ABOUT TIME THIS GOVERNMENT WORKED FOR US, AND, NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND! But, because of this we now have no way of protesting against this, as they have taken away nearly all of our right to protest! Surely that is what a Fascist government does?

I didn't see QT and Nick Griffin, but from all your mail I wish I had. What I would ask for our country is to act the same way other countries do when we work for them. I have worked in the Far East and Middle East for 12 years, and during that time have been subjected to all the rules and regulations of whatever country I was working for. In Saudi we were TOLD that we had to stay in shops or off the street during prayer time, we couldn't have a Christmas tree, all small trees had to be hidden and were called 'decorative plants, we ,as women were told we had to cover up and wear an abaya. Now I don't mind following those rules if I choose to live and work in that country, yet how many people live and work or claim from the state in the UK and yet flaunt all the rules. I don't care what colour,creed or race you are, if you choose to live in a foreign country you have to respect that country, it's rules and regulations. None of this protest marching about things you don't agree with, if people don't agree with the way the country is run...go home or go to another country ...the world is your oyster. What we need in the UK now are people who want to work to build us up again, not the people who only want to use us and live of us. Let's start by sending all those who protest and whine instead of working to a better UK back to their own countries. Maybe it's time we stopped being too soft.

It's good to read the views and opinions expressed here about Nick Griffin's appearance on QT. It would seem that Mr Griffin has achieved his goal of raising both himself and his party further in the awareness of the general public. (No such thing as bad publicity anyone?) However, I feel that Nick Griffin and his party and indeed most of the people in the 'civilised' world have missed the point.

 

Absolutely there is a feeling of abandonment and frustration which is permeating the UK and other european countries. Please allow me to digress for a moment, I was born and grew up in the north of England in a town called Colne in Lancashire. During the latter years of the previous millennium and the early part of this one, there were some quite serious riots in and around the area: Bury, Bolton, Nelson, Blackburn etc. These riots were assumed to be, reported as and handled as race riots (presumably because bunches of light-skinned people were rioting, bunches of darker-skinned people were rioting and some of these got to fighting each other). They were NOT race riots, they were however, frustration riots.

 

To return to my point, race is NOT an issue, immigration is NOT an issue, the benfits and judicial systems are NOT issues. All of the current sociological, ideological, political and communitive problems we are experiencing are symptoms of a much more destructive and much nastier cause: population.

 

It is not that we have immigrants, it is the number of immigrants. It is not that we don't have enough houses, it's that we have too many people.

 

Population Control is probably seen as the most evil, tyrannical and just plain not nice step that any government could take. But drastic times need drastic measures. People will never be in favour of population control; until it affects them. Is it right to allow people to have as many children as they see fit? Even if the rest of the population will contribute to this family in the form of benefits and allowances? Is it right to dictate to people that there is a limit and that even death of a child will not necessarily mean a second one will be allowed? I don't know that answers to the many questions that population control would create.

 

I do however know some maths. Plain old maths tells me that the bigger the population and the longer they live, the more resources they will require. Whether this is in terms of land or crops or whatever is unimportant. There is a simple argument which we NEED to listen to and learn if we are to survive the next 50 years, regardless of who is in power - even the redoubtable Mr Griffin. There is a FINITE level of resources: there are an INFINITE number of people.

 

You have a brain. Use it. Just because somebody is saying something you do not like, does not mean it is wrong.

 

The answer is all around you!