Saturday, 24th October 2009
RACIST BUFFOONERY
London is a fantastic place, if you'll forgive my statement of the bleedin' obvious: it was, if memory serves, my contemporary (at least according to my younger friends, who have this lack of respect for my mature years) Samuel Johnson who said that if you're tired of London, you're tired of life.
Actually, to a degree, London enforces a certain degree of tiredness on you, especially if you're of a bent that is less than enamoured of physical exercise like yours truly. Public transport is excellent, for all that the Brits tend to moan about it all the time, and taxis are - well, not cheap, but at least not larcenous - but you still have to use Shank's steed quite a bit. For instance, getting to the Sanctum Sanctorum (Stamford Bridge) last Wednesday to watch Chelsea annihilate Atletico involved a schlep down and then back up the Fulham Road, from Sloane Square, where we've laid our heads for the week.
And that's to say nothing about the previous trek down to the Bridge to seek a ticket for the match, which was a happily successful enterprise, surprisingly enough.
But enough of the trials and tribulations of getting around: the vibrancy of London's streets is more than enough to make up for having to walk them. I'm off to spend Saturday morning sauntering around the King's Road, which is something I've never actually done.
The news scene here is dominated by two things, pretty much. One is the postal strike, which is characterised by charge and counter-charge about who is to blame for reneging on which deal and which Cabinet minister is in cahoots with which set of bloated plutocrats. Anything familiar about that?
The other is the appearance of that racist buffoon, Nick Griffin, on Question Time, a BBC programme during which members of the public direct questions at a panel of worthies and politicians (yes, I know most of you knew that)
The mere appearance of the fool Griffin on the programme provoked howls of disgust and protest, howls with which I tend to find sympathy, since the crypto-Nazi thug comes to the table with dirty hands. Apologists for racism and other forms of hate-speech glibly allow the stock concepts of freedom of thought and expression to trip from their lips, but the thing is, people like Griffin deny even more basic rights than these to fellow human beings, so their hijacking of basic rights to give themselves a platform from which to continue their hate campaigns is not really legitimate.
Luckily, like our own brand of racist idiots, Griffin and his like do themselves no favours when they are eventually allowed to pollute the airwaves with their foul notions. I watched a good chunk of the programme, and the idiot was incapable of stringing three sentences together without his intolerance and fascism (sorry about the repetition) showing from the damp, dark recesses of the stone under which racists of all nationalities cower.
The debate is still going on: should the BBC have let this thinly-disguised thug on to national television, providing him with a platform for his disgusting brand of racism?
The general opinion seems to be that, given that Griffin did himself no favours by being completely unable to disguise the paucity of his arguments and the horrific nature of his policies, the fact that his mask has been ripped away has overcome the negative effect of his views being aired at all.
Countering this, people of a liberal outlook point at the poll results on Saturday morning which indicate that a substantial number of people would consider voting for the National Front, sorry, the League of British Fascists, sorry the Ku Klux Klan, sorry, the British National Party. I'm not surprised, really, look at the comments which extol racism, directly or otherwise, on this site, if you want an idea of how many people are not exactly free of intolerance.
The people who think Griffin should not be afforded publicity might be right, but on the other hand, many, many people who might have thought Griffin was not so bad now know that he is pretty bad, so on a balance, it was probably the right idea to drag him out from under his rock.
The fact that he is now protesting that he was unfairly treated makes it pretty clear that he came off worse, after all. Even The Sun, which is not exactly the most liberal of rags, described Griffin's sorry excuse for a justification of his mad ideas as his downfall.
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Comments
Mr Cardona
Sir,When you have worked hard all your life,in your country of birth.paid,all your dues and demands,stayed on the right side of the law,then your country,is flooded,by illegal immigrants from all corners of the globe,who have no respect,for you,your country,your traditions,your way of life,your laws,rules regulations,who get everything for free,all the things you have worked for,to attain.
The same people,who have no intention of working,who milk the welfare system,for every penny they can get,funded ,by my,and every hard working persons taxes .
The very same people,that feel fit to march,with their banners of hate,their so called leaders preaching,the ways,and the people of the West, must be crushed.
So I complain,say hey,this is out of order,something not right here,the lunatics,seem to be running the Asylum .
Then if that makes me racist,in your opinion,so be it
I'm starting to think you wrote this blog about a program that maybe you did not watch.
Did you or did you miss out on purpose the other half of the show where Jack Straw gets hammered as much as Dick Griffon and just as badly Jack could not put together 2 sentences together to explain the failures on immigration policies on the government's part? If you want to call me and people like myself, whether English, Maltese or Canadian that just about had enough of people forcing themselves in abusing a system meant to protect political refugees then be my guest. Just like Mr. Holmes I have dear friends that are Asian and Carribean descent but you can call me racist if that makes you feel better, I'm not going to loose any sleep on it either.
I am not defending Nick Griffin, that is not my duty. There is some truth in the things he mentions but he might portray them in a bad manner.
I am only defending the right for expression without being labelled as having 'substantially lower IQ' just for the sake of not agreeing with an opinion. Same thing happens in Malta on other matters and I guess you know what i'm referring to.
Mr Prictoe
Call me racist,I wont lose any sleep over it
But for your information sir,one of my best friends,a true gentleman in every sense of the word,came to England in the 60s,70s from Jamaica. I had the privilege to work,socialise,go on holidays etc with him and his family,for many years.Monty,if your reading this sir,thank you,a true friend,a nicer guy,you could not wish to meet
These immigrants,that came to the U.K, in the 60s 70s,came here to work,to integrate, with the U.K, and its traditions,way of life.
Then the Do Gooders,Human Rights,Politically Correct, Brigade ,decided to make themselves felt,result? walking on egg shells,so not to do,or say,anything,that might offend our "Colonial Friends"we had to fit in with the immigrants way of life,not visa versa
My son,who,has a good job,never claimed a penny in Welfare handouts,his long time girlfriend,in the same position,paid all their dues and demands,tax,national,insurance etc,because of the high property prices ,in the U.K,finding it hard,to buy a house,applied,for a council property,no chance,sorry nothing at all available,
Yet at the same time,within 6 Months of arriving in the U.K.,illegal immigrants,being given,council properties,fully furnished
And you sir ask if im racist? The whole system,stinks
.
I am an Englishman like Graham Holme but am also British (Do admirers of BNP reject their nationality?} and together with ABC am not racist.
Illegal immigration is a problem in the EU but must be dealt with in a civilised manner.
Griffin denied the Holocaust!
I joined the RAF in February 1942 serving at home and abroad (including Malta} and need no lesson on patriotism.
I disown your views and am ashamed that you wrote in the name of our country.
Are you by any chance defending Nick Griffin, because my original comments were about him and the likes of him?
Are you, by any chance, liking someone you know to Nick Griffin?
Are you by any chance assimilating Nick Griffin's audience with other hordes listening to an orator on a soap box?
That being the case, it makes it your problem, not mine. Il-kelb mismut, kull ilma jahsbu mishun?
Rent a mob outside,an hand picked audience,the programme was a joke,a farce
As someone who is English,not British,who was born and bred in England,who lost relatives,who fought and died in both World wars,to stop our once great country ,from the Nazi invasion,I feel I have more right to comment about the state of England,and the immigration problem,than you Mr Cardona
But with your "Do Gooder"attitude,Mr Cardona,anything I have to say about about illegal immigration,will fall on stony ground.
You seem to welcome the whole of Africa to Malta with open arms.lets see if you feel the same way,in Ten,Twenty years time,when your country is one big no go area,when your afraid to venture out in the hours of darkness ,when your tourist industry,is zero,
With Malta,not the size of a large city ,in the U.K ,it wont take long,till your Island,is well and truly,dead and buried .
Tajjeb ukoll, nahseb jien u n-nies l'ohra kollha nafu naqraw dak li ktibt INT. Jaqaw ghandhekk lapsus f'daqqa wahda? Jew thobb tikteb affarijiet vagi immens biex tkun tista iddawwar id-diskors kif trid int u kif jaqbillek.
"....... if someone doesn't share your opinion than automatically he must have a lower IQ".
You said it, not me!
Very typical comment of yours 'It is about those with a substantially lower IQ who are always eager to swallow what jokers like him, rant about. '....... if someone doesn't share your opinion than automatically he must have a lower IQ.
I find that very ignorant from your end, especially since you claim to be very open minded!
Since you quoted me, then I have the right of reply, I suppose.
I never mentioned any political party in particular in my comments, but since you interpreted that way, all I can say is: ' If the shoe fits, wear it'!
I too don't condone violence. Talking about violent thugs...there are enough of them in the BNP:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_National_Party#Association_with_violence
It is not about those who disagree with him, who boo him and regard him as a nut.
It is about those with a substantially lower IQ who are always eager to swallow what jokers like him, rant about.
They too have a right to soak up inanities. Such right is a less desirable component of democracy, I suppose! We have so many examples to prove it.
He (BNP) has more seats in the EU (and therefore representation/say/etc) than does the PN....
So much for Malta having a great say in matters of the EU....
I DON'T condone violence. During the anti-BNP protest, three policemen were injured by those who tried to prevent Griffin from airing his opinion. Talking about thugs:
"Metropolitan Police arrested five people for public order offences, violent disorder, ABH and assault on a police officer." -http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/latest/2009/10/23/police-hurt-in-anti-bnp-protest-115875-21767050/
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire
Well done for highlighting the very real concerns of the VAST majority of real Britons today and for your warning of what will happen to us in tiny Malta. Unfortunately we have in our midst, pseudo-columnists who still insist on stifling free speech in a real democracy and advocate censorship (funny word that coming from ABC) on a national channel - albeit rigged at intimidating Griffin in the process.
I can only redirect the putrid breath which he so naively and arrogantly directed to a democratically elected EP member (with such a huge following) and say STOP BUFFOONING around on the issue of racism - you are making a sorry sight of yourself and losing the plot - and get to grips with reality and what is in the end going to happen to our country. 'Idiot', 'fool' and 'buffoon' indeed!
"...they are eventually allowed to pollute the airwaves with their foul notions"
What you call "foul notions" increased the average audience to 300%. Even yourself didn't have better things to do than watching him. In a democratic country, people have a right to know about different opinions. Diversity is not just about different races, it's also about different opinions. Those that speak against intolerance and then are intolerant to the expression of opinions that differ from theirs, are not only intolerant themself, but also hypocrites.
Paying taxes and leading an honest hard-working life will not get you a job, a council flat let alone a hospital bed. Contributing to society doing voluntary work, playing a part in your community doesn't help at all. The reason... there are too many scroungers many refusing to integrate (or contribute) to society. Selfish and greedy, some claim all benefits under the sun, using the system to their advantage. They have no interest in learning to speak English and why should they when the NHS provides them with interpreters!
I take my disabled mother to hospital it's full of foreigners, I can't believe I am in England. Most of the staff are also foreign and mistakes are a regular occurance due to language barriers. All I can say to you in Malta, is don't make the same mistakes or your turn will come when asylum seekers will suddenly become the majority and you too will feel aliens in your own country.