BNP, does anyone take them seriously?

[Tahuti]

I can't remember which is more nutty: the BNP or the UKIP?

Definitely BNP. From what I gather, the UKIP is comparable to the Dutch PVV, but without the anti-Islamic sentiment, which I suppose is a plus.

Neither of them are nutty, they just think differently to you.

Your defense of the BNP is pretty ironic considering they are - from a Libertarian perspective - much more statist than any of the mainstream parties.

 

[Flying Pig]

Definitely BNP. From what I gather, the UKIP is comparable to the Dutch PVV, but without the anti-Islamic sentiment, which I suppose is a plus.

Without open anti-Islamic sentiment; their support base is such that if elected they would almost certainly be no friends to the Muslims

 

[Ayn Rand]

Your defense of the BNP is pretty ironic considering they are - from a Libertarian perspective - much more statist than any of the mainstream parties.

I'm not defending them, I'm defending my freedom to hear all the arguments and viewpoints no matter who says them, and to live in a free society

 

[Quackers]

The BNP are the racist neo-fascists; UKIP are the "too extreme for the Tories" virulently Eurosceptic party, who still attempt to get elected to Europe anyway.

You say that as if the Tories deliberately purged their ranks of the extreme members and the left overs went and formed UKIP. In fact quite a few voluntarily left the Tory party or had no background in the Conservative Party and formed a (admittedly) single-issue party.

Anyway if you sincerely believe that a desire to leave the EU is "extreme" then your opinions are so far to the other side they are extreme in themselves. Anyway how extreme are those rogue states of Switzerland and Norway, eh?

 

[Huayna Capac357]

The BNP is really bad and all, but it's kinda mean to make fun of a guy because of his wall-eye.

(@OP)

 

[Quackers]

Without open anti-Islamic sentiment; their support base is such that if elected they would almost certainly be no friends to the Muslims

How do you know this? There is an awful lot of jumping to conclusions when the UKIP position at this point is unclear, what do they say about assumptions?!

 

[Arwon]

It's a pretty sensible inference.

 

[Quackers]

How so? I would like to see the stages of thinking which leads to it.

Is it, Not-in-the-mainstream Right-wing(ish) party -> Right-wing = racist -> Many Muslims = non-white -> UKIP HATES MUSLIMS!?

 

[holy king]

quackers just because you voted for them doesnt mean they cant be racist. face it.

 

[Quackers]

I just don't like silly assumptions like, "well we don't really know UKIPian attitudes to Muslims, but they are probably very unfriendly!" - I don't like things like that slipping past and into peoples minds, when it is so weak and untrue

 

[Arakhor]

I said that UKIP was virulently Eurosceptic and that many extreme Tories joined UKIP. I didn't say that wanting to leave Europe was an extreme position in itself - stupid definitely, but hardly extreme.

 

[ParkCungHee]

I didn't say that wanting to leave Europe was an extreme position in itself - stupid definitely, but hardly extreme.

I hate to tell you this, but Britain already left Europe, somewhere around 8,500 years ago.

 

[kramerfan86]

I'm not defending them, I'm defending my freedom to hear all the arguments and viewpoints no matter who says them, and to live in a free society

How in the world does other people considering them to be nutty affect your ability to hear their rubbish?

 

[ParkCungHee]

Moreover, if you want to hear all opinions, shouldn't you want to hear the opinions that say certain people are nutty?
And shouldn't we stop all such speech that might be detrimental to someone's self-esteem or is it only British Right-Wing Nutjobs that require such protections?

 

[Dachs]

The BNP are the racist neo-fascists; UKIP are the "too extreme for the Tories" virulently Eurosceptic party, who still attempt to get elected to Europe anyway.

The BNP aren't "fascists" at all.

 

[Crezth]

I'm not defending them, I'm defending my freedom to hear all the arguments and viewpoints no matter who says them, and to live in a free society

Who is arguing for the suppression of the BNP? They can be ridiculed and still technically allowed to go about being their good old racist selves.

 

[Ayn Rand]

Who is arguing for the suppression of the BNP? They can be ridiculed and still technically allowed to go about being their good old racist selves.

They have been supressed for decades - not allowed to hold student associations in colleges and universities, not allowed on the media, subject to constant one-sided propaganda without substantiation or fact, etc etc.

 

[Old Hippy]

I said that UKIP was virulently Eurosceptic and that many extreme Tories joined UKIP. I didn't say that wanting to leave Europe was an extreme position in itself - stupid definitely, but hardly extreme.

simply draw our attention to some positive views then... should not be hard...

 

[Quackers]

I said that UKIP was virulently Eurosceptic and that many extreme Tories joined UKIP. I didn't say that wanting to leave Europe was an extreme position in itself - stupid definitely, but hardly extreme.

So extremist Tories went and formed a decidely non-extremist party. Am I missing something here?! Is there some kind of disconnect?! Some people believe policy is a good measure of extremism...
Anyway I think being in the EU is stupid and if people like you made the calls on the Euro a decade ago we would be in a fiscal position an order of magnitude worse then our current one.

 

[Arakhor]

I didn't use the term "extremist", which conjures up allusions of terrorism. I said "extreme Tories", which several of the early UKIP members were. A local Tory MP (for one) was overheard to be in favour of shooting protesters and he joined UKIP.