Compulsory voting

[ComradeDavo]

But don't the racist parties have just as much right to be heard as the others?

Not in my opinion

 

[mdwh]

It's tragic that such an important civic duty like voting can be seen as an inconvenience or not practical.

Note that when I said not practical, it was in response to someone saying the same for MPs. Surely it's even more tragic that MPs voting in Parliament is seen as not practical.

I'm sure the folks in totalitarian nations would love the chance to stand in line for two hours if they had a voice in choosing their next government.

A chance isn't the same as being forced. I'm sure that folks in totalitarian nations would love a place where they aren't punished for not complying with the state's wishes, too.

 

[mdwh]

Not in my opinion

The problem is, how is it decided which parties are banned? Who gets to make that decision?

 

[ComradeDavo]

The problem is, how is it decided which parties are banned? Who gets to make that decision?

Well generally it is accepted by everyone who isn't the BNP that they are racist, so banning them wouldn't exactly be controversial.....

 

[bhsup]

Well generally it is accepted by everyone who isn't the BNP that they are racist, so banning them wouldn't exactly be controversial.....

Okay, BNP aside, how would it be decided for others? Personally, I consider affirmative action to be a racist policy as it blatantly tells minorities that they are incapable of succeeding without help from the government. Should any party that supports affirmative action be banned from participating in elections? It's best to just let all the parties participate.

 

[IglooDame]

Well generally it is accepted by everyone who isn't the BNP that they are racist, so banning them wouldn't exactly be controversial.....

Not allowing one legitimate political party access to the same public distribution channels as the other political parties get wouldn't be controversial? Maybe I'm just not understanding the UK again...

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

Not allowing one legitimate political party access to the same public distribution channels as the other political parties get wouldn't be controversial? Maybe I'm just not understanding the UK again...

To be honest I think Dave may be underestimating the amount of controversy such an action would take. There are plenty of Political Parties which have ideals or members which are controversial. But these parties still have voters. Some have so many voters now that their previous links tend to be forgotten. Sinn Fein anyone?

We couldn't even have a television debate, US style, because of the uproar from minority parties. Imagine the outcry if they were banned outright. Remember when the council in Barnsley, IIRC, banned the BNP from making a speech after it lost an election? The BNP got more publicity than they would if they'd produced a speech of Churchill's standards.

Point is, let the extreme parties like the BNP make their point and then laugh at them for the fools that they are.

But don't the racist parties have just as much right to be heard as the others?

Not in my opinion

Conservatives are gonna need a re-think then!

 

[ComradeDavo]

Okay, BNP aside, how would it be decided for others? Personally, I consider affirmative action to be a racist policy as it blatantly tells minorities that they are incapable of succeeding without help from the government. Should any party that supports affirmative action be banned from participating in elections? It's best to just let all the parties participate.

Well the thing is that whilst you consider affirmative action racist many other people don't, where as with the BNP everyone considers them racist.

Not allowing one legitimate political party access to the same public distribution channels as the other political parties get wouldn't be controversial? Maybe I'm just not understanding the UK again...

Alllowing white supremists to preach to kids is more controversial than not allowing them!

Conservatives are gonna need a re-think then!

The was key to that post!

 

[bhsup]

...where as with the BNP everyone considers them racist.

I suspect that the BNP doesn't consider themselves to be racist, and I'm sure there are others who probably don't agree with them but don't necessarily consider them racist. Myself, I don't know jack about them other than a lot of Brits don't seem to proud to have them in their country.

 

[ComradeDavo]

I suspect that the BNP doesn't consider themselves to be racist, and I'm sure there are others who probably don't agree with them but don't necessarily consider them racist. Myself, I don't know jack about them other than a lot of Brits don't seem to proud to have them in their country.

You'd suspect wrong, many BNP members actually walked out of their own christmas party when they accidently booked a black DJ. Not to mention the whole dressing up in Nazi uniform thign and the being secretly filmed insulting non-whites thing...

 

[Atropos]

The standards of a nation at a given time are not normally the standards that will remain for all time.

If the BNP's ideas are right (heaven forbid), then let them make their case. If wrong, then let them have their speeches and discredit themselves. Racists can normally discredit themselves much more easily than anyone else can discredit them. They just need to open their mouths.

 

[EdwardTking]

You'd suspect wrong, many BNP members actually walked out of their own christmas party when they accidently booked a black DJ. Not to mention the whole dressing up in Nazi uniform thign and the being secretly filmed insulting non-whites thing...

What % of BNP voters do you think dress up as Nazis?

 

[ComradeDavo]

What % of BNP voters do you think dress up as Nazis?

Well I can't really answer that, what i'm reffering to is the many printed pictures of BNP members in Nazi uniform and the BNP's founder penchant for dressing in SS gear.

 

[EdwardTking]

Well I can't really answer that, what i'm reffering to is the many printed pictures of BNP members in Nazi uniform and the BNP's founder penchant for dressing in SS gear.

So it could be much the same % as liberal democrats?

I.e. probably under 1% and mainly to shock the politically correct.

 

[bhsup]

So it could be much the same % as liberal democrats?

I.e. probably under 1% and mainly to shock the politically correct.

Didn't you all's future Sovereign dress up as a Nazi recently? I assume he's not actually a member of this BNP party though.

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

Didn't you all's future Sovereign dress up as a Nazi recently? I assume he's not actually a member of this BNP party though.

He did but you're taking the two incidents out of context. Harry dressed as a comedy Nazis similar to what comedians have been dressing in for years. It was also at a private fancy dress party.

The BNP dress up as Nazis publically to make both a political statement and to demonstrate their sympathy towards the Nazis cause. To be as fair as I can to the BNP, in the interests of making a balanced argument, there are members (and probably voters) who disagree entirely with the party's 'Nazis' roots but support the party as other parties don't go far enough with issues such as immigration.

Fact remains that even putting the BNP in the best possible light, they remain unprofessional idiots unworthy of office.

 

[ComradeDavo]

He did but you're taking the two incidents out of context. Harry dressed as a comedy Nazis similar to what comedians have been dressing in for years. It was also at a private fancy dress party.

The BNP dress up as Nazis publically to make both a political statement and to demonstrate their sympathy towards the Nazis cause. To be as fair as I can to the BNP, in the interests of making a balanced argument, there are members (and probably) who disagree entirely with the party's 'Nazis' roots but support the party as other parties don't go far enough with issues such as immigration.

Fact remains that even putting the BNP in the best possible light, they remain unprofessional idiots unworthy of office.

Exactly.

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