British Nazi's win two MEP seats for north of England

[Skyrad 0]

So what is it about northerners and the BNP? MEP (Member of the European Parliment) for Yorkshire and Humberside (North East of England and MEP for North West England both given to the BNP by the people of the north of England. WTF???

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8088381.stm

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[lawrocket 3]

There seem to be a few possibilities:
(1) There are a number of racists in the North, in which case they have representation;
(2) There are plenty of people in the North for whom racists are a better option than other parties;
(3) The BNP is not viewed as racist by people who don't view themselves as racist:
(4) Other things.

What I can say is that they were legitimately elected. And sadly, they appear to be conducting themselves with more grace and dignity than the quoted sources of the violent crowds. The BNP officials don't seem to be calling Labour or the Tories who are physically attacking them "thugs." no, those who are attacked are called thugs.

So we've got racist socialists with seats on the MEP. Look where Europe has gone. And with the response of the other parties, I can see the BNP getting only stronger as merely arrogant socialists play right into the BNP's hands by attacking.

P.s. - those who don't like the American system can at least admit that shit like this doesn't happen here.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[jakee 1,596]

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So we've got racist socialists with seats on the MEP. Look where Europe has gone.

Where Europe has gone? They are 2 out of about 500, and that's 'where Europe has gone'?

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P.s. - those who don't like the American system can at least admit that shit like this doesn't happen here.

Oh don't worry, I'm sure that if you did have a North American parliament that areas of your country would be more than capable of electing equally racist representatives

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[kelpdiver 2]

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Mr Griffin was elected to Brussels even though the BNP polled fewer votes in the region than it had in 2004 - the slump in Labour support meant its share of the vote increased.

Labour really has screwed the pooch, haven't they? Seems like that MP expensing scandal in May would be worth more than a few votes for the alternates as well.

[kelpdiver 2]

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Oh don't worry, I'm sure that if you did have a North American parliament that areas of your country would be more than capable of electing equally racist representatives

It's one reason why we prefer our two party system. Socialists can get elected, but not because 5% of the voters pick them.

[lawrocket 3]

Okay. So you take the contrary position to skyrad - it's no big deal.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Belgian_Draft 0]

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So we've got racist socialists with seats on the MEP. Look where Europe has gone.

Where Europe has gone? They are 2 out of about 500, and that's 'where Europe has gone'?

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P.s. - those who don't like the American system can at least admit that shit like this doesn't happen here.

Oh don't worry, I'm sure that if you did have a North American parliament that areas of your country would be more than capable of electing equally racist representatives

Not to worry. One of our longest serving Senators was also one of most openly racist. Strom Thurmond still hold sthe record for conducting the longest fillibuster ever when he opposed the Civil Rights Act.

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the
object we are trying to hit.

[lawrocket 3]

Don't forget about Robert Byrd - confirmed KKK.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[JackC 0]

I blame the mainstream parties for allowing the situation to arise where the BNP can get elected. But I'm not that worried really, it's a european election and therefore the normal rules don't apply, plus everyone is pissed off with politicians in general and large swathes of voters from Middle Britain abstained alowing minority parties to get a larger proportion of the vote. I'm fairly sure a general election would be quite different.

But the United Against Fascism lot seem to be doing everything they can to help the BNP along. A representitivefrom the UAF was interviewed on TV last night and he came across as just as big a wanker as the BNP lot. I swear, the world is populated by class one fuckin' idiots.

[jakee 1,596]

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Okay. So you take the contrary position to skyrad - it's no big deal.

What on earth would make you think that?

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[TomAiello 26]

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Oh don't worry, I'm sure that if you did have a North American parliament that areas of your country would be more than capable of electing equally racist representatives

I think you may be confused as to how we currently apportion representation in our government.

Our House of Representatives is divided into geographic districts, just like the Euro-parliament. We currently have those areas you're referring to (not sure exactly which ones you mean) electing representation to the House all by themselves. And yet they don't seem to have returned any Nazi's.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[Zep 0]

"I swear, the world is populated by class one fuckin' idiots."

Just because some people don't have the same politcal views as youself
dosent make them fucking idiots.

It just makes you sound like a racist.

Gone fishing

[JackC 0]

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"I swear, the world is populated by class one fuckin' idiots."

Just because some people don't have the same politcal views as youself
dosent make them fucking idiots.

It just makes you sound like a racist.

Misrepresentation, non-sequiturs and PAs in one post. Bravo.

[lawrocket 3]

Yes. Calling people idiots because of differing political viewpoints does not mean racist. It could imply elitism, arrogance, ignorance, haughtiness, etc. Racism is a stretch.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[JackC 0]

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Yes. Calling people idiots because of differing political viewpoints does not mean racist. It could imply elitism, arrogance, ignorance, haughtiness, etc. Racism is a stretch.

Differing political views doesn't make anyone an idiot. Disrupting press conferences (even BNP one) by violent means and defending that on the grounds that it's the BNP on the receiving end and they deserve it was what I was refering to. As dispicable as the BNP may be, they are democratically elected and any defender of freedom of speech must allow them (and their detractors) their say even if you don't agree with them. Aparently thinking that that makes me elitist, arrogant, ignorant, haughty and racist. Thanks for that.

[jakee 1,596]

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I think you may be confused as to how we currently apportion representation in our government.

No, I'm not.

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Our House of Representatives is divided into geographic districts, just like the Euro-parliament.

Except it's a national assembly, which is not like the European Parliament.

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We currently have those areas you're referring to (not sure exactly which ones you mean) electing representation to the House all by themselves. And yet they don't seem to have returned any Nazi's.

Neither did we. It's the BNP, not the Nazi party.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[nigel99 624]

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So what is it about northerners and the BNP? MEP (Member of the European Parliment) for Yorkshire and Humberside (North East of England and MEP for North West England both given to the BNP by the people of the north of England. WTF???

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8088381.stm

Firstly I don't support the BNP, or labour & I don't read the daily mail. I do not see why a legal political party is so badly treated. In all honesty I perceive that Sinn Fein didn't get that level of hostility (on mainland UK) when they were supporting a terrorist organisation.

I have heard alot of 3rd party statements about the BNP policies but not alot from the horses mouth. As a migrant to the UK I find it perfectly acceptable to "fit in" with the culture and society - granted I come from a British colony so there isn't alot of difference. I do find it offensive when a migrant comes into a country, refuses to learn the local language and expects local laws to be changed to mirror their culture and background with no attempt to integrate themselves.

Ironically I perceive/notice that the Scotts and Welshmen that I know are fiercely nationalist and yet the English appear terrified of any differentiation - I can see that being a breeding ground for frustration and racial crimes. I think that the mainstream parties should be more "patriotic" and less afraid of being "british" and this would remove most of the momentum behind what is largely a single issue party.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

You see a difference between Nazi and KKK?

[lawrocket 3]

I apologize. I misread what you meant.

I wholeheartedly concur with you.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[TomAiello 26]

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Except it's a national assembly, which is not like the European Parliament.

Sure it is. We're just a couple hundred years ahead of you guys. Our states began ceding sovereignty to the federal government 200 years ago. You guys are only 15 or so years into your changeover.

We still have state legislatures, same as you've got a UK parliament. We also have a federal government, same as you have the European Union.

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[TomAiello 26]

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You see a difference between Nazi and KKK?

You see any KKK party on the ballot?

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[jakee 1,596]

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Sure it is. We're just a couple hundred years ahead of you guys.

Which means it's not the same, and no-one who knew anything about it could seriously claim that, at present, they are comparable.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[TomAiello 26]

We're talking about FPTP elections in geographically divided districts, in reasonably remote areas. Yours for your parliament, ours for our congress.

How are they not the same?

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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You see any KKK party on the ballot?

At least those guys openly admit what they stand for. In the US they just hide in one of the two parties.

[kelpdiver 2]

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I think you may be confused as to how we currently apportion representation in our government.

Our House of Representatives is divided into geographic districts, just like the Euro-parliament. We currently have those areas you're referring to (not sure exactly which ones you mean) electing representation to the House all by themselves. And yet they don't seem to have returned any Nazi's.

All of our seats are selected on a winner take all basis. If we have 10 districts and the Democrats get 45% in every one, while the GOP gets 35% and the Communist Party gets 20%, the Democrats get all 10 seats. The others get nothing. This system favors the two primary parties, and destroys the 3rd.

In many parliamentary systems, if you get a minimal threshold (by percentage) of votes in a election, you get a corresponding number of seats. The BNP didn't win any races, they just got enough votes (or rather, the Labour party got fewer votes - low turnout) to qualify. Fairer in some sense, but it does result in electing nazis, software pirateers, and other less desireables.