Last thoughts on AV and Nick Griffin

Although the unofficial YES to AV campaign has improved the quality of argument in the last couple of weeks, allowing me to warm to the idea of a YES vote somewhat (see Gary, Nan, Alan, Luke and Matt) the "You can't vote the same way as Nick Griffin" argument still persists despite being a) extremely insulting to label most of the nation fascists if they don't agree with you on AV and b) being a way of giving this figure of little public significance a central role in the election.

Child killer Jon Venables is voting YES today because he thinks it will boost the chances of the far right winning seats, but you wont see anyone telling YES people they must agree with a Nazi child killer though will you? No. Because it's a facile argument based on fear and loathing not political analysis.

Grown ups will be voting YES or NO today based on which system they prefer. However there have been some serious attempts to bully people into voting one way or the other or just appeal to people on tribal grounds.

Some Labour MPs have been arguing that there would be slightly less Labour MPs under AV (which is actually not a permanent fact, despite the case that it would have been true at the last election). That's not a great reason to postpone democracy though, is it? Nor is it an argument that's likely to persuade people who don't care how many MPs Labour has.

Likewise other Labour MPs have been arguing that people should vote YES because David Cameron is voting NO. As poor arguments go this has to be one of the worst. If the YES campaign wants to win the referendum it *has to* have a large proportion of Tory voters vote YES, but instead of trying to split away Tory voters from the official line it has actually spent time trying to cement them to their leader by touting the argument that YES to AV is an anti-Tory vote.

Seeing as the Tories won more votes than any other party at the last election that's a big demographic to deliberately alienate.While supporters of Greens, Lib Dems and Labour (marginally) will have a majority of YES voters the massive weight of NO votes from the Tories will almost certainly deliver a defeat for the referendum.It's not even true to say that AV is anti-Tory as AV in Australia has served the right very well indeed delivering a sterile two party system.


Whether the lessons will have been learned about how half measures can fail where real reform might have succeeded I don't know. I certainly do hope that the lesson that you don't put Lib Dems in charge of political campaigns has been learned as the insufferable whining, hectoring and dishonesty coming from the official YES campaign has done much to set back the chances of a YES vote.

Some notes from other places: Green Christian on how AV might effect politics, Stumbling and Mumbling on where AV could lead, Deborah Orr on how the Lib Dems are dolts, Left Foot Forward has a newspaper roundup and Tom Clark compares reform to playing cards.

Sunday Reading: anti-racist edition

A few handy links, today's theme is disapproving of the whole racism business.

• I see that the UAF (Unite Against Fascism) have a new website. Pretty.
  
  
• Conversely Lancaster Unity reports on the BNP's troubles with their website.
  
  
• The Morning Star reviews an anti-fascist exhibition that's coming to Newcastle, Manchester and Nottingham.
  
  
• Croydon Today reports that BNP candidate David Clarke has been convicted of assault.
  
  
• Fresh politics reports on the anti-fascist protests in Newcastle.
  
  
• The Centre for a Stateless Society says that when it comes to immigration - anarchy works.
  

No platform round-up

Obviously there's a lot of discussion about whether fascists should be allowed a platform like that of the BBC. Will they hang themselves if we give them enough rope, or use that rope to hang us? Does the election of two BNP members to the European Parliament change the game, or is it same shit different day?

As a service to the community I thought I'd round up some of the discussion taking place at the moment. If you've spotted other useful links (obviously I'm not linking to everything) please feel free to link to them in the comments as this is by no means comprehensive;

Reluctantly for Nazi Nick appearing on Question Time;

• Mark Thompson Keeping the BNP off air is a job for Parliament not the BBC
• Chris Huhne explains why he's going to debate the BNP tonight
  
• Leo Hickman Griffin's view on the environment and population can only be disdained on Question Time
• Norfolk Blogger denounces the left's attempt to stop Griffin's appearance
• Liberal England wants the BNP to get more publicity
• Tim Black thinks everything will work out fine
  

Fervently against Nazi Nick's appearance;

• Phelim gives a strong defense of no platform
• Joseph Questions Question Time
  
• Soloman's Mindfield thinks you should burn your TV licence
• Jim Wolfreys thinks we're repeating the French mistake
  
• Wilted Rose thinks the BBC got it wrong
• Though Cowards Flinch thinks beyond no platform
• Luna 17 is for no compromise on no platform
• Lancaster Unity asks why even invite the BNP?
• Lenin's Tomb on mainstreaming fascism
• Susan is displeased
• Jo weighs the arguments and comes down for no platform
  

General riffs on the theme;

• James recounts the time he debated with Griffin
• George Eaton thinks Frank Field is wrong on the BNP
• Sunny Hundal on how the left can deal with the BNP
  
• Scottish Greens report 'unbalanced' BBC
• Luke thinks it's all the Greens fault
• Mehdi Hasan thinks the BBC have done the BNP a favour
  
• Salman Shaheen investigates some of the issues in the BBC and the beast
• Socialism of the heart wants hope not hate
• Modernity has some selections of his own
  

Reports;

• The Times Griffin booed as Question Time begins
  
• BBC on the protests
• Morning Star on protests
• Guardian takes pics of the protests
  
• Socialist Worker on students blockading the BBC
• Lenin's Tomb rounds up the protests
  

A few additions;

• BNP to offer free didgeridoo lessons. DailyMash
• New Statesman reviews the QT event
• The FT's assessment
• Journeyman thinks it over
• Left Outside thought Griffin did very badly
• The Guardian reports that the BNP don't like it up 'em
• Rumbould on Pickled Politics has a scorecard of the panelists
• The guardian on Griffins 'not a nazi' claim
  
• Bob from Brockley has links and thoughts the morning after (also his live blogging is worth reading)
  
• Susan on Griffin's petard
• Madame Maiow is amused and dismayed in equal measure
• Doc Richard thinks the BBC needs more balance
• Finally Greenman has a pop as well.

Feel free to add more links in the comments although I shall leave my updating of the post there I think lest it become a full time job.

Sink the BNP

Nick Griffin is a very horrible man. There I've said it! Just call me an iconoclast why don't you?

Tonight he told the BBC that we should sink boats with refugees coming from Africa. BBC Correspondent Shirin Wheeler replied: "I don't think the EU is in the business of murdering people at sea."

But Shirin need not have worried, Griffin still has a generous heart because once we've holed their craft we're then to "Throw them a life raft and they can go back to Libya". Ah, what a sweetie, he doesn't even want to arbitrarily massacre them.

Forgive the nit picking if you will but I do think this plan to sink someone's raft and then give them a raft - thus "preventing" them reaching Europe - may not be as watertight as Griffin believes, but that's by the by.

Griffin would like to see us link up with the Italians (whose current government contains many of Griffin's co-thinkers) and "set up a force which actually blocks the Mediterranean". I think it's fair to say I'm not in favour of this. Mainly because it's petty minded knee jerk nonsense that wont solve a single social problem we face today whilst introducing a whole new swath of violent injustices making the world a more foul smelling place.

Anyway, we can expect Nick "I'm not a racist but" Griffin to be popping up in the news time and again over the next few years and there's no doubt he will be attempting to convert the currently existing racism in society into support for his organisation.

Unite Against Fascism have produced an analysis document on how to combat the fascists in this new period. It's a bit self serving in places but I think it's worth reading. In general I think this is a useful piece much of which I'd agree with. I do think the left in general has some rethinking to do, the old truisms don't fit anymore.

For instance at one point UAF say "Fascist parties such as the BNP stand in elections in order to gain a “respectable” cover for their street activity." I just don't think this fits right now.

BNP street activity is almost zero and they have been courting 'respectability' for many years now. We are not seeing is the resurgence of the kind of 'street activity' we saw with the National Front in the seventies.

That is not to say that the BNP's presence does not stoke racist attacks, it does, but party organised street activities just aren't part of the BNP's current strategy, nor have they been for many years. They are unlikely to change that approach at the very time when they have seen their most successful national election ever.

It's an important point because it determines the kind of response the anti-fascist movement has to prioritise. If the BNP is shifting its focus to demonstrations and the like then we might start making bulk orders of farm fresh, free range double yolkers. If that's not how they are trying to build support then the tactics of physical confrontation can only be the smallest part of our response.

As the UAF state "The danger today is that the BNP breaks through the “cordon sanitaire” to become a regular fixture in our media." That's the danger we're facing right now it seems to me. That the BNP are grasping for platforms and respectability for their vile opinions and after the disastrous elections the media will provide that.

How we shift tactics to deal with this new stage is a really important question and one that will be discussed at the UAF national conference on Saturday 18 July in Manchester: details (pdf). An alternative view worth reading on this subject is Nick Lowles of Searchlight here.

Don't vote BNP videos

There's been an assortment of don't vote BNP videos to choose from over the last few weeks, some stronger than others. Here's a quick selection of my favourites.

Billy Brit (the right wing git);



This one's from Love Music Hate Racism;



And this one explains there's nothing British about the BNP;



I think the last one is particualrly interesting. It wasn't made by left sympathisers but does talk directly to those who might be tempted to vote for the British National Party - which may well make it the most effective of the lot.

Book burner cries about freedom of speech

Yes, MP Geert Wilders, the maker of the film Fitna about how hateful he thinks Islam is, is stamping his feet about the government's decision to turn him away from the country on the grounds of public order.

Wilders, who is facing trial in Holland for inciting hatred, may well complain about his treatment as he was invited by a UKIP peer, but if we examine his political platform we find - oh! - he's for turning foreigners away at Dutch borders including all Muslims, banning Islamic schools, Islamic head wear, and that the Koran should be banned and its use outlawed in Mosques and at home.

In essence he is;

• for making Islam itself illegal. So much for freedom of ideas.
• for banning those he despises from entering Holland. So much for freedom of movement.

Gasp in wonder - a fascist is a hypocrite! Whining about his own ability to spout his ideas where he likes whilst trying to prevent literally millions of law abiding citizens from practicing their faith or entering his country.

Just thought I'd mention it because when some people hear him say things like "I am in a detention centre at Heathrow... I will not be allowed to enter the country. They will send me back within a few hours... It is a very sad day, not only for me, but for freedom of speech," they might think he's stating some sort of principle. Far from it. He's simply whinging that he should have the right to deny others their rights.

I've watched the film, what a pile of ignorant, racist filth. I say he can push off and sit on the naughty step until he learns some manners. Don't for one moment think he would extend the rights he demands to anyone other than himself, he has based his political career on trying to strip those rights away.

Italy's descent into fascism

I don't want to, you know, pick on Italy or anything but they're sending the army into "help" the police with crime. If you've not been worried so far, maybe you should consider that as an option now.

Unfortunately, the opposition doesn't seem to have much of value to say about the fact that thousands of members of the armed forces are going to be patrolling Italian streets, as well as those of Afghanistan (pictured). Marco Minniti (shadow interior minister) said "Soldiers patrolling the centres of cities that are our greatest tourist attractions is not a very nice calling card for Italy at the height of the tourist season."

No it isn't very nice when you're country is slowly turning towards fascism. It probably does effect tourism.

Worse, one opposition parliamentarian, Antonio Di Pietro, was worried that sending in the army simply did not go far enough saying, "This is a task force without any force." Yeah, it's all a bit wet isn't it? Sending in quaddies with guns is just the kind of limp wristed proposal this "soft on crime" government would make.

At least the head of the police union had something a little more useful to say describing the proposals as "dangerous operationally and inopportune in a democracy." I think I agree. In a democracy sending in the army to do "police work" is most inopportune, it doesn't get much inopportuner than that.

One of their main roles will be "dealing with" immigrants in the midst of a wave of anti-immigrant legislation and propaganda, as well as protecting the country from terrorism. How? By standing around looking tough? By turning everywhere into a military target? Hmmm.

The defence minister said that "This proves that we are determined to eliminate citizens' fears." I wonder if this is one of those moments where, if you are afraid, it proves you're not really a citizen after all. This policy is actually designed to make people afraid and it does nothing to make Italy a safer place.

The army are actually pretty rubbish at dealing with crime, causing far more than they prevent - which is why they are called the army and not the police. With the left in disarray and the far right stalking the corridors of power it's difficult not to be worried about the news from Italy.