It's really gonna kick off (well​….maybe)

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grufty jim G
grufty jim Oct 19, 2009 01:36:50
Replying to handofdave

I just don't think Question Time is the appropriate forum for the BNP. Inviting them to participate in a mainstream political debate, to be just one opinion among many, is to normalise the fascist voice. Which is a bloody awful thing to be doing.

Interview them, certainly. I'm not suggesting active censorship. But don't invite them to the discussion table. We know exactly where that kind of ethnic nationalism leads. It has an established track record. And when they appear in the media, that's the context they should be presented in.

Allowing them to share a platform with mainstream political figures, affording them the same time and space to air their views, preventing interruptions and treating their words with official respect...? Even these things indicate a level of acceptance of the BNP vision that should make us uncomfortable.

Have we really not learned anything when it comes to this particular ideology? It should never be normalised. The BBC have dropped the ball on this one.

D Deepinder Cheema
Deepinder Cheema Oct 19, 2009 06:43:08
Replying to grufty jim

The BBC are just beating themselves up over this conflict of free speech -vs- any combination of incitement, all the lessons of the past that are learnt/not learnt etc etc I can see this has been debated by a BBC Committee. I miss the simple days of a 'Gandalf' figure when he couldjust say NO! it 'aint going to happen. Griffin is the same as Hitler - I dunno whether he has experienced a bad incident in his formative years, but he had a bee in his bonnet about something that has turned him to the angry and frankly neurotic b'suited uniform wearing person that he is. If the BBC are going to put him on - lets not have Bonnie Greer - put Frankie Boyle* on and have some infighting as to who is going to have to sit next to him.

*Is it true that Griffin was the only boy at a private Girls school, Comment by FB on a topical news quiz.

S Shelby Mustang
Shelby Mustang Oct 19, 2009 23:56:29
Replying to grufty jim

i agree with you in that the format of the show is entirely inappropriate for these slugs because yeah' nestling in shoulder to shoulder with consevatives and liberals and shouting alongside them would be a really horrible thing to see and yes it would make my blood fair boil.

well put.

but we have to have these idiots outed for the extremists that they are and the gossamer veil of respectability that they feel protected behind must be set alight in public on air as often as bleedin' possible so that even the dullards that vote for them will see what a shower of shit they really are and that given an inch they'd take a mile and we'd all be out on our ears because if they got in power we'd all be rounded up for not wanting them in power and told to fuck off or spend some time in the big house.

or something like that !

R Rolling Ronnie
Rolling Ronnie Oct 20, 2009 15:54:27
Replying to grufty jim

grufty jim wrote:
I just don't think Question Time is the appropriate forum for the BNP. Inviting them to participate in a mainstream political debate, to be just one opinion among many, is to normalise the fascist voice. Which is a bloody awful thing to be doing.

Interview them, certainly. I'm not suggesting active censorship. But don't invite them to the discussion table. We know exactly where that kind of ethnic nationalism leads. It has an established track record. And when they appear in the media, that's the context they should be presented in.

Allowing them to share a platform with mainstream political figures, affording them the same time and space to air their views, preventing interruptions and treating their words with official respect...? Even these things indicate a level of acceptance of the BNP vision that should make us uncomfortable.

Have we really not learned anything when it comes to this particular ideology? It should never be normalised. The BBC have dropped the ball on this one.

I can't agree with you on this. In many ways it's the perfect place for them. It's not giving them a platform where they can spout forth their bile, unchallenged. It's not 'normalising' them because society has already done that by showing the tolerance to accept that free speech allows them a place in society and that parts of society, by supporting them in sufficient numbers, have allowed them to have some influence.

I very much doubt that the BBC will bring them onto a QT where much is discussed except the issues where they have challenging views. By exposing them to challenge and accountability to the public through the studio audience and from their fellow panellists, I believe there is the greatest opportunity yet for them to be seen in their true light and do themselves significant damage thoughout the country as a whole. If that happens, the BBC truly will have provided a public service!