Rise of the Far Right - what can we do?
Dave Michael | 19.06.2009 14:52 | Anti-racism | Liverpool | South Coast
The recent rise of the BNP is both dangerous and alarming.
I explore why this has happened. Who is responisble. Look at
the lessons and movements of the past and call for a broad alliance of Anti Facist Groups.
I explore why this has happened. Who is responisble. Look at
the lessons and movements of the past and call for a broad alliance of Anti Facist Groups.
BRITAIN NEEDS A BROAD
ANTI FASCIST ALLIANCE
NOT NAZIS IN EUROPE
Dear friends,
It is with horror and alarm that we note the emergence of the far right in Britain. Looking at the BNP website it is clear they are highly organised and making inroads to those who have been hit hard by poverty and the failure of New Labour and the Tories to do anything, besides playing the race card of the old ‘immigrants over here taking our jobs.’ We’ve heard the lies before and I remember the days of the formation of the ANTI NAZI LEAGUE and ROCK against racism.
The recent purge of one hundred Romanian from their homes in Belfast may be only the tip of the iceberg what we may soon see developing unless we do something about it.
Worst still is that the racist, anti Semite and homophobe Nick Griffin and Mr Brons of the BNP now represent their fascist interests, in the European Parliament, on behalf of British people.
This throws up a few questions for debate;
1) How did the far right become so strong?
2) What can be done to counter the threat they pose?
3) What can you do about it?
Here are a few suggestions, answers and a possible road map forward.
They became strong because successive New Labour and Tory, I consider them both right wing parties, played the race card and created scapegoats to conceal and take away the blame for the failure of the Capitalist system to provide jobs and hope.
Like the early seventies and eighties- movements like the Anti Nazi League and Rock against Racism –Anti Fascist in sentiment and action-must be created; a broad alliance, taking in all groups opposed the BNP should be formed.
Nick Griffin and his followers feed on the ignorance and fear of the masses yet he and his party does pose a real threat unless it is challenged on a broad level.
NON-PASARAN
THEY SHALL NOT PASS
ANTI FASCIST ALLIANCE
NOT NAZIS IN EUROPE
Dear friends,
It is with horror and alarm that we note the emergence of the far right in Britain. Looking at the BNP website it is clear they are highly organised and making inroads to those who have been hit hard by poverty and the failure of New Labour and the Tories to do anything, besides playing the race card of the old ‘immigrants over here taking our jobs.’ We’ve heard the lies before and I remember the days of the formation of the ANTI NAZI LEAGUE and ROCK against racism.
The recent purge of one hundred Romanian from their homes in Belfast may be only the tip of the iceberg what we may soon see developing unless we do something about it.
Worst still is that the racist, anti Semite and homophobe Nick Griffin and Mr Brons of the BNP now represent their fascist interests, in the European Parliament, on behalf of British people.
This throws up a few questions for debate;
1) How did the far right become so strong?
2) What can be done to counter the threat they pose?
3) What can you do about it?
Here are a few suggestions, answers and a possible road map forward.
They became strong because successive New Labour and Tory, I consider them both right wing parties, played the race card and created scapegoats to conceal and take away the blame for the failure of the Capitalist system to provide jobs and hope.
Like the early seventies and eighties- movements like the Anti Nazi League and Rock against Racism –Anti Fascist in sentiment and action-must be created; a broad alliance, taking in all groups opposed the BNP should be formed.
Nick Griffin and his followers feed on the ignorance and fear of the masses yet he and his party does pose a real threat unless it is challenged on a broad level.
NON-PASARAN
THEY SHALL NOT PASS
Dave Michael
e-mail:
destinytide@hotmail.com
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
You don't put out a fire by spraying water at the flames
19.06.2009 15:33
I've had some shocking conversations with ill informed 'working class' british people. For example when trying to educate one that was spinning the line 'Immigrants taking our jobs, jumping to the front of the benefit queue...' I asked the person the simple question 'what is an asylum seeker' (as opposed to an ecconomic migrant, refugee, illegal immigrant etc etc.) Their response was 'A killer'. With such misinformed people around how can you oppose the far right when it appears, to them, that you're opposing their rights, benefits, jobs etc? Theres a lot of educating to do, but that may be too great a task for us, its just so much easier to be ill informed.
Similarly I've spoken to people who are the typical 'If I can't be right I'll be wrong at the top of my voice' which are the hardest to inform and debate with as they are convinced they're right no matter how false, biased, indeed violent their opinions. I read a great quote recently that summed up the problems with engaging and informing the mob:
Oh I agree
larkspur_14 wrote: Friday, 20 February 2009 at 10:50 am (UTC)
but the majority of "ordinary decent people" are automatically right wing as they are automatically bullying, jingoistic and callous towards anyone they don't actually know. Mr Hari may not mind the jeers and sneers of the internet witch hunters, but out there in the world of democratic pandering to the lowest common denominator, no politician is going to risk his or her seat trying to explain to a lynch mob looking for its next victim why their brute instincts are the real anti social elements destroying our communities.
censored
missing the point
19.06.2009 17:10
You aren't going to solve anything if that is your way of thinking because you have completely missed how people who are moving to the right think. People are moving to the right because the government treats people unequally. Special appeasement is often given to subsets of immigrants to smooth things over. Anyway thats not your biggest worry. The single biggest reason that people will move to the right is now this.....
Listening to anti-fascists saying that the electorate can't be trusted to make the right decision and therefore they will make the decision for them. The BNP must be stopped.
The british will put up with anything without any real complaint. But they will not tolerate anyone trying to cheat their sense of "fair play". To obstruct the a group who are democratically elected is the prime reason people will run away from the left.
Another clear example of the public's anger over fairplay is the MPs expenses. Nobody likes to see someone cheat the system.
Don't believe me? Read this guys rant. And then read the reader's comments for a good flavour of how people think of fair play.
Max
not voting tactics dont work, vote & encourage parties like greens to
19.06.2009 18:12
2/3 electorate didnt vote, millions this only helped the most corrupt parts of the system, they love this tactic & hate what little democracy we have. Use it lose it, not voting is a seriously flawed & encourages apathy. Anarchism is about direct democracy, the best part of ancient greek democracy, swiss cantons& syndicalism, getting actively involved with community not just every 5 yrs but every day if you want
Thomas Paine
The fastest milkman in the west
20.06.2009 16:59
From 1979 the Tories pumped out the divide and rule message. An entire generation grew up being told obedience is normal by being rewarded for conformity. An entire generation has been trained to just follow orders.
The Labtory alliance since 1997 has consistently pumped out the message that people must obediently live in little communities. Tiny cliques that never venture out. This is enforced with massive CCTV, overpowered police responses to public belching and the endless raft of other "initiatives" that the Tories approve of and Labour pass into law.
It is not rocket science. The BNP are the true face of British "Representative" Democracy. As others have said, dump representation. Voting has to become a mechanism of participation or else the BNP will become the least of our worries.
It is time for people to stop staying in and start going out. The divide and rule power cults can not function when they see the broad power of a unified community participating in society.
The BNP want to represent because participation is too terrifying for them. That is why they got into power: they offered to be middlemen.
ERNIE