Holden Caulfield
12th April 2009, 21:39
Here’s a strategy designed to tackle the BNP effectively. Every time they pull a publicity stunt which might provoke mild annoyance splash it across all the daily papers in the run up to the European elections. That’ll show them.
In recent weeks the BNP have adopted a strategy aimed at getting media attention and headlines with a series of stunts mainly revolving around a dishonest attempt to claim the legacy of the Battle of Britain.
So, they’ve taken to using Spitfires, Churchill’s image, the V for victory sign, anything to provoke the media as the party is normally, and correctly, understood as a fascist organisation even stealing the Manic Street Preachers tribute to the International Brigades (http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/mar/28/manic-street-preachers-bnp-website) which includes a line about shooting fascists.
This was a risky choice of strategy. It could easily have been pointed out that large numbers of troops from Africa, India and Poland fought and died to defeat Nazi Germany during the ’Battle of Britain’ and many other campaigns in WWII (though admittedly many of them not by choice). It could also be pointed out that many of the ideological predecessors of the BNP, the British Union of Fascists, were interned during the ‘Battle of Britain’. As an aside, anyone wanting to deny this should probably ask Martin Wingfield who his ’sadly departed’ political mentor was.
When the BNP claimed Churchill, if he were alive today, would have been a member they seemed to have missed the most compelling evidence that Winston Churchill, circa 1927, may indeed have been an avid supporter of their ideas as he wrote gushingly to the Italian fascist dictator Mussolini:
“if I had been an Italian, I am sure I would have been entirely with you from the beginning to the end of your victorious struggle against the bestial appetites and passions of Leninism.“
But no, instead every few days we get hysterical headlines of outrage (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1148617/Dame-Vera-Lynn-warpath-BNP-uses-White-Cliffs-Of-Dover-anti-immigrant-album.html) publicising what the scandalous exploits of the BNP are now. Better publicity than money could buy. Yes, it is pretty outrageous the BNP are trying to promote themselves using a song dedicated to the Brits who went to Spain to shoot people like them but we don’t need to hear about it everyday.
The recent stunt claiming that Jesus would vote BNP is probably a low point. Nevertheless, it was picked up by the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7978981.stm) along with a couple of Christian (http://www.christiantoday.com/article/churches.dismiss.bnps.jesus.election.poster/22954.htm) newspapers (http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=72708).
Problem is, there’s nothing to this story at all. They’ve all fallen hook, line and sinker for one of the cheapest publicity stunts anyone’s ever pulled.
Anti-fascists with a good memory, or like me do a bit of googling, will have noticed that the photograph used to illustrate the stunt is actually a fairly crap edit of an old photo from last years London Assembly elections.
Spot the difference between this poster:
http://nationofduncan.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/billboard1.jpg?w=500&h=379
And this one:
http://nationofduncan.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/billboard2.gif?w=500&h=365
All the BNP appear to have done is send out a press release with a poorly photo shopped picture and the BBC have obligingly given them the headlines. Between that and printing whatever rubbish the Metropolitan Police release as gospel truth it must be a difficult job at the BBC.
At least Carlisle Against Racism has the right idea dealing with their latest publicity stunt or initiative, ridicule them:
http://nationofduncan.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/bnpdiscoleaflet.jpg?w=287&h=604
Blog of Origin (http://nationofduncan.wordpress.com/)
Carlisle Against Racism Blog (http://carlisleagainstracism.wordpress.com/)
In recent weeks the BNP have adopted a strategy aimed at getting media attention and headlines with a series of stunts mainly revolving around a dishonest attempt to claim the legacy of the Battle of Britain.
So, they’ve taken to using Spitfires, Churchill’s image, the V for victory sign, anything to provoke the media as the party is normally, and correctly, understood as a fascist organisation even stealing the Manic Street Preachers tribute to the International Brigades (http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/mar/28/manic-street-preachers-bnp-website) which includes a line about shooting fascists.
This was a risky choice of strategy. It could easily have been pointed out that large numbers of troops from Africa, India and Poland fought and died to defeat Nazi Germany during the ’Battle of Britain’ and many other campaigns in WWII (though admittedly many of them not by choice). It could also be pointed out that many of the ideological predecessors of the BNP, the British Union of Fascists, were interned during the ‘Battle of Britain’. As an aside, anyone wanting to deny this should probably ask Martin Wingfield who his ’sadly departed’ political mentor was.
When the BNP claimed Churchill, if he were alive today, would have been a member they seemed to have missed the most compelling evidence that Winston Churchill, circa 1927, may indeed have been an avid supporter of their ideas as he wrote gushingly to the Italian fascist dictator Mussolini:
“if I had been an Italian, I am sure I would have been entirely with you from the beginning to the end of your victorious struggle against the bestial appetites and passions of Leninism.“
But no, instead every few days we get hysterical headlines of outrage (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1148617/Dame-Vera-Lynn-warpath-BNP-uses-White-Cliffs-Of-Dover-anti-immigrant-album.html) publicising what the scandalous exploits of the BNP are now. Better publicity than money could buy. Yes, it is pretty outrageous the BNP are trying to promote themselves using a song dedicated to the Brits who went to Spain to shoot people like them but we don’t need to hear about it everyday.
The recent stunt claiming that Jesus would vote BNP is probably a low point. Nevertheless, it was picked up by the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7978981.stm) along with a couple of Christian (http://www.christiantoday.com/article/churches.dismiss.bnps.jesus.election.poster/22954.htm) newspapers (http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=72708).
Problem is, there’s nothing to this story at all. They’ve all fallen hook, line and sinker for one of the cheapest publicity stunts anyone’s ever pulled.
Anti-fascists with a good memory, or like me do a bit of googling, will have noticed that the photograph used to illustrate the stunt is actually a fairly crap edit of an old photo from last years London Assembly elections.
Spot the difference between this poster:
http://nationofduncan.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/billboard1.jpg?w=500&h=379
And this one:
http://nationofduncan.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/billboard2.gif?w=500&h=365
All the BNP appear to have done is send out a press release with a poorly photo shopped picture and the BBC have obligingly given them the headlines. Between that and printing whatever rubbish the Metropolitan Police release as gospel truth it must be a difficult job at the BBC.
At least Carlisle Against Racism has the right idea dealing with their latest publicity stunt or initiative, ridicule them:
http://nationofduncan.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/bnpdiscoleaflet.jpg?w=287&h=604
Blog of Origin (http://nationofduncan.wordpress.com/)
Carlisle Against Racism Blog (http://carlisleagainstracism.wordpress.com/)