The BNP And The EDL: An Emerging Far-Right Strategy?

[Left Leanings]

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[Sam_b]

Pretty much disagree with this, solely because it seems to suggest that the BNP is some sort of force. The party is in crisis, a huge amount of debt, and is hameorrhaging members to other organisations; in particular the NF. Look in Scotland, for instance: it is standing next to no council candidates, and to my knowledge none. True, this is different from the rest of the UK in the sense that the party has been consistently smashed here and has never been able to entrench itself: but the number of candidates nationwide is down altogether.

Saying that the BNP are merely 'boring party political' also ignores that it still has the boot-boys in place; which is something completely essential for a fascist organisation. The problem here for Griffo is, however, that the party's earlier ban on BNP members attending EDL events (I think it's lifted?) caused further rifts in the organisation, some expulsions, and the disaffiliation of several BNP branches, particularly in Merseyside. I don't think we're seeing a rise of 'respectable fascism' at all, as that culminated about two or three years ago and now we're seeing a mortal decline.

Malatesta and his blog (http://malatesta32.wordpress.com/) deals with the EDL phenomenon expertly, so i'd refer you to that. It's true to say that the EDL are stagnating and facing similar problems to the BNP. TBH I wouldn't mind seeing the EDL and BNP working together for the very reason that if they've got that desparate to put some sort of tangeable working pact together they're pretty much finished as a threat in the UK.

[hatzel]

Considering the EDL are supposed to be launching themselves as a political party in the not-so-distant future (or have they changed their minds about that one?), wouldn't a lot of this conjecture have to be held back until we see if that actually goes ahead and how it pans out?

[NoPasaran1936]

Why would they launch themselves into the political sphere whilst being the street army of the British Freedom Party?

[Sasha]

i know this is going to make me look schizophrenic to other users but since i as an admin can still see the various "never under estimate the fash" posts LeftLeanings posted and then deleted again (and which he also PMed to me) i'm going to reply to what to most must seem a reply to unspoken statements anyway;

we never understimate the potential of the fash, but we dont make them out to be a threat that they are not are now either. This is as dangerous as underestimating them, puncturing the "hardman topboys who are on the verge of taking over and who will purify the country and make all trains run on time" bs the fash themselves like to spin is one of our strongest weapons because its in fact when they are small and ridiculous and we expose them for what a pathetic bunch of clowns they are when we can still squash them and root them out. And for example its the "state of fear" campaing searchlight, some tabloids and MI6 spun about combat18 that made them far more dangerous than the actual piss poor attempts at terroristactions of the whole lot of wankers. If searchlight wouldnt have whipped up a frenzy about C18 kicking of the oldhamriots based on a few spraycan dables on a wall while the tossers where in fact not even near the place, they never could have taken the credit for it and never became the mythical nazi boogymen they are now for a lot of members of the public.

[Sam_b]

i as an admin can still see the various "never under estimate the fash" posts LeftLeanings posted and then deleted again (and which he also PMed to me) i'm going to reply to what to most must seem a reply to unspoken statements anyway;

For the record, he PMed me as well. I didn't particularly appreciate the patronising 'advice' and 'help' he was offering.

Why has he deleted this post? If I was posting something i'd either want to defend myself, or take things on board. Neither can be done by just erasing it altogether.