Friday 23 October 2009

Wrong question

I must have watched a different Question Time to everyone else, last night. I saw the one where everyone pilloried Nick Griffin for being a misguided little fantasist playing to the fears of the white suburban classes [which, of course, he is], but where no one dared to discuss actual facts more recent than the Ice Age [ok, that was funny ... but still, do some research, people! And no, I don't mean on You Tube.]

No one challenged the way that his mere existence has been allowed to shape government & opposition policy way more than it should ['community cohesion' = another kind of scaremongering]. Why did Jack Straw look more scared than Griffin? Why do the Tory party shriek at Griffin whilst furtively adopting watered down versions of his idiotic policies [witness them pandering to the same fears, by talking about 'being honest' and then capping immigration]? And how come Michael Portillo [of all people] was sensible and rational enough to point out that we need more [not less] immigration to cope with the demographics of an ageing population? I have a lot of issues with my residency in the shitty 21st century, ok - but I really never expected to be agreeing with Portillo on anything.

Griffin and the BNP aren't any kind of direct political threat - but the panic they engender in other political parties is. Gah! Bonnie Greer was good, but he got off too lightly by half – it was all about the personality and beliefs. It should have been about the politics.

Still. I did see a heron, in the canal, on the way to work. That was lovely.

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