Tagged by James Cleverly

I have been tagged by James Cleverly

Five reasons why I blog:

1. To get as many hits as possible until my Blog becomes so huge that I can take over the world (Oh yes it will be mine).

2. To increase the volume of the silent majority's voice.

3. Because I feel I have no control of how my country is run.

4. I'm an egomaniac - I delete all the nasty comments and publish the nice ones.

5. I like hanging around secluded car parks at night.

I tag: Somethingfishy, Theo Spark, The Spicy Cauldron, Rogue Gunner and Corporate Presenter.

Sorry.

Stoned

For anyone thinking of visiting Pakistan, here is a WARNING:

Do not get friendly with another mans wife.

BLEEP Save The Queen

Qantas have been screening a censored version of the film The Queen staring Helen Mirren on their flights. Believe it or not the word God has been Bleeped out seven times during the film.

The film now includes the line: "(bleep) bless you, ma'am."

Qantas claim that the film they received from Hollywood-based film company Jaguar Distribution was not the version they ordered.

Jaguar said the removal of references to God was unintentional, an overzealous young employee removed "God" after being asked to delete all swear words.

Oh my BLEEP, what a Bleeping idiot.

Tony Blair, Climate Change and the Stern Review

During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tony Blair has told a major breakthrough on long-term climate change goals could be close.
Mr Blair said the US had undergone a "quantum shift" in their attitude towards climate change.
He believes the German G8 presidency offers the chance for a new international agreement when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
"I believe we are potentially on the verge of a breakthrough," he said.

Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change.

"There is still time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, if we take strong action now".

- Sir Nicholas Stern

The Stern review utilises the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2001), along with more recent scientific studies. The review claims that the evidence is now overwhelming: climate change is a serious global threat, and it demands an urgent global response. Utilising data provided by formal economic models, the Review estimates that if action is not taken, the cost of climate change will be equivalent to losing at least 5% of global GDP (Gross Domestic Product) each year. If a wider range of risks is taken into account, the estimates could rise to 20% of GDP.However reducing greenhouse gas emissions would limit the impact to around 1% of global GDP each year.
Martin Livermore of the Scientific Alliance claims: The billions which this review says it is necessary to spend are likely to have little positive effect, and could be put to much better use in helping the world's poorest people to create better lives for themselves.

Q. Do you think that the Stern Report is a reasonable assessment of the risks posed by Climate Change?

To view the results go to:

http://dailyreferendum.co.uk/

£19 million Investigation.

The Suffolk Police inquiry into the murder of the five Ipswich prostitutes is to cost the taxpayer an estimated £19m. Somebody has got to be taking the p*ss.

I would ask for an inquiry into this ridiculous spend but I'm worried what stupid figure somebody will come up with to carry it out.

The State of the Prison Service

This link will take you to the House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for Prison.

You need to scroll halfway down the page to get to the Prison section and then click the "Next Section" link at the bottom of the page to view the rest of the answers.

This will take you a short while to read but it is definitely an eye-opener.

Please click HERE to see the Hansard Answers for Prison.

£10 - NICE one?

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has suggested drug addicts receiving treatment should be given shopping vouchers to encourage them to kick their habit. Evidence from international trials has shown the use of shopping vouchers can cut drug abuse by hardened addicts.
It is proposed to give £10 vouchers out at NHS treatment programmes to addicts who are tested clear of drugs.
Clinical psychologist Mr Stephen Pilling from University College London, has estimated 50,000 addicts in England and Wales could recieve the vouchers.
Mr Pilling said: "I think the group, having thought it through carefully, have firmly come to the view that it provides a much better and positive way to relate to drug users than sometimes we have done in the past."

Following some public unease about how NHS money should be spent in recent years. NICE are to be legally challenged by groups angry about restrictions on drugs for Alzheimer's Disease.

Mike Trace, chief executive of the Rehabilitation of Addicted Prisoners Trust said: "If you just rely on rewards for abstinence and you're not treating people's complex problems, you're not going to change the behaviour."

The Mother of a long term crack cocaine user said: "I'd rather money was spent on drug treatment centres, where people could be helped immediately. That's where the money should go - not giving them vouchers for food, clothes or shopping."

Q. Should the NHS start handing out shopping vouchers to drug addicts as an incentive to keep clean?

To view the results go to:

http://dailyreferendum.co.uk/

How shit happens?

I would like to direct you to a very interesting post by the Blog: The Brain police.

Please click HERE to see "how shit happens."

ITV Play what's in your handbag?

The culture, media and sport committee criticised late-night quiz shows where viewers call premium rate telephone numbers. Viewers complained about ITV Play for making its answers too obscure when two answers to the question "what items might be found in a woman's handbag" were revealed to be balaclava and Rawlplugs.
The committee said: players were generally not told that "it is a matter of luck whether a call is connected to the studio and that the chances of getting through are very slim."
The report stated: "We believe that call-TV quiz shows generally look and feel like gambling. It seems to us that call-TV quiz shows should constitute gaming under the Gambling Act 2005, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Gambling Commission should consider this as a matter of urgency."

Let's be honest you've got to be pretty desperate or stupid to ring these shows, which is why they do need greater regulation to protect those at risk.

Blair says NO to Iraq withdrawal

Tony Blair has rejected Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell's call for UK troops to start a five-month "staged withdrawal" in May, with all British forces clear of Iraq by the end of October.
Mr Blair told the Commons such an "arbitrary timetable" was unworkable.

Mr Blair added: "our forces are there under a United Nations resolution, with the full support of the government of Iraq. Pulling out now would send the most disastrous signal to the people of Iraq".

Sir Menzies, speaking at prime minister's questions, said: "If he feels so strongly, he should come to debate these issues. There is nothing more important." The Prime Minister's official spokesman said it was "not the practice for Mr Blair to lead foreign affairs debates. He has made a commitment to the Commons to make a statement when Operation Sinbad is finished and assessed. That will be the appropriate point."

The total number of UK troops killed in operations in Iraq has risen to 130 after a soldier was killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol in Basra on 21 January. According to UN estimates, 34,000 Iraqis had been killed in 2006 alone.

Q. Should UK troops start a five-month staged withdrawal in May?

To view the results go to:

http://dailyreferendum.co.uk/

NHS Poppy Appeal

The British Medical Association say Afghanistan's opium-poppy harvest should be used to tackle an NHS shortage of diamorphine (also known as heroin).

Rather than destroying the poppy crop it could be used to produce diamorphine for the NHS. Diamorphine is used to relieve pain after operations and for the terminally ill. Due to a shortage doctors are having to rely on less effective drugs.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and ethics at the BMA, said: "If we actually were harvesting this drug from Afghanistan rather than destroying it, we'd be benefiting the population of Afghanistan as well as helping patients and not putting people at risk. There must be ways of harvesting it and making sure that the harvest safely reaches the drug industry which would then refine it into diamorphine. It should be possible, and really government and the international groups that are in Afghanistan should be looking at this and saying how can we convert it from being an illicit crop to a legal crop that is medicinally useful."

Dr Jonathan Fielden, a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine in Reading, said:"The biggest difficulty will be changing the views of those countries, particularly the US, where this drug is banned. That will take a great cultural change to let them realise that a very cheap drug, easily produced, beneficial to patients, can be brought back in and used, rather than being seen as a drug of abuse."

The Afghan authorities and the UK government are against using the poppy crop to produce medicines and are stepping up their efforts to destroy new crops.

That sounds about right for this government. It's easier to burn the crops than do something useful with them.

Mary Whitehouse, I am so SORRY.

The public morals champion began her career with the Clean Up TV Campaign in 1964. It became the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association (NVLA) the following year and she finally stepped down as its president in 1994. Following Mrs Whitehouse's death in 2001 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, said: "In reminding broadcasters and others of their obligations in respect of taste and decency she greatly enriched the public debate about media freedom and responsibility."

I remember as a child sitting in front of the TV with my family and laughing at what we thought was the nosey do-gooder Mary Whitehouse. She was seen as overly prudish by a large portion of the population and was ridiculed by parts of the media.

Now a quarter of a century later I desperately wish we had taken notice of the prophetic Mrs Whitehouse. We and our children are now bombarded with mindless crap on daytime TV and reality shows in the evening.

Daytime TV programmes such as Jeremy Kyle, Trisha and Ricki Lake profess to help people overcome their problems. Utter shite, all these programs do is parade societies low life and morons across our screens, barely capable of communicating without grunts these people just shout, scream and swear. It is morbidly fascinating watching how poorly people can behave, it makes you cringe but people can't help watching. Most worryingly these programs are aired during the hours parents and children are at home together.

Reality shows such as Big Brother are designed in much the same way. The producers rely on the fact that if you put people from different backgrounds into stressful situations they will start behaving badly towards each other. Big Brother is just a old fashioned freak show, people tune in just to see the arguments, foul mouth rants and tantrums, without which there would be no show. Don't get me wrong, being an ex-sailor I've nothing against swearing, I've just got a problem with when and where it is used.

BLEEP: This really gets on my nerves, if something has to be excessively bleeped before the watershed then it should not be aired. You can watch one of these daytime shows where almost every word has to be bleeped, it's like bloody Morse code. Children are intelligent enough to realise what is being said and because mostly young mothers watch this crap, they believe it is an acceptable way to behave. I think we have all been out shopping and heard something like this from a young mother: "shut the f*ck up Brittany I'm trying to buy some fags." Nobody even thinks of reprimanding these idiots for their behaviour because you just know that all you are only going to get for your trouble is a foul mouthful.

I believe this weeks revelations on Big Brother have shown us that we have let our moral values slip too far towards the gutter. We have put a foul mouthed moron with the mental age of a 12 year old (at best) on a pedestal and now we have been embarrassed internationally. Gordon Brown thinks he can fix this with lessons in Britishness - crap, what our children need is moral guidance at school and in the home.

When children are young and impressionable, it really is a case of monkey see monkey do. You cannot watch a soap episode now without someone getting punched or slapped. This is not how things happen in the real world. If this happened in your local it would be closed down within a week or very empty. We now have a generation of kids who have no respect for the law, their parents or their school teachers. Unfortunately some of the young parents of these children are no better and it's only going to get worse unless something is done about it.

For a start we could give the Police the powers to deal with groups of yobs. Curfews and dispersal orders in New York reduced crime by a staggering 55%, surely this would be a great initiative that could be easily implemented in our country. The watershed could be moved to 10 pm and any show that requires excessive bleeping should only be aired after this time. The bleep was brought in to allow shows to be aired where one or two swearwords were used. It has now been abused to allow shows that are a constant torrent of bad language to be shown before the watershed.

As far as Jade Goody being a racist goes, I don't believe she is. She is just a girl who is thicker than a whale omelette and we have made her famous for it. Now through an international embarrassment we are paying the price.

Mary I am very sorry.

Sydney pay Private Dicks for sex?

SYDNEY councils are paying private detectives thousands of dollars to have sex with prostitutes so they can gather sufficient proof against illegal brothels.

Nine councils across Sydney have forked out $25,000 in fees to private investigators over the past three years.

The Sunday Telegraph has learned that Ku-ring-gai Council spent $7000 in the past month employing detectives to have sex with prostitutes.

At Willoughby Council, private detectives were paid $1500 for two visits to prostitutes at the one brothel this month.

Ku-ring-gai Mayor Nick Ebbeck said the extreme measures were necessary to prove the businesses were illegal. "We have to employ private investigators to actually go through with the act and come up with reports that will suffice in a court process. On numerous occasions over numerous days and times they had to fulfil the act."

Apparently their has been a rush of people trying to get their Private Detective Licence in the Sydney area.

English E-Petitions @ No10

I would like to suggest that those people who submit E-Petitions on English matters to No10, add in brackets: (If possible to be voted on by MP's from English Constituencies).

Maybe No10 will get the message.

English National Anthem

English National Anthem

There are those who argue that the English should sing an English, not British, anthem. They believe God Save the Queen should continue to be the British anthem, to be sung as a celebration of Britishness or the Monarch, by the individual nations of Britain, or by the English, Scots, Welsh and Irish when they are gathered together as Brits.

Scottish and English teams line up together with the Scots singing a Scottish anthem and the English singing a British anthem.

It is felt by some that it may be politically convenient for the UK Government to encourage Scottishness and Welshness whilst keeping Britishness to the fore in England.

Scots and Welsh that still consider themselves British may be obliged to boo their own anthem for fear of being regarded as traitors by an increasingly nationalistic tendency.

I'm surprised English sports teams don't sing Land Of Hope And Glory instead.

Princess Anne

Q. Does England require a new anthem?

To view the results go to:

http://dailyreferendum.co.uk/


There is also a No10 E-Petition submitted by Gareth Young:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to initiate a Parliamentary debate on the adoption of a national anthem for England that is distinct from the British national anthem.

To sign the Petition please click: HERE

President Schwarzenegger - you are a funny guy Mahmoud, that's why I'm going to invade you last.

President Schwarzenegger -- how does that sound?

To Californians it sounds good, however - Article II of the United States Constitution which reads, "No person except a natural-born citizen . . . shall be eligible to the Office of President.''

The editors of The Los Angeles Times say: "Why should Californians have their governor sidelined from the race? And why can't voters across the country be entrusted to decide for themselves whether the governor of California is sufficiently 'American' to earn their vote? It's insulting really.''

The majority of California Republicans disapprove of Mr. Bush, but they love Arnold. Even Democrats think he is doing a good job as governor. Arnold's popularity could see an amendment to the constitution and another actor in the hot seat.

Cameron takes middle ground on English Parliament

David Cameron has continued to sit on the policy fence. While Labour are dismissing the subject of a English Parliament, Cameron has quite smartly took the middle ground.
Cameron has told us that he is against an English parliament and wants to maintain the 300 year old union. He has however said that: "I would like to see a system that, when the UK parliament is discussing purely matters that affect English constituencies, that only members of Parliament for English constituencies have the final say."
Is this a genuine policy or is it just a way to win votes from the Pro-English Parliament movement, while not alienating those who would like to maintain the union?
This fence sitting will no doubt go some way to appease those who demand an English Parliament but it does not address the fact that 61% of English voters polled would like their own Parliament or that 51% of those polled in Scotland approved of Scotland becoming independent.

Once again the major parties are refusing to comply with the wishes of the people they work for.
We need an English Parliament now, just as the Scottish need independence now. While we wait for our wishes to be met here are a few things that could be done now to correct the political imbalance in the UK.

1) Only members of the UK Parliament for English constituencies have a say when the UK parliament is discussing matters that affect purely English constituencies.

2) If point 1) cannot be met then: Scottish MP's should not be allowed to independently bring in new laws in Scotland that require the support of the English taxpayer.

3) All laws past by the Scottish Parliament that benefit only Scottish constituencies at the cost of the English taxpayer should be scrapped.

4) The public spend should be divided equally throughout the UK.

There many more points that could be added to this list, if you can think of any please leave a comment.

Bad news for the Serious Organised Crime Agency - good news for Gangsters?

The government's proposed Serious Crime Bill is to target those suspected of drug dealing, money-laundering and human trafficking.

Major criminals could be given new civil orders (Super ASBOs) restricting their involvement in organised crime.

Former deputy chief constable of Greater Manchester Police John Stalker said: "My view is that criminals should be dealt with under the criminal law and that Asbos, super-asbos as these are being called, are not the answer to heavyweight criminals. They maybe OK for hoodies on the street but they are not for heavyweight criminals. This is sort of an Al Capone bill - you know, if we can't get you on one, we'll get you on another."

Jago Russell, policy officer for civil rights group Liberty, said: "We used to believe in hard evidence and fair trials in this country - now we dispense rapid-fire justice as quickly as the government can develop a catchy four-letter acronym for it. These new orders targeted at the 'Mr Bigs' of the criminal world will likely be as unfair and ineffective as Asbos and control orders before them."

The Serious Crime Bill is also expected to strengthen powers to seize assets such as cash, properties and cars from criminals. Now does this seem familiar? Wasn't that the duty of the totally incompetent Assets Recovery Agency. The same Assets Recovery Agency that recovered just £4.3m since 2003 while spending an embarrassing £18m this financial year alone.

The 200 strong Assets Recovery Agency is to be absorbed into the 4000 strong Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Let us hope this is not the start of another money pit.

St George should be cross

The St Andrew's Day Holiday (Scotland) Bill was approved by Parliament on Wednesday November 29, 2006.
It aims to promote St Andrew's Day on November 30 as a national celebration of Scottish identity and culture across the whole of Scotland.
The Bill adds a date - November 30, or the following Monday should November 30 fall on a weekend - to the schedule of bank holidays in Scotland.
It provides the legal framework in which the St Andrew's Day bank holiday could be substituted for an existing local holiday from another date in the year.

The Bill for this Act of the Scottish Parliament received Royal Assent on 15th January 2007.

During House of Commons debates Wednesday, 27 October 2004 Andrew Rosindell asked that leave be given to bring in a Bill to make St. George's Day (23 April) a public holiday in England in place of the May Day public holiday.

The House divided: Ayes 83, Noes 112.

The noes were voting against the change of the Public Holiday from May Day to St George's Day.

To see the votes by party, click HERE

What stands out from this list of voters is the number of non-English MP's voting against this Bill.

Why do Scottish MP's get to vote on St Andrew's day without outside interference, when English MP's do not enjoy the same privilege when voting on St George's Day?

What kind of European are you?

God Noooooooo!

Your Inner European is French!

Smart and sophisticated. You have the best of everything - at least, *you* think so.

Who's Your Inner European?

English Parliament

English Parliament.

Devolution has created a United Kingdom in which Scotland and Wales have national executives while England does not. The Scottish Parliament has full executive powers independent of the UK in 75% of governance matters. No English MP has any voice at all in such matters as they affect Scotland. Scottish MPs can both initiate and vote on Acts of Parliament concerning education and the NHS in England. Constitutionally there are three sorts of people in the island of Great Britain. There are those who are Scottish and British, those who are Welsh and British and those who are just British.At the moment there is no voice for England in any of the various institutions that help shape EU policy, the conduct of EU business, or the awarding of EU grants.

Gordon Brown warned: "It is now time for supporters of the union to speak up, to resist any drift towards a Balkanisation of Britain and to acknowledge Great Britain for the success it has been and is."

The Conservatives have suggested for some time now that it might be better if exclusively English laws were voted on by English MPs alone. Shadow Scotland secretary David Mundell said: "Gordon Brown simply sticks his head in the sand and says the only way to deal with that issue, and that question, is not to ask it."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said the chancellor was right to highlight the "Faustian bargain" between the nationalists and the Tories. "They may have different motives but their actions will jointly lead to the same conclusion - the break-up of the union," he said.

“There’s a possibility that a Scotsman is going to rule over me. A Scotsman who comes from a constituency where my member of parliament, who I elected, has no say whatsoever.”

Sir Michael Caine.

Q. Should there be an English parliament?

To view the results go to:

http://dailyreferendum.co.uk/

For more informaion go to the CEP (campaign for an English Parliament) Website

Poor Maths in Gordon Brown's Britain

Q1) English MPs vote + Scottish MPs vote = English Laws passed

Q2) English MPs vote + Scottish MPs vote = Scottish Laws Passed

Q3) Scottish MPs vote - English MP's vote = Scottish Laws passed

Q4) English MPs vote - Scottish MP's vote = English Laws passed

The results of questions 2 and 4 are incorrect.

In any sensible world, they would be correct.

The Royal Navy needs YOU

Help save the Royal Navy.

Please click HERE.

Harrods have made a BIG mistake.

Being an ex-serviceman I find it incredibly hard to believe this could happen in the country I served for 16 years:

Harrods bans soldiers on Poppy Day

This country in no way shows the same gratitude to their servicemen and women as the Americans do.

I visited the States several times and was treated as if I was a hero in their own forces. Everywhere I went I was given a discount on Hotels, restaurants, entry to attractions and many other services. Those discounts were cheerfully given by staff, just for producing a Royal Navy ID card. Try that in this country and all you get is derision and funny looks.

It stinks.

Hat tip to Kevin Wells For pointing this story out.

My week in Blogging

Voting is a bit slow on my Daily Referendum: UK: Europe's Dustbin so I'm going to let it run another day.

In the mean time here's a quick review of my Blogging week.

The week did not start well following my decision to leave Blogpower, a real shame as it is a fantastic idea, it was just not for me.

Things picked up when I came across SomethingFishy thanks to the excelent Fahrenheit's Blog.
Something Fishy's rant about Education was a real tonic, I can honestly say that I have not laughed so much in ages. There is an 18 warning on this post as the language is a little colourful.

I was overjoyed on Sunday when Iain Dale linked to me, it does not hurt to have your blog listed in such a big hitter's side bar. Thanks Iain.

I knocked out my 50 th post also on Sunday (not a lot to shout about I know but it's a start) and I hope to start being more productive now that Christmas and the New Year are behind us.

I came across some interesting blogs, which if you have time are listed in my Blogroll. In particular I would like to mention Spicy Cauldron which is to quote the blog owner is a "veritable cornucopia of queer pagan poetry and opinion."

This weeks Blogger TV was superb, I enjoyed the way the discussion kept slipping away from the subject into party politics. This weeks subject was about blog bullying and you can watch it HERE.

James Cleverly appeared on the first edition of Blogger TV and this week kindly joined my community on MyBlogLog. Hello James. James has got a sore bum today, to find out why please visit his blog.

Well that's about it, I would just like to say well done to Wonko, The BBC Politics Show have asked to interview him on Thursday morning with reference to the unitary authority and the West Midlands NO! campaign's involvement. It's good to see all his hard work starting to pay off.

I'm a sinner

Oops!

Greed:	High
Gluttony:	High
Wrath:	Low
Sloth:	High
Envy:	Medium
Lust:	Low
Pride:	Medium

The Seven Deadly Sins Quiz on 4degreez.com

UK - Europe's Dustbin?

The Local Government Association wants the government to give councils the power to charge people depending on how much household waste they produce. The UK dumps a staggering 27m tons of household waste into landfill each year. That is 7m tons more than the next EU state italy. In comparrison, Germany with a 25% larger population only sends 10m tons of waste to landfill or rubbish tips each year.
The LGA, which represents 400 councils in England and Wales want to see manufacturers of single-use items such as nappies and batteries contribute to the cost of dealing with their disposal.
The LGA's environment board chairman, Councillor Paul Bettison, said: "For decades people have been used to being able to throw their rubbish away without worrying about the consequences. Those days are now over. Britain is the dustbin of Europe with more rubbish being thrown into landfill than any other country on the continent. It is time manufacturers were made to take full responsibility for the life cycle of their products. It is totally unacceptable that the council tax-payer is picking up the bill for business."
The LGA wants to cut the council tax bills of those households which produce less household waste.

Q. With land fill space predicted to run out in 2016, should the manufacturers of products that produce high volumes of household waste be forced to share the costs of disposal?

To see the results:

http://dailyreferendum.co.uk/

Something Fishy about school

Somethingfishy

I found this blog via Fahrenheit's Blog.

Please go to Somethingfishy and read his excellent view on the changes some are recommending for the education system.

There is an 18 warning on this post as the language is a little colourful but most definitely funny.

Part 1 is very funny, be warned, do not drink anything while reading part 2 or you will be buying a new keyboard/laptop.

My last Post (about the BNP)

Andrew Allison, Imagined Community and ThunderDragon have been discussing racism in the BNP, on the BNP supporter blog Central News in the post "In support of Freedom".
I'm sorry to say that by now some of them may have realised that they are wasting their time talking to the BNP supporters.
The main problem being, that no one wants to be seen or think themselves to be a racist.
The BNP supporters have a lot of personal credibility invested in their decision to support a party that is seen by many as being racist.
They will have told colleagues and friends that the BNP's policies are worthwhile and that it is not a racist party.
The deeper they get into the party they start to realise that it is indeed racist (see the post entitled "this why I'm a racist") and Anti-Semitic (the last paragraph says it all), but what can they do? I think I would find it difficult to admit that I'd been a fool and that indeed I was supporting a racist party.
All someone in their position can do is to try and justify their decision. This usually takes the form of continually rolling out stories and statistics of ethnic crimes. They by this time are so entrenched in the BNP mentality that they do not realise, that by continually focusing on ethnic crime their actions could be seen by some as being racist.
The people I've described above are the ones who fell into the BNP net of disillusionment.
Angered by the Government's inability to control immigration, they have turned to the BNP, who with an outwardly respectable face are promising to address their concerns.

The problem is that if you convince yourself that what you are saying is the truth, then you can convince yourself that you are not a racist. Nobody wants to look in the mirror and see a racist looking back at them.

This is my last post on this subject (good some will say no doubt) as the whole experience has got me down.

The BNP, Blogpower and Me.

Today with deep regret I left the Blogpower co-operative. Blogpower was created by James Higham to bring together small to medium size bloggers of any type with the intention of providing support for each other. This idea has been so far a great success and I'm sure it will go from strength to strength. Unfortunately for me BNP supporters joined the co-operative and I just cannot or will not give them publicity by having them displayed in a blogroll in my sidebar. Also I feel that no matter how well worded a disclaimer may be , visitors to my site will in some way infer that I agree with or tolerate the BNP. I'm quite happy to go to BNP sites or to have BNP bloggers come to mine to debate political issues, I just don't want visitors to think there is a link between my site and the BNP no matter how slight.

It feels as though I have left Blogpower with my tail between my legs. I did not ask for the BNP members to be removed I just exercised my democratic right to no longer be a part of the co-operative. However some Blogpower members feel that everyone should be entitled to freedom of speech, which is a sentiment I fully support when it does not incite racial hatred. While the BNP members on the Blogpower blogroll are not being outright racist in their blogs there is an undercurrent. Of late the BNP bloggers seem to be going out of their way to say they are not racist or antisemitic. This is an outright lie. The following paragraph is from a recent post of mine: Liberals win election for the BNP.

The Muslims are the BNP's Jews, several times in the last couple of weeks I've read statements from BNP supporters claiming we are not anti-Semitic. The BNP claim to "Support Israel", this is a marriage of convenience, it suits the BNP's cause as they hate the Muslims more than they hate the Jews.
The picture at the top of this post is of a cover of the booklet Nick Griffin wrote, in it Nick outlined a Jewish conspiracy to brainwash the British people in their own "homeland". In 1998, Griffin was found guilty of distributing material likely to incite racial hatred, for which he received a two-year suspended sentence. In 1997 Nick Griffin announced himself as a Holocaust denier. The BNP? - supporters of Israel? - please do not piss on me and tell me it is raining.

This is from a post currently running at BNP home entitled, This is why I'm a racist:

This is how savages look, Completely devoid of compassion, Sympathy or respect.Morally bankrupt monsters killing and destroying every thing in their path.Life has no meaning regardless of its form.Society, Art and education are meaningless.They choose to live like animals of the lowest form clinging to hate and death as their only scale ofself worth.Their future mirrors their past, They were savage beasts 1500 years ago and the future is the same.They seek to bring all things to their level instead of climbing out of prehistoric anarchy.They are the epitome of self loathing, To lazy and to stupid raise the bar just one more notch.They hate themselves so much that their own death is the only thing they look forward to bring them happiness.They create nothing, They better nothing, They add to nothing but despair.They are the lowest form of life on earth.They are muslims.

Enough said I think. I personally think the above comment from BNP home is racist, or am I being a little over sensitive?

Andrew Allison is currently debating the BNP issue on post "In support of freedom" at the BNP supporting Blog Central news. He must be doing quite well as the BNP supporters are starting to get abusive. Good on you Andrew.

I must make it clear that: Blogpower is not a BNP supporting site. The vast majority of the Blogpower blogroll do not agree with the BNP.

Jesus in a tree?

Is this an image of Jesus in a tree?

http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/offbeat/2007/01/03/dunlap.jesus.in.a.tree.wjxt

Liberals win election for the BNP

Every time a BNP leader makes a racist comment and is then accused of race hatred, the Liberal thinkers jump up and down and shout freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is all well and good so long as it does not incite hatred. In the last couple of decades there as been a growing concern over immigration, I believe the general population do not want to stop immigration, but they do want tighter controls placed on it. How many times have you heard people blame the state of the country on the (to quote: "bloody") liberals? The fear I have is the growing potential for a backlash against wishy washy policies. If the government does not address the concerns of the citizens of this country, then people will turn to the BNP who are promising to do so. We are seeing history repeat itself, just as in the 1930's in Germany people are becoming disillusioned with the ability of the major parties ability to protect nationalism. This disillusionment is is not totally rational but it is fuel for the fires that provide power to the BNP's cause.

On the 1 January Last Ditch posted:
BNP ballerina defies rising clamour to sack her

This is a comment I left on the subject:

Ms Clarke may have been lured in by the front the BNP shows in public. If you read some of their policies they do sound attractive to people who are alarmed by media hype. What these poor suckers fail to realise is that these policies are just the respectable tip of the iceberg, below the waterline there is a larger, darker, seething mass of hate.Hitler promised a very similar future for the German people at a time of social unrest. Hitler didn't promise war or mass murder, he promised work, food and a Germany for the German people. If the German people had known the outcome they would not have allowed him to gain power. Monsters don't gain power by being monsters, they gain it by being respectable and preying on peoples fears.

In reply Colin Campbell of Adelaide Green Porridge Cafe wrote:

'Monsters don't gain power by being monsters, they gain it by being respectable and preying on peoples fears.' - As do politicians like Blair and Reid. (yes true)
The BNP is being seen as one of the few parties with a difference. If it is racist, which IMO it is, then the fact that it is being chosen by many more must say something. I would not put myself down as a BNP supporter but I would vote for them as a way of putting rocks on the road for our general political parties. Who all ride in the same truck and would all feel the same impact.

This is my point, people will turn to the BNP through frustration and disillusionment. Only staunch BNP supporters (the real racists) believe the BNP would be able to run a government, these "protest" voters would soon deny they voted BNP if they actually did get in power.
All people are racist to some extent, but we live in a society where it is frowned upon so the worst of the racists are kept in check. If the BNP got in power, slowly but surely it will become more and more acceptable to behave in a racist manner. A group of men will behave in a way that a lone man will not (looting, riots, lynchings etc).

I've made some sweeping comments about the BNP, some will think my comments are unfair or too strong. That's possibly true but I have not called them Fascists or Nazi's, which I don't think they are, but I do think they a racists. The Muslims are the BNP's Jews, several times in the last couple of weeks I've read statements from BNP supporters claiming we are not anti-Semitic. The BNP claim to "Support Israel", this is a marriage of convenience, it suits the BNP's cause as they hate the Muslims more than they hate the Jews.

The picture at the top of this post is of a cover of the booklet Nick Griffin wrote, in it Nick outlined a Jewish conspiracy to brainwash the British people in their own "homeland". In 1998, Griffin was found guilty of distributing material likely to incite racial hatred, for which he received a two-year suspended sentence. In 1997 Nick Griffin announced himself as a Holocaust denier - BNP - supporters of Israel - please do not piss on me and tell me it is raining.

For those of you thinking of voting BNP please read the following poem by Martin Niemöller (1892-1984)

First they came for the communists,

I did not speak out because I was not a communist.

When they came for the social democrats,

I did not speak out because I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,

I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews I did not speak out because I was not a Jew;

And when they came for me,

there was no one left to speak out.

Information about the poem