Oh dear

[djm4_lj]

I understand the temptation, but I very much doubt that anything Nick Griffin could have said in his press conference could have got him the publicity and made him look good to those who voted for him as being pelted by eggs outside Westminster. Doing this just makes him look like a martyr.

As a Liberal, I disapprove of treating any democratically elected representative this way, but even if you don't, I challenge you to convince me that this sort of protest doesn't just play straight into the BNP's hands. They want to be seen in the media being attacked and silenced - a lot of their core support are people who feel that they have no voice, so anything that looks as though this is a deliberate conspiracy to silence them will ring true.

Comments

[liadnan]

I think the fact the BNP got two MEPs because a crash in turnout for major parties is evidence of a problem with the system (generally, and specifically this abysmal variant of PR -no I'm not anti all PR, I am anti D'Hondt, and any system that is based on party lists) rather than an argument in favour of giving them any respect, whatever you precisely mean by "respect", it's a rather nuanced word.

But more generally, no I don't think that the fact they participate in democracy, and achive some limited success, gives them, or their supporters, any right to respect on any kind of level from the rest of us anyway. You don't get points for doing what you're supposed to do. Nor do I think the proper response is to listen to them even for a minute. Listening can only mean one of two things: either you are open to the possibility the policies they suggest are worth considering or you are going through the motions so you can say "I listened to them". You won't understand why people voted for them, or what the problems of this society are, both of which are indeed necessary, by listening to them or respecting them.

Noxious views are still noxious views no matter how many people vote for them and frankly I think egg pelting and other forms of demonstrating utter contempt has an entirely honourable and proper place in the democratic debate. As does farting in their general direction.

[liadnan]

Oh, and one final thing: I simply don't buy the argument that they will benefit from any kind of underdog fillip out of this or anything similar. Nor will it stop those who voted for them this time doing so next time, but that isn't actually the point.