I’m hoping the decision to screen anti benefit fraud ads during the darts isn’t a reflection on what the govmnt thinks of darts fans, LOL.

Bet it is though! Most of them look down on the working classes as cattle to be led to the polling booth.

Liberal Conspiracy » Blogging and PCC Regulation – A Collective Response.

GM reports $1.2B loss, says it shows progress – Yahoo! News.

If this is making progress, I’d hate to see what falling behind was like!

The best enemies imaginable | Samizdata.net.

Matt’s Meditations, Rants and Reviews

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BNP leader Nick Griffin is reported to have written to party activists appealing for money to save the party from financial ruin. According to The Times, Mr Griffin has urged supporters to make donations to “keep the wolves at bay”. A party spokesman was unable to confirm or deny the wording of the appeal by Mr Griffin as quoted in The Times, however, he told politics.co.uk that if an appeal was sent out it was probably to raise money “to fight the equalities commission”. The far-right party is currently facing a court case from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) regarding its membership policy.

Meanwhile, it was confirmed late last night that the BNP leader will face justice secretary Jack Straw on the BBC’s Question Time panel show. The decision to engage with the far-right party in a televised debate has divided opinion within the Labour party with some believing that sharing a platform with the group gives them dangerous credibility. Margaret Hodge, MP for Barking – an area where the BNP made large gains in the last election – welcomed the move. “I’m really pleased to hear that Jack has decided to go up against the BNP,” she said. However, Jon Cruddas, MP for Dagenham said: “It’s a high wire act. I don’t know what the precise solution to this is.”

The BNP will be represented for the first time on the BBC’s political debate show on October 22nd.

This raises some interesting issues.

1. Firstly, is the BNP actually right wing, or is the nomenclature of “Far-Right” a way of saying “Authoritarian Left Wing” without embarrassing the lefties who consider themselves to be the very epitome of Liberal thinking?
2. So a political party asks its members for funds… exactly how is that controversial? All political parties need funding. I suspect the one of the main reasons for the Government to be  shying away from baning private donations and forcing financial support fr tom the public purse is the nasty taste it would leave that parties such as the BNP would/could qualify for such funding.
3. The BNP already has the credibility insofar as they have had a modicum of electoral success at Local level due to White Working Class disillusionment with failed immigration policies and at European level due largely to the mad way in which they elect MEPs. To refuse to engage with them is akin to sticking two fingers in your ears and singing “LA LA LA They don’t exist!” at the top of your voice.
4. The precise solution is to engage with them and let them damn themselves with their own words. If they are so wrong, the British Public will see them for what they are and reject them. If they have a point, and the electoral support that that engenders, then the point needs to be addressed and dealt with. It is no good to say that you don’t agree with them so anyone who supports them has no right to a point of view!

Voltaire, my friends, Voltaire