European and Local Elections

[Verbal]

The non-secretarian Alliance Party candidate for the Euros in Northern Ireland was called Ian Parsley.

You couldn't make it up.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8040390.stm

[Prufrock]

Closer in that they were both totalitarian regimes at the opposite end of the spectrum from liberal democracies, though the philosophies and who in theory is in charge. Communism has generally required an overthrow of the state by revolution, while right wing dictatorship were often military coups. The fascists/nazis were, however, democratically elected in Germany and Italy and acquired absolute power more slowly through passing of laws.

Agreed Monty. Hence my earlier recommendation of William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich."

As I recall the Nazis got 44% of the seats in the Reichstag and needed a two thirds majority to change the constitution. Burn the Reichstag, blame the commies and outlaw them as a party, and voila - a two thirds majority. All very democratic. I read Shirer over forty years ago - it was well done and comprehensive for a journalistic (i.e. popular) treatment.

I agree with a great deal of your argument - however the reichstag fire was not set by the nazis (though it was a welcome blessing for them), nor by the communists - van der Lubbe was an anarchist revolutionary naively trying to strike a blow against both totalitarians and give vent to his hostility to what he saw as a venal and repressive fake democracy...
He was wrong - but he wasn't a nazi stooge...

I missed this discussion being in a different time zone, etc. Van der Lubbe was certainly anti-Nazi but had surely been a communist all his life. As a result of the fire it was the German communists who were blamed and banned, many of whom may not have been Stalinist (tbh I am uncertain of all the affiliations of these groups). I would agree with prufrock that it is not 100% certain that vdL set the major blaze, though it is a sandwich short of a picnic - not a light bulb, prufers - I hate mixed metaphors.

That's the point. See what I did, by getting it wrong I make it seem like I myself am a few cards short of a circus. Or as sharp as a marble. I'm a comedic genius.

[Zulus Thousand of em]

You're a quote genius. That last post looks like a black hole!

[Prufrock]

Shhhhh we'll all get in trouble with Keveh !!

[Raven]

Two of us are having differences of opinion here; that's a fifty percent split. This is what my percentage argument is about, differences of opinion highlighted by a pressure situation. If you don't think foreign workers, (indeed foreigners at all) come into the equation, then why are we discussing a party who'd have them all out of the country on the next boat?[/quote]

Because the only reason they want to do that is because they are racists.

Foreign workers don't stop people getting jobs anymore than old people or women or disabled people who are in jobs do.

Why is it somebodys "right" to have a job ahead of a bloke who is better but just happens to be from another country?

If we killed everyone at the age of 60 then that would help solve the financial crisis. Or perhaps forced all people over 60 to emigrate to France at their own expense? That would sort out most of the problems in an instant. Would rather have able bodied workers from India than old doddery fookers from Nuneaton who contribute nowt but take a lot.

Whoa there Billy! Are you not getting things a little out of flunter here? Where did I ever differentiate between races or their right to be equal? We're talking BNP and why people are drawn to them in a time such as now. As for your last statement, I assume you have parents or grandparents who might not just agree with that sentiment. Few of them have done anything except graft their bollox off and spend a lifetime paying taxes. "Contribute nowt and take a lot" is rather an insult. I'm 70 this year and still working and paying taxes. It's rather from necessity then choice, believe me. This is 2009 where a pound equals a loaf and not a third of your weekly wages.

I didn't realize you were from Nuneaton, TD - thought you were Irish.

Probably meant me, but would not describe myself as old and doddery.....nearly old and doddery maybe

[BWFC_Insane]

Two of us are having differences of opinion here; that's a fifty percent split. This is what my percentage argument is about, differences of opinion highlighted by a pressure situation. If you don't think foreign workers, (indeed foreigners at all) come into the equation, then why are we discussing a party who'd have them all out of the country on the next boat?[/quote]

Because the only reason they want to do that is because they are racists.

Foreign workers don't stop people getting jobs anymore than old people or women or disabled people who are in jobs do.

Why is it somebodys "right" to have a job ahead of a bloke who is better but just happens to be from another country?

If we killed everyone at the age of 60 then that would help solve the financial crisis. Or perhaps forced all people over 60 to emigrate to France at their own expense? That would sort out most of the problems in an instant. Would rather have able bodied workers from India than old doddery fookers from Nuneaton who contribute nowt but take a lot.

Whoa there Billy! Are you not getting things a little out of flunter here? Where did I ever differentiate between races or their right to be equal? We're talking BNP and why people are drawn to them in a time such as now. As for your last statement, I assume you have parents or grandparents who might not just agree with that sentiment. Few of them have done anything except graft their bollox off and spend a lifetime paying taxes. "Contribute nowt and take a lot" is rather an insult. I'm 70 this year and still working and paying taxes. It's rather from necessity then choice, believe me. This is 2009 where a pound equals a loaf and not a third of your weekly wages.

I didn't realize you were from Nuneaton, TD - thought you were Irish.

Probably meant me, but would not describe myself as old and doddery.....nearly old and doddery maybe

I didn't mean anyone I picked nuneaton entirely at random.

I also didn't actually agree with the idea of old people being forcibly evicted from the UK I was simply drawing a parallel that most would find unacceptable with what the BNP are doing!

[keveh]

http://www.b3ta.com/challenge/nickgriffin/popular/

[Verbal]

if anyone still cares.

http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/re ... 09-053.pdf