There was a big public outrage when the British BNP won two seats in the European Parliament in the last election.
The "good" British Public tried to ignore the "problem", but yesterday the BBC had invited the Parties Leader Nick Griffin on Question Time.
Question Time is a big institution in Britain – it’s a long running public forum, where voters and officials can debate and discuss issues.
Many people were angry at the BBC, because they think the Beep gives the BNP a big stage to spew it’s poison.
Obviously this edition of Question Time turned out to be a one sided bashing affair – Nick Griffin had to take a lot of criticism, mostly he had to eat his own words …
It is easy to "beat up" that right wing nutter and his whites-only-party.
But the sad reality is that Britain had racial tensions brewing for a long time. The recent population explosion (the biggest in the UK’s history) is mostly down to mostly "brown" immigrants having way more babies than Brits.
There also another factor: since most European societies are also aging rapidly it is becoming more conservative and protective. Suddenly grey Europeans see only "brown" people having babies – and it’s true: the Muslims / Immigrants birth rate is much higher than the "native" European one.
First of all this is a statistic reality. In same city areas there are more brown, than white people. Especially in harsh economic times this aggravates many people. This kind of Xenophobia is pretty normal and happens not just in Britain. Plus the old argument of "why do we allow immigration, when we have such a huge unemployment rate" always adds fuel to the fire.
Britain – as well as the rest of Europe – hasn’t really faced the reality of a strong and fast growing Muslim part of the population.
Especially Britain has allowed many extreme Muslim activist as well as radical preachers / Imans (often financed by Saudi Arabia) into the country. Often angry Muslims demonstrated violently against British politics. Plus many Muslims call for the introduction of Sharia Law in Britain. The terrorist attacks on London didn’t help either …
There is a Anti-Secular, Anti-Democracy and intolerant movement inside the British Muslim community, which can’t be ignored either. The racism is not strictly a white affair and some Muslims really do believe in conquering Europe via their wombs.
So this shift in population and basically reintroduction of strong influences of religion into public life and politics. Many people react negative to these new influences, the reactions range from frustration to outright anger. "So many people feel shutout in their own country." (Quote from Nick Griffin)
Britain’s immigration politics has been a failure in many areas. It has allowed more immigrants than the British Public actually could stomach.
So the BNP simply reflects the fringe racists as well as people who are simply angry about the failed immigration policy. So some of their anger and concern are legit.
As much as many leftist often turn a blind eye to religious fundamentalism and Muslim racism – the right also sticks to their ignorant doctrines as well.
Like I said before: Europe has not really faced it’s identity crises in face of a new religious pressure (which happens to be Islam). Based on the tragic events of racism and genocide during WWII plus the guilt from Colonialism has created a fake openness to other cultures.
It is not just Britain, but almost all European countries haven’t succeeded in integrating immigrants. The beloved idea of a multiethnic society proves harder to form than idealists hoped it would be. But also European politicians and citizens have forgotten to foster and evolve their own culture and historic values. So it’s no surprise that many people feel left alone and even abandoned in face of a new, strong and often aggressive "foreign" culture.
As a final part of the story one has to mention to new lower class and poverty in Europe that adds to that problem. The economic development in the last twenty years – thanks to the Free Market ideas Margaret Thatcher and constant pandering to big business – has eroded the middle class Europe. Poverty is on the rise and a new lower class has been created when the working class disappeared – thanks to the shift of factories to the east and Asia.
Underprivileged people in poverty are rarely tolerant or willing to share. And their anger of being left behind finds an easy target in foreigners, especially when they have to share public purse for social support with big waves of immigrants – as it happened in Britain in recent years.
So booing Nick Griffin on Question Time is so politically correct, but doesn’t solve the problem of racism nor the real concerns of immigration and poverty.
