tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1786438112933136892.post8590584041345128472..comments2009-10-25T22:00:03.352ZKevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00003057501738525190noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1786438112933136892.post-43720988380214823702009-10-25T21:15:58.664Z2009-10-25T21:15:58.664ZYou say that the BNP should be denied a &#39;platform&#39; because it is &quot;so irrational and delusional&quot;... but how exactly are you measuring &#39;irrational&#39; and &#39;delusional&#39;? I think the BNP is irrational, but I also think the Tory party is pretty irrational too...<br /><br />What I&#39;m trying to say is, the problem with your argument is firstly, how you define &#39;irrationality&#39; in politics but also secondly, and more importantly, who gets to do the defining, because whoever is being allowed to do the defining (in this case the BBC) is effectively being given the power to control what we can/can&#39;t see or hear.<br /><br />This is the key problem with freedom of speech arguments, they are arguments about degrees, and at some point, if you are against total freedom of speech, you have to give over power to someone to control the degree to which freedom of speech is or is not allowed.<br /><br />This to me is not what being on the left is about, being on the left is about taking away power from people who control us, not giving it to them, and especially not giving it to the BBC which is a totally unelected and relatively unaccountable body.Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15085577237625636631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1786438112933136892.post-91066464218730294142009-10-24T20:22:49.471+01:002009-10-24T20:22:49.471+01:00&quot;including a fair number of liberal bed wetters&quot;<br /><br />Coldplay fans then?<br /><br />Sorry, just had to get the lame Coldplay joke in. <br /><br />But really good post Kevin. <br /><br />The BBC gave the BNP respectability and the explanation I got from my complaint to the BBC was piss poor to say the least (&#39;impartiality&#39; defence was used). And the excuse being in the context of free speech but fascists smash and destroy other peoples freedoms with violence, their politics fundamentally represent hate. <br /><br />No platform. No platform. No platform.<br /><br />And indeed I was pissed off by some people on the left who thought it was fine and dandy to let Griffin on QT.HarpyMarxhttp://harpymarx.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com