This entry was posted on
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 at
3:19 pm and is filed
under Tolerance.
I’m kind of new here, but as far as I can work out, today is all about giving the BNP a platform in exchange for temporary use of their official trademark.
Well, I do like to play Little Johnny English from time to time, and if I’m to wave the flag today I’d best earn my turn by saying three nice things about the people what own it…
1. I love their ambition:
2. I love their modesty:
The 2008 British National Party Election Broadcast has many charms (lovely smiles at 00:24, 01:14 and 01:21), but my very favourite part appears after the numerous cash promises to hard working people. Check it out right about 02:30 for a glorious “Oh, and we also have this policy on immigration…” moment.
3. I love their confidence:
Who does this remind you of?
Video #1 claiming BNP website is “the most popular in politics” with “more hits than all other parties put together” is followed by Video #2 claiming that this involves “thousands of hits per week”. Might be some confusion there.
OK, that’s three niceties. That means I’m good to go for approximately 30 seconds of flag-waving.
So, for England! Let’s have it, then! Huzzah, I… no, wait… what are you…? What the..?!
Well, can’t have any of that!!! Oi! You there! Come back here! Rah!
By bigdaddymerk April 23, 2008 - 6:15 pm
it's not all about the BNP, it's also a certain someone's birthday! :)
By Scaryduck April 23, 2008 - 7:11 pm
But… but… Uncle Adolf's on the 20th of April, is it not? Great to see he's still up and about and signing the Enoch Powell petition.
By Manic April 23, 2008 - 7:25 pm
SD: Tch. Trolling petitions is neither big nor clever. If you want to be big about it, make the entire petition the troll (hint: requires clever).;o)BDM: The following people 'celebrate' their birthday today; Timothy McVeigh, Michael Moore, Lee Majors, Roy Orbison, Shirley Temple, William Shakespeare… it's a busy day and I may need a hint.
By Lobster Blogster April 23, 2008 - 9:52 pm
Sorry to be a pain here, but England doesn't have a flag. It has a patron saint, and he has a flag which is a red cross. The rather vague wiki-notion that the cross of St George was adopted by "England" in the 16th century can't hold water because England is a place and the 16th century was a very long time. To be at least plausible you would need something like a monarch, a parliament or an army adopting the flag, and naturally enough they would have done this in a specific year. A good example of why things on Wikipeda should never be taken at face value.On the BNP the clue is in the "B". Britain, specifically Great Britain (and later the UK), does have a flag. The cross of St George is incorporated into it, but the BNP seems to be a bit more concerned about standards of accuracy than your post suggests as it is the Union flag that is fluttering away as the background to their logo.All in all the BNP are an odious bunch of twits, but we don't necessarily get this message across effectively if we muddle up which flag they use.Vladimir Nabokov would have been 109 today, if he hadn't died ridiculously young in 1955 :0)
By Manic April 23, 2008 - 10:14 pm
LB: Let's you and I go out walking sometime. We can explain all of this to any members of the BNP that we happen across who are foolishly letting the side down by displaying a red cross of all things on their phone/shirt/keys/car/chest/arseflag/etc.
By bigdaddymerk April 23, 2008 - 10:37 pm
Tim: Never mind, one can only hint so much!I'm off to enjoy some more birthday cake. :-)
By Manic April 23, 2008 - 10:46 pm
No, wait… I'm sure I'll get it if I try hard enough.(…)It's Shakespeare, isn't it?
By bigdaddymerk April 23, 2008 - 10:58 pm
hummppphhhhh I'm off to read Mrs Dales Diary.
By Manic April 23, 2008 - 11:21 pm
Oh, go on then. Have your little moment:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgNoRrGFwlw:O)
By Lobster Blogster April 24, 2008 - 10:20 am
Tim, after a bit of poking about I have discovered that what I said yesterday is wrong, because the very day before yesterday it was announced that England does have a national flag.See: http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page15333.aspSomeone has a bit of editing to do over at Wikipedia because rather than being adopted "during the 16th century" the earliest date I have is 25/3/08.However I think we may have to postpone the walking tour to educate BNP supporters, because curiously the report that sparked the change doesn't actual mention a national flag for England (nor was it part of the consultation).http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/constitutional-ren…Until these anomalies are cleared up, we would only be spreading more confusion.
By Manic April 24, 2008 - 11:39 am
Hahahahaha! They put Jack Straw in charge of flag waving:"Asked who chaired the flag flying consultation, the PMS replied that it was Jack Straw."