anti-NF protest on Monday Oct. 25th

[Guest tv tanned]

I imagine the police are not so stupid as to ignore the comments made by Neep heid MacDonald...

[soundian]

. Well done to the defenders of free speech. I hope you're all there making sure it's you lot who get nutted and not some innocent bystander.

Surely it's the opponents of free speech we should be applauding

[Guest tv tanned]

Free speech is not an absolute right, as any have decent constitutional lawyer will tell you.

[paranoid]

Free speech is not an absolute right' date=' as any [b']have decent constitutional lawyer will tell you.

Half, sweetness

[soundian]

I imagine the police are not so stupid as to ignore the comments made by Neep heid MacDonald...

But how much more difficult will that be to police, spread out every, disguised (as if most don't look perfectly ordinary) as ordinary shoppers.

I hope everyones realised that the publicity for this was generated by the people opposing free speech, this publicity led to a prime time advert for racists all over Scotland.

TV pictures of people protesting=news.

TV pictures of a skinhead entering and leaving a building on Queen Street=not news.

[Guest allsystemsfail]

You know, I'd have a little more respect for a lotta the folks who post here and who have sought to defend the National Front's right to march, if they were in any way active politically. Coz hey, it's extremely easy to post this kinda thing from the comfort of your own home. Those here who talk of democratic practice, of free speech - did you attend the public meeting to express this view? Have you sought to challenge the actions/beliefs of AUAF on the street or at a meeting?

[Guest tv tanned]

Half' date=' sweetness [/quote']

Thanks honeypie

[soundian]

You know' date=' I'd have a little more respect for a lotta the folks who post here and who have sought to defend the National Front's right to march, if they were in any way active politically. Coz hey, it's extremely easy to post this kinda thing from the comfort of your own home. Those here who talk of democratic practice, of free speech - did you attend the public meeting to express this view? Have you sought to challenge the actions/beliefs of AUAF on the street or at a meeting?[/quote']

I'm getting tired of reading that.

One question:

If I'm not politically active am I allowed to have, and express, an OPINION?

[Guest allsystemsfail]

I'm getting tired of reading that.

One question:

If I'm not politically active am I allowed to have' date=' and express, an OPINION?[/quote']

Words without action mean nothing.

As I said, criticising the efforts of others is easy. Taking political action? That's something else.

[Lawy Lawson:Attorney]

Words without action mean nothing.

Rending all great literature, influential political texts and poetry worthless!

[Cloud]

You know' date=' I'd have a little more respect for a lotta the folks who post here and who have sought to defend the National Front's right to march, if they were in any way active politically. Coz hey, it's extremely easy to post this kinda thing from the comfort of your own home. Those here who talk of democratic practice, of free speech - did you attend the public meeting to express this view? Have you sought to challenge the actions/beliefs of AUAF on the street or at a meeting?[/quote']

I'm not active politically for one very simple reason - I'm not keen on either the SSP or the SNP. I was on the verge of signing up for the SSP, but I'm fundamentally not a socialist. I was on the verge of signing up for the SNP (and still am), but I still haven't seen clairification of their intention to use devolution in order to secure independence.

As for the AUAF, let them have their 15 minutes of fame, after all, it's all they want.

[Cloud]

Words without action mean nothing.

As I said' date=' criticising the efforts of others is easy. Taking political action? That's something else.[/quote']

uh, most of us aren't convinced by the romantic ideals of revolution, thanks very much..

[Guest allsystemsfail]

Rending all great literature' date=' influential political texts and poetry worthless![/quote']

And if people do not act on what they've read in these political texts, what then? They become useless.

[soundian]

Words without action mean nothing..

Very nice' date=' it sort of flows. I could easily be fooled into believing that if I didn't stop and think for a millisecond.

As I said, criticising the efforts of others is easy. Taking political action? That's something else.

But am I allowed to have an opinion? It's a yes or no answer, pick the one you like.

[Lawy Lawson:Attorney]

And if people do not act on what they've read in these political texts' date=' what then? They become useless.[/quote']

Agreed. But discussion and debate has its place. Sorry if I was being facetous (which I guess I was because it makes me look cool in lieu of any real contribution. Sorry)

[Guest allsystemsfail]

uh' date=' most of us aren't convinced by the romantic ideals of revolution, thanks very much..[/quote']

Hey, instead of posting your views here, you could have instead chosen to act - challenging the views expressed by AUAF at the public meeting held just a couple of weeks ago. You could have also attended a group meeting. As I said, throwing baseless insults around this forum is easy. Not convinced of what I said about the ANL and AUAF, you could have come along to a meeting. But did you? No.

[soundian]

Hey' date=' instead of posting your views here, you could have instead chosen to act - challenging the views expressed by AUAF at the public meeting held just a couple of weeks ago. You could have also attended a group meeting. As I said, throwing baseless insults around this forum is easy. Not convinced of what I said about the ANL and AUAF, you could have come along to a meeting. But did you? No.[/quote']

I actively didn't do anything because I thought that publicity was all they were seeking.

Does that count?

[Guest allsystemsfail]

But am I allowed to have an opinion? It's a yes or no answer' date=' pick the one you like.[/quote']

My point was simple. If folks believed so strongly in defending their corner, why not then seek to challenge the views of those opposed to the NF. A public meeting took place just a couple of weeks ago so as to allow such expression. But then as I said, posting from the comfort and safety of your home is way easier.

[soundian]

My point was simple. If folks believed so strongly in defending their corner' date=' why not then seek to challenge the views of those opposed to the NF. A public meeting took place just a couple of weeks ago so as to allow such expression. But then as I said, posting from the comfort and safety of your home is way easier.[/quote']

Posting my opinion on a thread on a discussion board is actually really safe, not so comfy though.

Do we have to go through all the "if you aren't politically active how dare you oppose the opinions of those who are" spiel, you'll be saying it's you're last word on the matter in a minute if we skip the rest.

[Guest allsystemsfail]

Do we have to go through all the "if you aren't politically active how dare you oppose the opinions of those who are" spiel' date=' you'll be saying it's you're last word on the matter in a minute if we skip the rest.[/quote']

Did I say that? No I did not. Of course you are entitled to express your view. I simply said that those folks, if instead of just posting here, they actually sought to directly challenge the views of anti-fascists, I'd respect them way more. Folks have had the opportunity to do so.

[soundian]

Did I say that? No I did not. Of course you are entitled to express your view. I simply said that those folks' date=' if instead of just posting here, they actually sought to directly challenge the views of anti-fascists, I'd respect them way more. Folks have had the opportunity to do so.[/quote']

I wasn't opposing the VIEWS of anti-fascists, merely their actions.

Anyway, we are challenging anti-fascists, if you are one.

[soundian]

. Of course you are entitled to express your view.

Forgot to add, you finally answered my question.

OK, now we know I'm allowed to have an opinion, why is any other human beings opinion more or less valid than mine.

i.e. why would you respect the opinion of a politicaly active person more than my opinion.

[Guest allsystemsfail]

I wasn't opposing the VIEWS of anti-fascists' date=' merely their actions. [/quote']

And it was the VIEW of anti-fascists that the NF be stopped from marching.

Anyway' date=' we are challenging anti-fascists, if you are one.[/quote']

You've missed my point entirely.

[Guest allsystemsfail]

Forgot to add' date=' you finally answered my question.

OK, now we know I'm allowed to have an opinion, why is any other human beings opinion more or less valid than mine.

i.e. why would you respect the opinion of a politicaly active person more than my opinion.[/quote']

Yes I would, coz at least they're doing shit. As I said, finding fault in the actions/beliefs of others is easy. Getting your hands dirty - that is taking political action, ain't so easy. It demands effort.

[soundian]

Yes I would' date=' coz at least they're doing shit. As I said, finding fault in the actions/beliefs of others is easy. Getting your hands dirty - that is taking political action, ain't so easy. It demands effort.[/quote']

Now all us ordinary, non-politically active people (voters I think we're called) know where we stand, our opinions are somehow lesser than other peoples just because we've never marched down the street carrying a banner.

(Yeah, yeah, hard work being a political activist. give your fingers a little rest by not banging on about it then.)