Why doesn't the Daily Mail support the BNP?

[JockSporran]

I'm not saying it should, I'm just curious. The Daily Mail is ultra-right wing, patriotic, anti Europe and anti-foreign. Yet they stop short of support for the BNP, a party with whom they share most of their views.

[Octavius]

They just tread the fine line between not alienating the people who support BNP, and keeping the readership that share the same views with the BNP but do not want full (public) association.

If the DM went for full allegiance, then they would probably lose quite a few subscribers. Not because they�d object to the association, but because they don�t want the lady in the village newsagent to see them as a neo-fascist. Most would say they just buy it for the crossword and TV schedule.

[Kromovaracun]

I doubt the DM is into holocaust denial, and despite it's right-wing inclinations I wouldn't call it anti-democratic either. There's also a division in the BNP over whether to support constitutional means of trying to obtain power (*guffaw*) or to use violence (*bigger guffaw*). I really doubt the Mail would be interested in condoning violence or in supporting a party which doesn't have any democratic legitimacy.

I've made my hatred of the Mail quite clear on numerous occasions (and, just for the record, this isn't because of their political leanings), but give them some credit. They're positioned very far on the right, but I don't think it's fair to describe them as 'neo-fascist'.

[R1Geezer]

Don't be a plonker jock The Daily mail may be right of centre but they are no where near the BNP. It's like comparing the Lib dems with Stalin. They sell millions of papers are you seriously saying that the readers are all closet BNP supporters? Get with the program jock! Have you ever considered that a lot of people buy it becuase of things like it's anti EU stance, not every one has accepted the Europhile brainwashing yet you know, there are still some people who, horror of horrors do not worship at alter of the mighty EU.

[jno]

The Mail supported Oswald Mosley's* Blackshirts before the war - they were basically fascist bullyboys little different from Nazis - and has never entirely lived this down. So they are now careful to stick to mainstream political parties (well, one party) while articulating a very rightwing agenda. The BNP is, I imagine, perfectly happy for the Mail to push its agenda for it. They by no means share identical philosophies, but they're not that far apart - certainly closer than the LibDems and Stalin.

* father of Max, the F1 man, which is why he was so aggravated to be accused by the News of the World of playing Nazi sex games.

[Kromovaracun]

The Mail supported Mosley in the '30s, when Fascism was actually establishing itsef as a 'credible' ideology. Postwar Fascism has become a dirty word, but at the time it was something that did genuinely have a following.

It's stupid to suggest that the Mail are still somehow closeted blackshirts - it just doesn't make sense.

[Octavius]

Wikipedia starts with the lines� �Fascism is an authoritarian or totalitarian nationalist ideology, which is primarily concerned with notions of decline or decadence, and which seeks to solve such problems by achieving a millenarian national rebirth, exalting the nation or race above all else, and promoting cults of unity, strength and purity.

In fascism you belong to the stock, the breed, the generation of the superior. The politics of the Daily Mail has many things in common with old school fascism. Aside from supporting Hitler and Mosely in the 1930s, the paper has barely changed since - only seeking to tone down its more rabid racial slant in order to maintain high readership numbers and not fall foul of racial hatred legislation. The Mail is a nationalistic, bigoted, racist and fascist newspaper in the very oldest sense.

Like fascism, it�s populist, and taps into the readers� prejudices, fears, greed, selfishness and hatred by whipping up angst among the middle classes using foreign nationals, women, blacks, gays and any other minority that people only need a little nudge to detest. Especially when times are tricky and the economy ain�t going so well.

They attack people for being wealthy, even more so if they are black and wealthy. This is a socialist attitude, yet it�s not entirely surprising that the Mail takes this line. As with the Nazis in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, the Mail hates those who thrive and do better than most, because fascism only thrives within a petri dish of hate, fear, paranoia and bigotry.

The only reason they seemingly cannot have an open alliance with the BNP is because of the violent tendencies and neo-fascism associated with the party. The rest is as common as muck.

[Gromit]

To be the best selling Tabloid newspaper, the Mail needs to be populist. It needs to give its readers what they want.

The BNP are not popular (in votes terms and in the wider public opinion), so the Mail could never support it. The fact that some of the BNPs views are popular with a lot of ordinary people is coincidental.

It is a bit of a contradiction. Most right thinking people would regard the BNP as not very nice people, but might concede that they may have a point about there too many immigrants.

[sandmaster]

I don't see the Mail as being anti foreigner. They are right of centre and stand up for 'Britishness'. So do I - but I welcome immigration on condition the immigrant contributes to our society and embraces 'Britishness'. That does not mean losing your own culture either - diversity has enriched this country. But it does mean you do not plot to kill your fellow citizens and you accept that others have their own culture. You also support Britain in time of war.

[Octavius]

Do you think members of the BRITISH National Party plot to kill their fellow citizens sandmaster?

[sandmaster]

I did not mention the BNP. I don't know enough about their policies to comment - but from what I have read and heard I would not wish to be involved with them.

[Octavius]

Sorry, I thought you were disassociating the DM from the BNP because members of the BNP plot to kill its fellow citizens, whereas the DM readership doesn�t.

[youngmafbog]

Well I understood exactly what the sandmaster said.

Are you deliberatley trying to be awkward or just plain stupid ?

Why is it you have to spell out everything on this site to avoid the nit pickers?

[naomi24]

Or even just the nits?

[Velvetee]

Guess they still want minorities and refugees to buy their newspapers. It's all profit at the end of the day.

[Octavius]

So the question asks about the BNP and the DM, and I try to clarify that post by referring to the question, and that makes me a nit? Weirdo. You jumping on the bandwagon again Naomi? Tut tut.

I think I said, possibly twice here, that the only difference between the BNP and the DM is that the BNP promotes violence, whereas the DM cannot publicly be seen to.

[anotheoldgit]

Well what a load of rubbish I have read coming from the Anti Mail brigade. I would like to take up octavious on the following point he made regarding the BNP

The only reason they seemingly cannot have an open alliance with the BNP is because of the violent tendencies and neo-fascism associated with the party.

What violent tendencies I ask? I do not support the BNP, but to be fair whenever I have witnessed a parade or rally on the TV or live, they seem peaceful enough. It is only the Far Left (Socialist Workers Party etc.) who show their violent tendencies, on these occasions.

On this post we have learnt what is all bad about the Right Wing, but I now ask what is it that is so good about the Left Wing?

Because it seems strange that apart from this site, most people I speak to would wish for more right wing policies to be implimented in this country, and a fast end to the Loony liberal left.

[naomi24]

I think you're becoming paranoid, Octavius. Why do you always think I'm either talking to you or about you? I haven't given an opinion on this question, so no bandwagons. Merely an observation. People who nit-pick are, in my opinion, nits, because they destroy good debate.

[parra]

What you should remember is , left is good , right is bad and if you forget us left whingers will come round and batter you.
Say again left is good
right is bad




now don't forget and don't buy the mail because it prints the truth.

[Octavius]

Nothing wrong with being right wing AOG, and nothing wrong with reading the DM if that is what floats your boat. My wife�s nan is a regular reader, and I would guess that if she thought it was associated with the BNP she would drop it like a hot brick. I can�t honestly answer for the left wing either to be perfectly honest as I find a lot of their kid glove attitudes nauseating.

But back to the DM. They don�t ally themselves publicly with the BNP. They certainly seem to share the same views, but (again I say) the DM would stop short of stepping up activities to violent actions. They merely present headlines in such a way so as to stealthily promote hatred, fear and propaganda � you only need to look at most of your own Q�s for gawds sake to see it in action.

As for references, you will note that David Copeland and Nathan Worrell for examples of the extreme. Copeland was quite happy to plot to kill his fellow citizens in great numbers.