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To: lqclamar
That's a very week argument at best, again returning to guilt by association with a small fringe that (unlike the jihadis in muslim countries) has never attained political credibility in Britain. One could equally say that Winston Churchill's speeches have "given aid and comfort" to the same groups, as they quote him all the time too.

But Churchill is widely quoted (and widely quotable) whereas Powell is the darling of Britain's xenophobic racists almost exclusively. I find it odd that someone who choses such a screenname makes no effort to dissociate himself from that group.

My understanding is that the particular catchphrase he uses originated with Eric Clapton, not the BNP.

My understanding is that one need not coin a phrase to be responsible for uttering it.

104 posted on 01/08/2007 12:26:29 PM PST by zimdog
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To: zimdog
But Churchill is widely quoted (and widely quotable) whereas Powell is the darling of Britain's xenophobic racists almost exclusively.

For such a vocal opponent of Powell, you certainly haven't familiarized yourself with him very much. In fact the BNP crowd's knowledge of him is limited almost entirely to a media-inspired mis-truncation of a single line in a single speech he gave almost 40 years ago.

In reality Powell was a highly influential and multi-faceted thinker and political leader. He is a well regarded Greek scholar who penned the leading modern translation of Herodotus. He was also a widely published biographer of several historical subjects, and a well regarded poet whose collected works are still in print. And, of course, he wrote dozens of political tracts that have influenced subsequent Tories, among them Thatcher.

I find it odd that someone who choses such a screenname makes no effort to dissociate himself from that group.

And why should he? I don't believe he's ever claimed BNP membership. It is thus not incumbent upon him to disclaim it any more than I should expect you to disclaim association with CAIR, seeing as you seem to hold their viewpoints on Ellison.

116 posted on 01/08/2007 8:46:24 PM PST by lqclamar
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