British Tories training an armed youth wing? Holy crap!

13 posts / 0 new

Mon, 2010-03-08 02:27

Ken Burch

That seems to be what this story from The Guardian is telling us:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/mar/06/radicalised-tories-young-...

(excerpt)

"Behind the heavy wooden doors of House of Commons committee room 10, a little-known group of young Tories gathered in private on Wednesday to rally their forces ahead of the general election. The chintzy decor provided an incongruous backdrop for the Young Britons' Foundation, which has begun to earn a reputation in Tory circles as "the Conservative madrasa"."

(excerpt)

With strong links with the American neo-conservative movement, the YBF regularly sends activists on subsidised trips to conferences in the US. "We go into schools and we proselytise conservatism and we get hold of the best kids and train them up," Blaney has said. "We have been described as a Conservative madrasa, so we bring the next generation out to the States and bring them back radicalised."

Blaney even takes his charges on firearms training courses. In 2008 he took activists and young Conservatives to the Blue Ridge Arsenal in Virginia, reporting that the feeling of "hot brass, gun recoil and smell of gunpowder was incredible". There are also partnerships with American rightwing thinktanks and foundations. The trips are all part of a plan to place "young radical free-market Anglosphere Conservatives in public life".

Mon, 2010-03-08 02:27

Ken Burch

Young Tories with guns. Just what we need.

Mon, 2010-03-08 03:52

Fidel

Quote:
Perhaps most shockingly for a man who claims responsibility for training young politicians in the UK, Blaney appears to suggest on his website, Blaney's Blarney, that waterboarding is acceptable. He also argues that the UK should adopt America's liberal gun ownership laws.

In another article headlined "Scrap the NHS, not just targets", he asked: "Would it not now be better to say that the NHS – in its current incarnation – is finished?"

I dunno Ken. I just hope Brits know what they're voting for. It's been said that they look for reasons to vote Tory in England. I can't find one.

Mon, 2010-03-08 10:57

remind

Fascism comes a knocking in the western world.....louder than it has in 70 years.

Mon, 2010-03-08 12:54

al-Qa'bong

Ken Burch wrote:

Young Tories with guns. Just what we need.

Think of it as a "roots" movement.

"To radicals and reformers Peterloo came to symbolize Tory callousness and tyranny."

Mon, 2010-03-08 13:08

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

Welcome to the NWO...Fascism's cancer spreading uncontrolably throughout the Western hemisphere....Didn't millions of soldiers die fighting it in the first place back 65 + years ago?

What a waste of life....And isn't it ironic that these neocons are also religious fundamentalists? And the new religion trying to gain as many converts throughout the globe,is neoconservatism...a PC friendly label for modern fascism.

If they are taking up arms..when will those who vehemently oppose fascism going to do the same?

Mon, 2010-03-08 13:14

N.Beltov

An appropriate political response is every bit as important as your suggestion, alan s. It's worked before.

Mon, 2010-03-08 13:46

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

What would that response be?

I know people like to dismiss the 'fascism' label but what do we got here?

Here's 14 symptoms of fascism;

1- Disdain for recognition of human rights

2 - Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause

3 - Supremacy of the military

4 - Controlled mass media

5 - Obsession with national security

6 - Religion and government intertwined

7 - Corporate power is protected

8 - Labour power is suppressed

9 - Disdain for intellectuals and the arts

10 - Obsession with crime and punishment

11 - Relying on junk science and revisionism to create its case and gain acceptance,creating a state of cognitive dissonance.

12 - Promoting chauvinist demagoguery fostering selective persecution and accepted vilification of a target group,promoting this as 'patriotic','supportive'or 'the party line'and any disagreement with such as ánti-government,anti-faith or anti-nation.

13 - The squelching of public debate,not agreeing with the popular agenda via slander,libel,historical revisionism or social humiliation.

14 - Organized propaganda-the creation of social mythology creating saints of one element of society while vilifying another through misinformation,the obscuring of factual matter or social humiliation.

So let's not water down modern Western politics...Hitler and Mussolini would be deeply impressed.Let's face it...the only lessons learned from WW2 was the art of propaganda,the power of iron fisted rule to achieve goals that benefit the elite and oppress the common man but done in such fashion that the oppressed feel liberated and the power of crusade through gvuise of protecting the homeland...Absolutely ingenious.

If the continued charade of 'democracy'gets us nowhere,what are the options in fighting this threat to freedom? Especially when that side is ruthless and armed.

Mon, 2010-03-08 13:58

remind

You know, I remember when Mennonites were passivists, and nowadays I see them wearing camo hats with "Drill Sarg" across the brim, and lying to people about what is transpiring...for example in PG and over the smell of PG.

Mon, 2010-03-08 14:18

#10

N.Beltov

alan smithee wrote:
What would that response be?

An example would be the Popular Front and the anti-Fascist coalition in France prior to WW2. With a little work, you could find other examples.

Supplementary comment removed by me.

Mon, 2010-03-08 18:01

#11

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

N.Beltov....I'd feel a little more optimistic if the masses actually gave a damn...Sadly,people don't care either through apathy or selfishness.

I think the time has come for a progressive and determined alternative to what we have in our current Parliament.But mobilizing people is another story.Governments are complacent because the populous is complacent and in some cases--gullible.For too many,ignorance is bliss and the current state of affairs on this planet are a product of it.

Tue, 2010-03-09 00:06

#12

Frmrsldr

Ken Burch wrote:

Blaney even takes his charges on firearms training courses. In 2008 he took activists and young Conservatives to the Blue Ridge Arsenal in Virginia, reporting that the feeling of "hot brass, gun recoil and smell of gunpowder was incredible". There are also partnerships with American rightwing thinktanks and foundations. The trips are all part of a plan to place "young radical free-market Anglosphere Conservatives in public life".

Yikes! The pattern of a Great Depression followed by the rise of fascism in the Western industrialized world is rearing its ugly head once again.

Tue, 2010-03-09 04:07

#13

Doug

This wouldn't be really that surprising except that this sort of thing is supposedly not what Conservatives are running on anymore. See, it's all quite nice, cuddly and quasi-intellectual:

http://www.ted.com/talks/david_cameron.html