I've always thought that you should put friendship before politics. I have strong political opinions, but I've never wanted them to get in the way of people I'm close to. I'm friends with a number of conservatives, and, although I refuse to talk politics with Jonny, him and the bears are good friends. Something happened today with one of my friends at Cambridge that made me wonder though. We were sitting in a lecture on the influence of media in the wider social and political setting. The lecturer was talking about Enoch Powell. My friend, sitting next to me, mentioned casually that she was related to him. This in itself isn't bad, I hate Powell with a passion, but he's dead, hoorah, so no problem there. What disturbed me was how she went on to say how he was right. Rivers of blood, ethnic tensions etc. I reminded her that asylum would not inevitably lead to ethnic tension, and that the two issues were seperate (after all most immigrants are eastern European whites) She pointed out the issue of Bradford and Oldham (though she didn't know the names of the two towns - shameful for a Cambridge student and a budding fascist!) That made me very angry indeed. She didn't even recognise the fact that ethnic tensions there were entirely fabricated and that decades of social harmony were ripped apart by BNP electioneering, stirring up the riots to convince people to vote for them. Her politics, as a Christian fundamentalist, and Bush supporter, are repugnant. It's not going to end my friendship with her, I still believe that friendships should be put before politics. But it does make you think. Come the revolution these people may be up against the wall
I don't get angry with people who don't share my views.. and i don't assume i am right .. once you stop doing both of these , freindships are not harmed imho ?? I thoughy enoch was not rascist , just he did not want 'foreigners' with no skills ?? he welcomed people that brought skills to this country .. and thet 'rivers of blood' has been taken out of context ??
When this question crops up, it always surprises me that 'politics' is mentioned as though it's somehow an isolated aspect of a person's character - like their taste in music or something. Politics is a reflection of how someone thinks and feels. It's a reflection of the way they view other people. It's a reflection of their tolerance and compassion, or lack thereof. Aren't those things an important part of why we choose to form friendships with people?
I agree with you there, I don't see politics as isolated to the person. But you do have to put it in context. Some on the conservatives I know are also some of the kindest most compassionate people in the immediate situation. I also know some lefties who are bastards. I tend to gravitate towards people with left wing political outlooks, but some people do challenge the stereotypes....
It was a speech designed to criticise the flow of commonwealth citizens to Britain. They came over to Britain in order to offer skilled services, they were invited purely for the reason. You can argue that Powell wasn't racist, and in the white supremacist sense I'm sure he wasn't. But I think such primitive and uninformed attitudes on asylum in modern day Britain are just legitimising racism. Eseentially saying, well you're ok being dark skinned because you were born here, but those other types, we don't want them here....
Well thanks in some small part too you two .. i have awoken more thoughts in my tiny mind than is probaly healthy.. so erm again thanks , i think ?. Nope i don't think i would like either of you as friends to be honest (i don't mean to be rude) .. but i still apreciate that you hold a strong point of view. Having any point of view is better than holding none at all . I agree, but how do you continue freindships that have a lot of history .. in my case 15 years, i am almost becoming a political wench like you two (albeit a pathetic one)... ?
I agree, Sal. I wouldn't drop someone just because they were a Tory. I was simply concerned that you appeared to be drawing a dividing line between politics and the person. That would've seemed quite an artificial distinction to me, so glad to see you're not doing that
