Six years ago, while campaigning for his racist UKIP party, Nigel Farage narrowly escaped death when his small plane crashed in a field.
But although Farage survived, Britain may not be so lucky.
Because after UKIP's racist forces helped the LEAVE side win the Brexit referendum, it now looks a lot like that plane.
While Farage can't stop gloating as he did yesterday at the European Parliament.
For there he was, with the little Union Jack he brought with him flying upside down.
He's the man who's vowed to "take our country back" - but Nigel Farage should look closer to home first. Ukip's leader flew the Union flag UPSIDE DOWN while he gave today's attention-grabbing Brexit victory speech in the European Parliament.
Taunting the other EU members like only a bully could.
Mr Farage was booed and jeered as he told MEPs "you're not laughing now!" and accused them of never having a proper job.
“Isn’t it funny!” he said. “When I came here 17 years ago and said I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union, you all laughed at me.
“Well I have to say, you’re not laughing now!”
In the manner that reminded me of the way Adolf Hitler behaved on the day he forced the French to sign their surrender in the same railway coach the Germans had surrendered in at the end of the First World War.
Which isn't too surprising because Farage is a Trump-like fascist. It is an Axis of Evil.
And while he gloated in the European Parliament, back in Britain his racist street troopers were continuing their reign of terror.
Even going after our own Melissa Fung.
At first, I wasn't sure who the crazed-looking man was yelling at. "You can go home now!" he shouted. There wasn't anyone else around, and I realized he was screaming at me.
"You can go home now!" he yelled again. "We voted to Brexit!" I was stunned. I tried to tell him that I am from Canada and Hong Kong, but he didn't care. "Go home!" he said one more time before shuffling off.
Who tried to escape the racism of Donald Trump's America, only to find herself in the horror of Nigel Farage's Little England.
No, Brexit can't simply be chalked up to a rejection of globalization and a fatal convulsion of Euroscepticism. I'm afraid it has unleashed, legitimized, and given a strong voice to the true horrors of racism, xenophobia, and hate. And that is a toxic mix, much more dangerous than any other consequence of Britain's short-sighted and narrow decision to leave Europe.
Where no visible minority is safe, and millions are being terrorized by ignorant and aggressive bigots and bullies.
And the good news? The resistance is rising, and it's being led by Scotland.
For on the same day that Farage was putting down the EU, the Scottish member of the European Parliament delivered a very different speech.
Asking the parliamentarians to remember that Scotland never abandoned them, and that they should not abandon it when the time comes for it to rejoin the EU, as an independent nation.
After it has escaped from the horror of Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage's Little England.
Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon is also being praised for her attempt to block Brexit, in the Scottish Parliament.
And the best thing is that Scotland's resistance is encouraging Britain's young people who have been taking their struggle against Brexit to the streets.
As they did yesterday outside the British Parliament...
In fact, so popular are the Scottish leaders, that some groups in England have been encouraging people of all backgrounds, races, and nationalities to show their solidarity by becoming Scottish themselves.
And supporting their spirit of resistance...
Because in that regard, that little country has an excellent record of resistance going back a THOUSAND years. And those who believe in a better Britain could do worse than to follow them into battle.
Which of course has my Scottish blood raging through my veins and turning me as red as a tomato. And ready to charge the line of cannons as my ancestors did so many times during that country's long and bloody history.
For this is the beginning of a battle which is much bigger than Brexit. It's the beginning of a war against the forces of fascism that are now on the march in England, Europe, and Donald Trump's America.
It will be the hardest battle we have every fought.
But we did defeat our monstrous tyrant.
The future is with us.
And we will win this battle as well...
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15 comments:
When a country is allowed to become riddled with inequality like England has under successive conservative governments (and I include Tony Blair's government under that)it opens itself to parties like UKIP.
Your second photo reminded me of someone... Ah yes, here he is!
The European ECONOMIC Union is founded on three disastrous market fundamentalist ideas that have nothing to do with 'peace, love and unity': 1) free trade; 2) a common currency area (the euro-zone which the UK was smart enough to opt out of); 3) deregulated borders that flooded EU states with immigrants.
(It's not racist to want some kind of control over immigration; although certainly right-wing knuckle-draggers always blame minorities for all their problems.)
Notice the establishment's message: 1) stay calm; 2) be hysterical.
They say the economic sky is falling because the people rejected their neoliberal robber-baron looternomics. Not true. The UK's stock market, the FTSE, lost virtually nothing. The pound fell. But when the CAD plummeted during the 1990s it created an economic boom (debt was devalued and exports became cheaper.)
Both progressives and fascists are out to tear down the establishment's stranglehold over our governments and economics which has put the global economy on the verge of collapse.
The establishment news media will always attempt to lump the center-left side in with right-wing extremists. Just like they said Bernie Sanders supporters were "racist, misogynist Bernie Bros." It's all BS.
As it is quoted Simon, "Politicians are not the bottom of the barrel, they are what's under the bottom of the barrel." This can also apply to bank CEO's and stakeholders as well. I agree with Anon 9:19..."So instead of taking their frustrations out on the bankers and the corrupt politicians, they're instead scapegoating innocent people." The America's aren't any better. Shoot peaceful protesters and you get wined and dined by the other two Leaders of the America's. Corrupt Politicians at it's best. Meet The New Boss...Same as The Old Boss!!!!!!!! Shameful!!!!!! FS
I was most impressed by Nigel Farage's speech, err make that mad rant, in the EU Parliament. He sounded much like an evil villain out of an old James Bond movie. I had not really been following him at all but it looks like he is close to totally irrational and very scary.
@ Anonymous 10:33 AM
Don't forget that much of whatever prosperity the UK has is mainly centred around London and based on financial organizations. And mostly the banks, etc, are there because it is English speaking and an EU member. Once EU membership is gone, all preferential financial dealings with the EU are gone. I'd be investing in office space in Frankfort and Paris right now.
(Silly aside, I didn't even know you could fly the Union Flag upside down)
Little England. Can you please explain this term to me. Thanks.
-MC
Refers to a political dispute in the mid or late 19th C between those English (and probably Scots?) who advocated maintaining or expanding the Empire or those Little Englanders who saw no particular value in the Empire and thought everyone should stay home. Not exactly accurate but close enough.
@jrk: All BS. Switzerland didn't lose any financial clout opting out of the EU. In fact, after the 2008 meltdown they had to devalue their currency because foreign investors were snatching up Swiss francs like hotcakes as a safe-haven currency.
Clearly the markets don't believe the BS. Look at the FTSE. Compare the Brexit "fallout" from the 2001 'dot com' bust and the 2008 derivatives meltdown. Ignoramuses unloaded their UK stocks. Bargain hunters, not fooled by establishment talking-head liars, thanked them for being fools.
The pound lost 8%. A currency Armageddon? The CAD has lost 26% since the price of oil crashed.
EEU markets might be hurting. (Haven't bothered to check which ones; but the hysteria has to be based on something, I imagine; I keep hearing "trillions and trillions of dollars lost! Oh the humanity!") Why are they hurting? What do investors believe they will lose? Free money from the reverse of destructive looternomic neoliberal reforms? That would be my guess.
hi anon...yes the Thatcherites and the Blairites all contributed to making Britain one of the most economically unequal countries I have ever seen, and a fertile breeding ground for bigot parties like UKIP. There are three different societies on the main island. London with its glittering wealth, the rest of England, and Scotland where a more progressive government has been able to soften the cruel blows of years of Con rule. You reap what you sow....
hi anon...thank you for that. I always thought the ghastly Nigel Farage reminded me of somebody. I thought it was Don Knotts, but the grinch is better... :)
hi anon...yes, the EU is not perfect but its version of market rule is a more moderate version of the same austerity policies of the Thatcherite Cons, so the people are just jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. And now the fascist bigots are coming out of the woodwork and making a life miserable for millions of its citizens. Fir never forget when one member of a minority group is attacked its an attack on all of them....
hi FS...the British people who voted to leave Europe may have been rising up against the politics of globalization and despair, but as I said above they are just jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. Because the Cons still have a majority, and the new Thatcherites are even worse than the Cameron gang they are replacing. So they're in for a real shock, and when they realize they've been fooled Britain or Little England will go up in flames...
hi jrk...yes, when Farage gets excited it's a horrible sight. He is both fascist and buffoon. And his triumphalism is obscene. He has only one seat in Parliament right now, but I hate to imagine what might happen if the Cons call an early election, and the Labour party in disarray. This story can only get worse.
As for the flag I also wasn't aware that you could fly it upside down, but since it is a distress signal it couldn't be more appropriate....
hi anon 2:15 am...it's not just the markets, it's the question of whether London can keep its status as a major banking centre, and what's going to happen to all those working in Britain and Europe. My brother works in Europe for a big American company on a British passport, and he's worried about himself and a good number of those who work in his office. So while the damage may not be immediately apparent, far worse is still to come...
hi MC...jrkrideau is right in a strictly historical sense, although these days it is used to describe those who harken back to a past that if it ever existed, doesn't anymore. I think it's only human to remember the past when everything seemed simpler and more idyllic, and in the case of many towns in Britain much whiter. And it's quite possible than allowing too many immigrants into the country in a relatively short time, has made many people think that they are losing their country. But as I said before that train left the station a long time ago, and you can't put the genie back in the bottle. I think young people because they were born into a more diverse society accept it as normal and are not threatened by it as much as older people. And that's one of the reasons there is such a generational divide. All I know is that I came from a very white place. But now I live in one of the most diverse cities on earth, and I'm not threatened by it at all. In fact considering my love of Chinese, Greek, Italian, and Indian food etc etc I'd miss it if it was gone. White food like fish and chips is good, but not every day of the week... ;)
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