Why don't we ban extreme parties?

Question

BNP and other facist parties should not be allowed to opearte in a free society, as they will destrory everthing that we value .When they get to power ,they will be no free choice for anyone and it will be impossible to get rid off, other than with a war and this time an atomic one.

Answer 1

You have here a paradox: a free society would allow all views and ideas. On the other hand, it won't remain a free society if those who wish to turn it into an unfree society gain power. What to do?
Those who argue against you now might not be so unconcerned if people with entirely opposite views to their own were truly on the verge of gaining power in their countries. Would those on the right be so adamant that a Communist party must be allowed to compete and take power in their country if it actually has a chance to win? I'm not so sure.
But the truth is that extremists parties are banned all the time. Almost everyone believes that certain parties should be banned. How many would allow a party that preaches violence? Also, many parties are not just politically revolutionary, but culturally as well (the Communists and the Fascists are the most obvious examples), so how many people would insist on permitting a party that believes, for example, that child prostitution (I'm deliberately choosing an extreme example) should be a private parental matter? How about parties that promise genocide against some group(s)? What if it's YOUR group?
For a democratic society it's not a choice between total freedom and no freedom, it's about the frustrating negotiation over an in-between. In other words, it's not about being free or not free, but about HOW free. Anyone desiring total freedom would not bother to join or remain in a society, where compromise is required; they'd choose the wilderness, where they can do as they please. Having said that, I certainly want my society to be as free as possible!
Now to address the specific case of the BNP and such. Since they pose no threat to win much power any time soon, I say let them be rather than make heroes of such people. But if its prospects improve greatly, then British society's self-preservation imperative must kick in and they should be banned... Unless the British have opted for political freedom at ALL cost, which must necessarily trump self-preservation...

Answer 2

The main argument against you here is freedom of speech - everyone has the right to say whatever they want. You even said it yourself in your question "a free society?" how can you have a free society if you govern what people are allowed to think and believe in. whether we agree with them or not is neither here nor there - they still have the right to think what they want.

If we start banning what people can think then where do we stop? Will we end up with a system like Iraq used to have where you couldn't say anything at all against the government? In order to have freedom we have to let people say and think whatever they want.

Answer 3

The very fact of being a free state is that political parties are not banned. NONE of them.

And what exactly have the BNP told you they will destroy?
Unlimited immigration maybe?

They had a manifesto at the last General Election, it's probably online somewhere.

Let's see you back up your ignorance.

Answer 4

You contradicted yourself your cant ban political parties and then call society free. We already turning into a totalitarian state under this government with its plans for ID cards and surveillance and undermining private choice and religious freedom with the SORS bill. Banning political parties is the sort of thing the state socialists and the EU would love there could word the act of Parliament or directive so it would ban Euro sceptic parties and Christian groups or Anti War movements basically anything that opposes them and their aims strange that reminds me of what happened in Germany in the 1930s.

Answer 5

I support the BNP. I'm a Nationalist, there, I said it ... Sure, I value doctors and teachers who are "Asian", I'm not racist though. I don;'t hate people for the colour of their skin. Every society should have the basic right to free speech. There are extremists in the BNP, as their are in the conservative and Labour parties too no doubt

Answer 6

India bills itself as the world's largest democracy. If you ban certain parties and philosophies, don't you become the world's largest hypocrisy?

If the people of India vote for the BNP or any other party, that is their democratic right.

Leftists are apparently the same the world over: in favor of free expression, unless it differs from their opinions.

Answer 7

I honestly don't know the answer. I guess the risk of banning extreme groups is that over time, the term 'extreme' could be then stealthily and gradually used to apply to any group which says anything that the government disagrees with. It could get to the point where your party is banned if you criticise anything to do with, e.g. immigration policy, taxes, anti-war etc.

Answer 8

Banning the far right parties would just drive them underground and then their views could get more extreme. They may be repulsive now as legitimate parties but at least they can be kept in check. Who knows - they may never get to power. Live in hope!

Answer 9

Because it is not possible to ban people from thinking. If you ban them from gathering with like minded people, you will only give their ideas momentum behind the romanticised image of subversiveness.

I think several people on here know that I hate racists with a passion, but I would not want the BNP banned. I want to know who is in it, I want to know what they are saying, and I want to know where and to whom they are saying it!

Hold your friends close...but your enemies closer???

Answer 10

I went to a party last week (a friends birthday) and it was extremley good. I hope these will not have to stop. BNP? Lets just burn them all when the oil runs out.