Donald Trumps Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I imagine he could be quite entertaining if he did a sort of Dave Allen act with a pint & and a fag, telling stories of the dreadful goings on in Brussels & Strasbourg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pongo Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 his contributions in the European Parliament show he has more substance on that issue than any of the mainstream politicians in either the UK or here.No. He has almost no substance. Though he is often funny in the EU Parliament, he adds nothing positive because he has nothing positive to contribute. Since he is only there for mischief. It's a trite and rather pointless routine. Like an irritating sixth former - or Colin Hunt, the Fast Show's office comic. It's easy to seem smart when you are always against things. And when your constituency is not especially bright. Much harder to offer constructive comment. Which is probably why UKIP policy is such a vacuum. But it is a mistake to see him as anything other than 'mainstream'. He is absolutely in the tradition of populists before him. And UKIP will vanish off the radar if he ever gets bored with the role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilp Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 his contributions in the European Parliament show he has more substance on that issue than any of the mainstream politicians in either the UK or here.No. He has almost no substance. Though he is often funny in the EU Parliament, he adds nothing positive because he has nothing positive to contribute. Since he is only there for mischief. It's a trite and rather pointless routine. Like an irritating sixth former - or Colin Hunt, the Fast Show's office comic. It's easy to seem smart when you are always against things. And when your constituency is not especially bright. Much harder to offer constructive comment. Which is probably why UKIP policy is such a vacuum. But it is a mistake to see him as anything other than 'mainstream'. He is absolutely in the tradition of populists before him. And UKIP will vanish off the radar if he ever gets bored with the role. Good post Pongo, some valid points. Thing is, I think Farage has brought about a small sense of empowerment to many people who felt ignored and dis-possesed by current, mainstream politics and even if he disappears in time, the example he and UKIP have shown is the power of the protest vote. I'm of the opinion that Farage's appearance on the political stage has been a healthy shot-in-the-arm to an otherwise stagnant, democratic process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lxxx Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 his contributions in the European Parliament show he has more substance on that issue than any of the mainstream politicians in either the UK or here. No. He has almost no substance.Though he is often funny in the EU Parliament, he adds nothing positive because he has nothing positive to contribute. Since he is only there for mischief. It's a trite and rather pointless routine. Like an irritating sixth former - or Colin Hunt, the Fast Show's office comic. It's easy to seem smart when you are always against things. And when your constituency is not especially bright. Much harder to offer constructive comment. Which is probably why UKIP policy is such a vacuum. But it is a mistake to see him as anything other than 'mainstream'. He is absolutely in the tradition of populists before him. And UKIP will vanish off the radar if he ever gets bored with the role. Good post Pongo, some valid points. Thing is, I think Farage has brought about a small sense of empowerment to many people who felt ignored and dis-possesed by current, mainstream politics and even if he disappears in time, the example he and UKIP have shown is the power of the protest vote. I'm of the opinion that Farage's appearance on the political stage has been a healthy shot-in-the-arm to an otherwise stagnant, democratic process. We're seeing the rise of the third party all around the world, the UK and UKIP are symptomatic of a trend across the globe. The people seem to have had enough and as the economies are turning down the apathy is wearing thin. Long may it continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilp Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 (Couldn't help it!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lxxx Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Third party all over the world - Third Reich in UK. Nationalism rises in tough times. People always perceive other people are getting a better deal and they need to find someone to blame, instead of looking at the government. History repeats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilp Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 "That men do not learn very much from the lesson's of history is the most important of all the lesson's of history" From that old mescaline-head, Aldous Huxley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilp Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 The man is a complete clown spouting a load of nationalist bollox. Politics for the brain dead. But there's no denying his popularity, I'm sure. He has become an annoying pimple on the arsehole of British politcs. For that he must be applauded, regardless of any agenda. We could do with a few pimples over here.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolley Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Bringing it down to the personality of Farage conceals the real point that the EU is rotten to the core and should be reduced to a trading block as we were all told it was in the beginning. Gravy train to end all gravy trains at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lxxx Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 his contributions in the European Parliament show he has more substance on that issue than any of the mainstream politicians in either the UK or here.No. He has almost no substance. Though he is often funny in the EU Parliament, he adds nothing positive because he has nothing positive to contribute. Since he is only there for mischief. It's a trite and rather pointless routine. Like an irritating sixth former - or Colin Hunt, the Fast Show's office comic. It's easy to seem smart when you are always against things. And when your constituency is not especially bright. Much harder to offer constructive comment. Which is probably why UKIP policy is such a vacuum. But it is a mistake to see him as anything other than 'mainstream'. He is absolutely in the tradition of populists before him. And UKIP will vanish off the radar if he ever gets bored with the role. Why is questioning the EU gravy train and federalisation of europe, against the wishes of the people, 'not especially bright.'? I think your condescending attitude towards anyone is coming through again. Not all people who follow UKIP are racist knuckleheads. Yes he might pick up the dim stragglers who would have voted BNP many years go but at the other end of the spectrum there are bright people who see the crumbling, corrupt EU for what it is and see that the whole contract with which we interact with it to be reviewed and renegotiated. As Farage quite rightly states, he isn't anti-europe at all, he is anti this cesspit of a european parliament we currently have and Britain needs to not just bow down to Brussels but take a stand against them. Like the rise of the third party in most countries in europe are saying across the continent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 The simplicity comes from his solutions to these problems not his identification of them being problematic. Just get rid of Johnny Bureaucrat and peace and prosperity will return with all those foreigners no longer allowed to take our jobs, be treated in our hospitals or have their children educated in our schools. His policy prescriptions are the worst sort of populist empty promises that are divorced from reality and highly damaging if he ever gained enough power to enforce them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lxxx Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Granted he's not an intellectual heavyweight but why should the messenger detract from the message? Maybe if he was more of a 'career politician' he wouldn't be getting half as much popularity and the message wouldn't be heard. Yes he's a populist but maybe that's exactly the kind of person you want to be forcing the door open, so we can start to debate issues that need debating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth Seeker Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 A few people on this thread have implied that Nigel Farage is a waist of space, but has he and his party forced the Liberal Democrats in to a change of policy? "A Lib Dem minister has confirmed that senior party figures are discussing whether they should back an early referendum on Britain's EU membership. Nick Clegg is being urged to abandon his opposition to a referendum in the next Parliament, the source said. Current party policy is to back a vote only if more powers are transferred from Westminster to Brussels. But the minister said the Lib Dems were "on the wrong side of the argument, and sounded disingenuous." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27905418 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pongo Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Why is questioning the EU gravy train and federalisation of europe, against the wishes of the people, 'not especially bright.'? I think your condescending attitude towards anyone is coming through again. Chinahand has more or less answered this. I would add: It's not that questioning the EU gravy train and federalisation of europe, against the wishes of the people (sic) is "not especially bright". It's that his use of rhetoric and cliché reduces these complex issues to a meaningless abstraction. He takes complex issues and presents them as if these were simple choices. That's his schtick. He's the pub bore. It's the audience which is not especially bright for not seeing that these are more nuanced issues. I would add subjectively that in my experience he also appeals very much to the sort of people who constantly think that someone else (often the govt or an imaginary club) is getting one over them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolley Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 It's that his use of rhetoric and cliché reduces these complex issues to a meaningless abstraction. He takes complex issues and presents them as if these were simple choices............. It's the audience which is not especially bright for not seeing that these are more nuanced issues. He is a politician and they are the general public. 'Twas ever thus. Are you trying to tell us that other political leaders and their target audience are different? To a man and a woman they all speak in sound bites aimed to the lowest common denominator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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