'Bongo Land' Comment Sparks UKIP Racism Row

[kingll]

The fact is his message and points will be lost because he used ''Bongo Bongo Land''.

I take it ukip doesn't have a press secretary he could ran his speech through first?

Originally Posted by kingll

The fact is his message and points will be lost because he used ''Bongo Bongo Land''.

I take it ukip doesn't have a press secretary he could ran his speech through first?

His speech was given at a private function. The Grauniad got hold of a recording and has been busily manufacturing outrage out of it this morning. I have little doubt, from the way in which he used the term, that he considered it uncontroversial for that audience and in its context within his talk.

[kingll]

No such thing as a private function in politics.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by kingll

No such thing as a private function in politics.

Particularly if you have recordings floating around...

Originally Posted by kingll

No such thing as a private function in politics.

There's no such thing as bad publicity either. A lot of people in the country are sympathetic with Bloom's sentiments. They sound shocking because the political class and the gatekeepers of mainstream popular culture have worked hard to banish them from popular discourse. It is, however, a mistake to believe that denying them a platform is the same as erasing such a widespread sentiment.

Bloom observed on Today this morning that the Grauniad's reporting may well have doubled the UKIP vote in the north of England. His tongue was in his cheek but many a true word is spoken in jest. No doubt the metropolitan liberals who loathe UKIP will see this as an affirmation of their hatred, but outside of that set, I really don't think he has done the party any harm.

Originally Posted by Chris

There's no such thing as bad publicity either. A lot of people in the country are sympathetic with Bloom's sentiments. They sound shocking because the political class and the gatekeepers of mainstream popular culture have worked hard to banish them from popular discourse. It is, however, a mistake to believe that denying them a platform is the same as erasing such a widespread sentiment.

Nothing too wrong with trying to banish references to third world countries as "bongo bongo land". It's clearly a stupid thing to say.

[Pog66]

Originally Posted by Chris

His speech was given at a private function. The Grauniad got hold of a recording and has been busily manufacturing outrage out of it this morning. I have little doubt, from the way in which he used the term, that he considered it uncontroversial for that audience and in its context within his talk.

he was interviewed on Radio 4 this morning (definately not a private function) and used the term again along with frivolous comments about how much he enjoyed winding up the Guardian & BBC.

Self important pompous tit if you ask me - irrespective of his political party or the validity of the point he was trying to put across.

[Doug P]

Originally Posted by Chris

Exactly. It's far too cheap and easy to respond "google it" when being called out over a lazy generalisation.

There are racists, sexists and homophobes in all walks of life. Bloom may be any or none of them, and his words this morning don't demonstrate anything, one way or the other.

Look on twitter look around the country. I deny the lazy tag. UKIP are particularly vile in places. I was not called out I am simply not prepared to provide links from twitter and news sites about some of the party's horrid members, candidates and supporters.

I was not talking about Bloom. His comments and attitude are not worth talking about.

Of course all parties have people with horrid opinions, but UKIP as the new broom have been painting themselves as something new when underneath they are nothing of the kind.

[Taf]

I wonder if anyone in Bongo Bongo Land was upset by this comment?

[Doug P]

Originally Posted by Damien

Nothing too wrong with trying to banish references to third world countries as "bongo bongo land". It's clearly a stupid thing to say.

Not the first stupid thing said either nor will it be the last. Banishing references to such idiotic people is no bad thing imo.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Taf

I wonder if anyone in Bongo Bongo Land was upset by this comment?

Nope, only people in GuardianLand

Originally Posted by Damien

Nothing too wrong with trying to banish references to third world countries as "bongo bongo land". It's clearly a stupid thing to say.

It's certainly impolite and somewhat unfair as a generalisation that implies that great swathes of the planet exist in a state of barely post-tribal savagery. However, as an expression of anger and frustration its understandable, especially in the context in which the comments were delivered. The example he gave on Today being the provision of aid to Pakistan, which is also buying a squadron of F-18s, while at the same time we have scrapped our own carrier-based aircraft and will have no replacements for another 5 years at least.

And whatever I think of how impolite or boorish his terminology may have been, I draw the line at attempts to 'banish' such speech. Liberals and lefties are great at getting down on hate, except for the things they hate themselves. Either we allow freedom of expression or we don't.

Originally Posted by Taf

I wonder if anyone in Bongo Bongo Land was upset by this comment?

No but people from countries which are usually referenced as such, and to whom he was likely referring too, might a bit peeved. I doubt anyone really cares that much anyway.

[Doug P]

Anger and frustration are one thing but he destroyed his own argument by childish terminology.

The only issue that I agreed with in his 'speech' was just how the aid we provide is spent.Are we certain that it does get used for the benefit of those it is supposed to be aimed at? Otherwise his words were unpleasant to hear and I'd rather not give them the oxygen of publicity.