Comments on: British neo-Nazis launch National Illiteracy Strategy

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:45:12 +0000

But I’d say those things point to exactly the sort of self-educated thinkers I recall growing up – and they were reading Nietzsche and yes, English mystics like Blake and all that. Some ended up combining that with some terrible politics picked up from white power music and the rest 9(just like I have to admit coming from a similar background it was probably punk and soul that got me thinking about the world). That they’ve come up with a warped take on self-discipline points to an ability to think for themselves and not just go along with a wider peer pressure to “‘ave it” with drugs, drink and women.
My point being, I think to dismiss them as ignorant, as opposed to wrong with objectionable politics, is to miss what’s going on and also that there’s a lot in the appeal of right-wing youth movements that is actually admirable, just as it was with the footie hooligan gangs we had – loyalty, courage and the rest. My feeling is the liberal left and its hand-wringers have little to say of relevance to young men like this (like me as I was) and I wouldn’t want crackers fascists to be the onlly ones speaking to young white men who actually are thinking about what it means to live in this society today.

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:12:46 +0000

Jim, Judy didn’t make any comment about these people being working class. I think it’s a fair assumption that the kind of people who would have a membership strategy like “We aim to maintain standards within ENR and so the following people are NOT welcome – Drug abusers/dealers, Homosexuals, bi-sexuals, Alocoholics [sic], brawlers and people who think its OK to cheat on a partner.” are not exactly cultured. Nothing to do with what class they are from.

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:12:51 +0000

I doubt if these folk have read any Blake.
Is that because you’re some ridiculous middle class pillock with no idea of how young working class men live? Plenty of autodidacts have come out of our estates, thankfully not all with such a shite race analysis. Some even started fop-haired pop bands to parade their erudition.

By: Judy

Judy — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:50:24 +0000

Given all their endorsement of so many Nazi sentiments and slogans, of one of which “England Awake” appears to be a direct translation, and that the Blake poem goes on about Jerusalem and “sweet Zion’s ways”, my money’s on the Nazi rather than the Blakean source. Can’t see much of their stuff having come from hippie and anarchist sources…..

By: Joe Muggs

Joe Muggs — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:19:50 +0000

@Judy, it’s from the epic poem ‘Jerusalem’ by Wm Blake

England! awake! awake! awake!
Jerusalem thy Sister calls!
Why wilt thou sleep the sleep of death?
And close her from thy ancient walls.

Thy hills & valleys felt her feet,
Gently upon their bosoms move:
Thy gates beheld sweet Zions ways;
Then was a time of joy and love.

And now the time returns again:
Our souls exult & London’s towers,
Receive the Lamb of God to dwell
In England’s green & pleasant bowers.

————

These people might not have read Blake but you often find his words bastardised in hippie and anarchist screeds…

By: British not Racist

British not Racist — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:16:24 +0000

Now that’s what I call extreme Right Wing.
Not much like the BBC meaning, which starts with the Tory party & ends with the BNP.

What a repellent bunch. Be fun to put them in a stadium with Islamists, the Respect lot & assorted nasties & see who survives.

By: Jako

Jako — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:31:57 +0000

Well, you live and learn.

I now know that these ‘Autonomous’ style in neo-Nazism has UK origins, and someone with a swastika on their arm is not necessarily a fash.

Genuine thanks for the knowledge, people.

By: Roger L.

Roger L. — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:12:33 +0000

Jako “Bunch of weirdos explicitly out to copy the ‘Autonomous Nationalists’ they’ve seen on the continent. Weird kind of patriotism and defense of the ‘indigenous English’ when you have to import your ideas from abroad.”

Autonomous Nationalism, or National Anarchism has its origins in England..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National-Anarchism

By: Judy

Judy — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:51:08 +0000

I doubt if these folk have read any Blake. And "England Awake" is certainly not a quote from either Blake's poem "And Did Those Feet in Ancient Time" or Parry's version of it in the beloved-of-football-crowds hymn "Jerusalem". It looks to me as if it's directly based on the Nazi slogan "Deutschland Erwache!"="Germany, awake!" which was one of Hitler's most ubiquitously used slogans. They're presumably seriously confused about the grammar of using "will" and "shall". It looks as if they meant to express determination, for which "will" is the appropriate choice. But using "shall" implies that they're been compelled by some other actor to meet brainwashed "existance" (whatever that is) with resistance. Wake up at the back, there!

By: Joe Muggs

Joe Muggs — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:35:26 +0000

Hmmm, that flag is batik dyed too by the looks of it. Yes, I definitely detect the hand of the pot-smoking conspiracist behind this.