A look into the mind of an EDL supporter

There was recently a thread about a women in the UK, who had been removed from a shopping area after waving a EDL flag around (English Defence Leauge), and spewing racist remarks.

You can check it our here:
Woman allegedly arrested for carrying a Union Jack Flag (In Oldham England)

Today a friend who lives in the UK shared this video on facebook, which I personally found very enlightening.


Clearly these people don't know what they are talking about, and at some points it doesn't even seem like he knows who he is talking about.

It could be interesting to get a debate going about what measures a society can take, to combat this kind of ignorance.

Obviously there is a fine line between forcing opinions on people, and educating them. But it is naturally in any society's best interest to have well informed people, and also to have some sort of consensus on what direction said society should move in.

Naturally it's an Utopian thought to have a complete consensus. But, by watching this video, it has become clear to me, that something has to be done. Extreme nationalism, jingoism, racism and even Nazism is on the rise across Europa, and I fear that history might repeat itself.
Sad but true..

reply to post by Mads1987


I have two people from the UK I correspond with occasionally who claim membership in the EDL. In the years I have known them, I have never once heard anything racist come from them. In fact, they don't seek to do harm to anyone. Their goal is to preserve a thousand years of English history and heritage against what is an immigration onslaught being seen across Europe right now.

Of course, just as those in this nation are demonized for wishing to see existing immigration laws enforced and wondering just how in the hell we find jobs for 11 million illegals when we can't even find jobs for Americans, the EDL has a target painted on it and is plastered regularly as being something almost as ee-ville as old Satan hisself.

Now, before I am fallen upon, let me offer this Obligatory Disclaimer:
There is wrong and imperfection across the broad spectrum of human society. Nobody is perfect so... if you go looking for something to dislike in one quarter or the next, you will most surely find it... because it does exist everywhere. And just as with almost every aspect of life in the digital morass we call the 21st century, politics is poured over subjects to isolate certain segments of belief so that they can be properly, and publicly, stereotyped and degraded.

In the end, regardless of who you are or what you hold to be true, you can be sure that someone, somewhere will despise you for it. That, in my opinion, is about the only truth that rises above denial.

My dime.

reply to post by Mads1987


Wow! That's totally awesome, dude! Pure unadulterated ignorance on display for all to see! We definitely can't have any of that "muslamic law" around these parts!

Something needs to be done alright! Sounds like someone needs to plant some brain seeds in that guy's head.

F&S for the OP!

I joined EDL´s forums a couple of years ago for mainly study purposes and i can tell you there is political motivation at the top it started as´´ the united people of Luton´´ due to Islam´s takeover of the city of Luton the entire city is swarming with Islam so tommy robinson decided to put together a street vigilante group to fight the Islamic gangs but it grew very very fast and became a country wide movement obviously due to its size it couldn´t be a violent group so tommy tried to change the face of the movement for the global stage trouble is many of his recruits are from football firms and they are all about the fight, Most of the supporters are fairly bright and switched on there are some exceptions, but among the majority of Edl´s soldiers the general feeling is Islam has no place in Britian and needs to be eradicated completely the government is not going to lift a finger so the people will have to do it themselves that is the true Edl many people who are not affiliated with football hooliganism have joined Edl and as long as Islam keeps growing and the government does nothing the number of British people siding with Edl will continue to grow.

Originally posted by redoubt
reply to post by Mads1987

 

Their goal is to preserve a thousand years of English history and heritage against what is an immigration onslaught being seen across Europe right now.

edit on 29-5-2013 by redoubt because: edit

I generally agree with most of what you said. There is usually an a-hole in every group, there will always be people who disagree and all that jazz.
But, I do think there are ways to reach a consensus, and try to reason with both sides of this conflict. I might be wrong, but I don't think I could ever accept such a thing.

Anyway. In regards to their goal, that you described. I think history is important to know, but dangerous to worship. I don't believe that traditions are ever more important than helping others.
I wouldn't want my country to come under Islamic law, as the young gentleman in the video, seems to fear is what is happening in the UK. But alternatively, their reasoning for keeping their own history, is no better than the one presented by the Muslim extremist who actually preach this message.

I don't think Muslim law is a better alternative, but I don't think heritage is worth holding on to, just for the sake of holding on to it. Either it is useful and good, or it isn't.

reply to post by Flatfish


Planting brain seeds in his head is a bad idea. Imagine if he was intelligent, he'd be a very dangerous man. Thank goodness for small mercies.

reply to post by mykingdomforthetruth


Thanks for the insight.
Didn't know the background story.

reply to post by Mads1987

I think history is important to know, but dangerous to worship.

Worship? No. It has a more important purpose... one that has never been respected throughout, well, history.

Let me offer this quote and then, leave it at that:


“When the situation was manageable it was neglected, and now that it is thoroughly out of hand we apply too late the remedies which then might have effected a cure. There is nothing new in the story. It is as old as the sibylline books. It falls into that long, dismal catalogue of the fruitlessness of experience and the confirmed unteachability of mankind. Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong – these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history.”
- Winston Churchill, May 1935

You'll get the odd few who are sincere and mean no harm but for me the EDL are taking advantage of moments of fear and terror to spread hatred and animosity.
The group's "constant belligerence" would further "only bigotry and segregation" a wise anonymous once said.

The world is changing, and rapidly at the moment. Too fast for some who cling to old ideas.
The lines on a map are just ideas and Britain has been invaded and conquered many times in its history. I'm not agreeing with the idea of a muslim take over, but then I think all religions should be eradicated.
The EDL are a bunch of morons, no doubt about that.
As Einstein said "Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind."

I've met EDL supporters and they are not like him at all.They can be drunk and over the top, yes, but overall they aren't anything like this numpty.

''Muslamic law''

hooliganism with a flag on it

Originally posted by Viking9019
I've met EDL supporters and they are not like him at all.They can be drunk and over the top, yes, but overall they aren't anything like this numpty.

''Muslamic law''

I think that "Numpty Dumpty" sat on a wall and had a big fall... either that or he can't handle his beer!

A bit stupid of the reporter to pick a young skinhead out of the crowd to ask his opinions! (But then again, the reporter probably did it on purpose!)

Kindest respects

Rodinus

reply to post by Mads1987
There will be radical nutbags in every group who use said group for their own agenda. Not to mention that somehow the camera always seems to pick this sort of nutbag out of the group. I'm sure that people of this sort are the exception and not the rule.

Man that was a bad interview. Was he stoned? But i get the jist. He doesn't want his country to have Sharia law imposed anywhere in his country. He wants it to remain British law. Sharia is a religious law that should not be forced onto people.

They have these zones now in Britain where laws to ban drinking alcohol because of the local numbers of religious Muslims living in that area not liking it due to it being against their beliefs.

Muslims enforcing Sharia law in Britain


The desciption of that video has this to say:

Police in the UK have arrested two men who are said to be part of a vigliante group calling themselves the 'Muslim Patrol'. - www.youtube.com... The footage is likely to have come from East London, where 'Shariah zones' were set up last year. The new tactic of intimidation is said to appall local residents, who will likely find the 'patrols' disconcerting. In the videos, the 'Muslim Patrol' is heard to say, "Alcohol banned. This is a Muslim area. Muslims patrol the area."

I still swear the EDL are another government agency construct!

The way they suddenly appeared out of nowhere, with funding for all their printed placards, T-shirts and being bussed into places. I wonder where the funding came from for all of that? I expect there are a few police / MI5 / Special Branch plants in there as well whipping things up and organizing things for their chavtastic followers.

I guess the BNP were no longer getting the press so they needed another group in opposition to all their Islamaphobic claptrap. Of course, they also run a few of those alleged Islamic nutjobs too, nothing like playing both sides to sow the seeds of discord amongst the peasants!

As for the EDL supposedly wanting to preserve our "English" history, perhaps they need to take a long hard look at our royal family and many other institutions they they clearly think are English. We are a real mixed bag already and have been for hundreds of years.

Edit to add.... As for the interview, that guy is just the kind of mouth breather such a group is meant to attract and what an ambassador he and his fellow knuckle dragging meatheads are for "Great" Britain.

reply to post by DaRAGE


Please provide evidence to support this claim;

They have these zones now in Britain where laws to ban drinking alcohol because of the local numbers of religious Muslims living in that area not liking it due to it being against their beliefs.

Because I live in Britain and I am sure that is bollocks. There are no areas of Britain legally bound by Sharia Law at all.

No woman was arrested in the UK over a flag.

EDL wrong over flag-flyer arrest

“This woman was taken to one side and the second flag was taken from her. At no point was she arrested, nor did she have her Union Flag confiscated.”

They did take the EDL flag however because of what was written on it. If a person writes on a flag then they clearly don't respect that flag.

reply to post by buster2010


That is another example of misrepresentation to further the racist cause. Someone is being offensive while waving a flag around and when they get stopped its the flag that was the problem, yeah right.

Yes, the big story interviewing a drunk on the street to help prove their point.