Serious question.
I know the people who run it want to generate publicity for themselves and get their names in the paper, but are they willing to do by any means necessary?
Last year, they invited BNP leader Nick Griffin and holocaust denier David Irving. This year they've gone and invited disgraced actor Chris Langham to give a talk.
This is a man who was convicted for downloading images of children as young as eight. I would be interested to learn why they think he's an appropriate person to invite.
The Oxford Union describes itself as being:
"the world's most prestigious debating society"
More accurately, it's a place which frequently engages in childish and transparent attempts to be controversial by inviting speakers considered 'notorious' by virtue of their repulsive views.
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Saturday, April 19, 2008
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17 comments:
What is he actually speaking on? He might or might not bring relevant views to the discussion; the fact that he's a peadophile doesn't mean his views on paedophilia are necessarily not worth listening to.
Why the fuck do the supposed top intellectuals in the country invite people who are fucking weirdo's to talk though? I think Duncan's trying to make the point that there are many legitimate people to invite without inviting someone who's only purpose is to make publicity for the leaders of the OU.
Well, he's not a convicted paedophile. Paedophilia isn't a crime (rather, downloading indecent images/abusing children are both rightly crimes). Sorry to be pedantic, but it's a bug-bear of mine.
I'm not interested in what Langham has to say, and if I'm honest I'm not that bothered he's been invited. I don't think he's likely to spread any repulsive views or talk about them - if he's any sense, he won't talk about what he was convicted for. I imagine he's deeply ashamed.
I'm not sure there's really any real analogy with the Griffin/Irving debacle.
Agreed that the Union is run (mostly) by a bunch of pricks though.
Mela,
Going by the past performance of the Oxford Union, I would suggest that they are doing this to be controversial and drum up publicity, see the article linked to where the invitation has already been condemned by a children's charity.
This would suggest that Langham is, in some sense, because of his notoriety, and this notoriety is derived from his downloading indecent images of young children. In a way, he is perhaps being rewarded for this.
The fact that there is precedence for this at the union would further suggest that this is no isolated incidenct but symptomatic of a general trend.
peter,
Apologies, I've corrected the error.
The analogy to Griffin/Irving, and repeated previous attempts to invite Irving and Tyndall, is that the union is capitalising on its history and status to get controversial figures in that will generate publicity for the people who run it.
I'm obviously not saying that Langham is likely to try and use this opportunity to 'convert' people at all.
Fucking hells bells,whoever next?Gary Glitter?Abu Hamza?Gordon Brown? AAARRRRGGGHHHH.
These jumped up pricks are making publicity for all the wrong reasons,but lets face it,no fucker believes in freedom of speach really.(apart from the Oxford Union,and look where its getting them)
if you look over at stormfront then all the bnp supporters who were all demanding freedom of speech when griffin was invited to the oxford union are now demanding that langham should be hung!
True but it was the reds kicking off off when Nick Griffin was invited to speak.No-one believes in freedom of speach unless it is in line with the listeners own agenda or beliefs.
It was smart to post about not liking the series, without making it a free speech issue.
It's a taste issue.
I hope every anti-fascist moves to the UK's first ethnic majority city Birmingham. Come on lads and lasses this is what you wanted and have been aiming for, don't be a bunch of hypocrites- pack your bags and move!!!!!!!
Surely you should be moving to Birmingham William, do your bit to keep the city majority white?
Tell you what, send me a cheque for £162,000, the average house price in Birmingham, and I'll move there.
Once you graduate and start earning lots of money, marry and have kids will you move to an area that is predominately non-white, YES or NO, what would you prefer? have some honesty and guts to answer the question.
You anti-racists are all the same, complete hypocrites, and full of it. You are no better than these Labour MPs who welcome millions of immigrants to the UK and then make sure they have enough money so they and their families live as far from them as possible.
what would you prefer?
To be honest, I don't really take into consideration the ratio of whites to non-whites in prospective areas to live.
However, given that most areas of the UK are predominantely white it's more than likely I'll end up living in an area that's mostly white.
I would like to move back to Cumbria at some point in my life, but that's because I lived there for almost 20 years, never even moved house, rather than the racial demographics.
I doubt there's much point me answering your question as you've clearly made up your mind.
Off topic i know but purely out of interest,apart from yourself Duncan
and Jonathan do any of the anti-fascists/lefties/socialists who post on here actually live in ethnic communities or amongst ethnics?No fantasy lists now.How about you mr Wilks?
mr crank,
I take it you don't think it's possible for non-whites to be anti-fascists, lefties or socialists?
Fucking disgusting. Why isn't this paedo filth locked up anyway?
fascists - I can't say I've ever lived in a majority non-White area. so? i agree immigration is a problem but immigrants are victims as well as you and me. have you ever heard of a "scapegoat"? no? well, the ruling class are responsible for trying to break the working-class' back by bringing over cheap labour to fill up the labour pool. but it isn't the immigrants fault. they're getting screwed over too, just like us native working English.
you want to save england? scrap the racism, scrap the fucking fascism and get down to it. you're shooting at the wrong targets!
What is wrong with the Oxford Union?
That they can influence the Durham Union so much to give a platform to the self seeking publicist that is Luke Tryl.
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