Why is the alternative the BNP and not the Greens? Obvious innit? People WANT to get nasty with someone, and the BNP gives them "permission" to do that. In the same way that the Serbs preferred to take the whole country to hell rather than feel disempowered (even though they would have been much better off), the ordinary "soft" BNP supporter would rather trash Britain than redirect or let go of their anger.

Over the last 25 years, following Thatcher's deliberate North Sea oil- fuelled destruction of the industrial economy, stable industries that (despite their faults) built stability, community and a sense of solidarity have been replaced by fragmented, non- continuous, undeveloping, isolating jobs. No wonder people are angry. But the BNP feed them a simple line- it's all the others, the immigrants, the Blacks, Asians, Eastern Europeans. Combine this with the underhand support they get from the right- wing media, it makes getting the more complex message across like trying to get kids to eat muesli instead of greaseburgers.

People are right to be angry. It's the target that's wrong. But the Greens are far too honest to make up easy hate- figures to exploit the desire to break something.