Bleating about free speech when confronting racism is a cop-out

Yes it is, as is regarding those who treat ant-feminism, homophobia, discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, creed or physical/mental divergance, indeed anyone who's a bit different as suitable fodder for so-called "comedy" that turns to hatred

The nazi filth have gained but two seats in the European parliament, so Joe Offer thinks that's not worth worrying about. Wrong. Not only does it afford them a veneer of respectability (not to mention funding) but it needs to be seen in the light of many more councillors at lower echelons of local government scattered throughout the land (could easily have included one individual who used to post here), preying insidiously on the disaffected poor, scared for their jobs, their housing, their health service and education provision.

As someone remarked elsewhere. Hitler started off with only one seat. How an American can blandly turn a benign, blind eye to low-level populist fascism trading on ignorance defeats me. America truly is, as Ruth says, the culture that virtually invented self-righteous sanctimony. Even in golden California, your governor isn't exactly a beacon of free thought and progressive thinking. But what does one resident who's "in charge" around here do? He relegates what was by far the most important thread ever begun here, Folk Against Fascism, into the basement merely because of the irrelevant ramblings of a tiny group of benighted nutters.

As for the actual topic of this thread, I reviewed Richard Digance's first recording Pisces with the remark that they may have had their chips. I've no idea of the veracity of what he's alleged to have said onstage recently as I've never seen him since. But if any performer comes out with that sort of drivel it would indicate that the fish had begun to stink rather badly.

Footnote: Absolutely none of this applies to Peter Bellamy who, (apart from being one the finest interpreters of English (and indeed American) song ever) and although not exactly an SWP adherent, was one of the most open-minded, intelligent and interesting freethinkers I ever had the honour of debating with.