Clearly this is only your opinion and you need to understand that because you think "It's a natural progression" doesn't necessarily make it so. In fact there is many examples of people who mature they change their political stance from younger = Liberal/socialist to older = conservative.
First things first. We are using "that word" incorrectly again. Liberal doesn't mean "socialist" and that term was never used that way until American right wing movements started using it incorrectly as a derogatory epithet describing rampant leftie. Liberal is someone who believes in maintaining freedoms, rights and equality with minimum involvement from central government. Traditionally European liberalism is very centre with slight centre-right leanings.
I am a liberal in the strict, correct sense of the word - a secularist liberal democrat to be precise. But I'm not a leftie. Even LibDems are too left for my taste.
Now, about the "natural progression". Racism, xenophobia and other ethnocentric phobias usually stem from isolation, inexperience and inability to explore things different to your own. Since "smart" rarely just happens organically and in most cases is gained over time by means of exploration and learning, it is highly unlikely for that process to end with a conclusion that someone of a different colour of skin, culture or origins is somehow less of a human, a lesser person or shouldn't share the same space as your own herd/kind/species.
I agree there are no "clean cut" right-wing parties in UK, nor are there "clean cut" left wing parties either. But there are certainly "clean cut" right and left wing people, this is evident on this very forums.
Yes, but you are under the impression that it is excusable to support party of terrible individuals just because you agree with some, selected things they say. That falls under "misguided". There is no scenario upon which you should entertain xenophobes or racists or fascists (whichever applies) with your vote, time or support unless you either are one yourself or agree with them on their core issues. If you don't agree with UKIP candidates and backbenchers sending Lenny Henry to Africa, calling asians "ting tongs", referring to Africa as "bongo bongo land" and calling immigrants "free-loading, benefit-grabbing, resource-sucking, baby-making, non-English-speaking ******" etc, then the fact they also like dogs and share your passion for IPA ale shouldn't be enough for any "clean cut" right wing person to lower themselves to their level.
As for "UKIP are ferociously anti gay" then why would they have David Coburn MEP? "To deflect from that fact they are anti-gay" you would say, but any truly anti gay party wouldn't even consider having a gay MEP standing, and no openly gay man would be in a party that's anti-him! And i see no plans from UKIP to repeal the gay marriage laws, anything you say to the contrary is just conjuncture based on what you believe, which is unlike you V0n.
I know, right? Gay MEP with anti-gay marriage stance. You don't find that every day. But you are not voting for Nigel, or few individuals, you are voting for the group, for the lot. And the group for a long time now has been
magnet for loonies trying to present their
medieval views,
bizare outbursts on the subject and general
anti-gay ranting to wider audience. Although Nigel does his best to
apologise regularly for the offences caused by UKIP members he often can't stop some of these loons to
come back for more. Nigel himself also refused to clarify UKIPs stance on homosexuality and gay marriage
time, after
time all the way to by-elections.
You'll find as many "outbursts" about just about anything politically incorrect from UKIP members, they just have absolutely no sense of self preservation when it comes to this kind of stuff. I know there are issues among other parties, but just consider percentage and scale of "the stupid". It really is strong with UKIP.
I don't disagree with the statement apart from lumping UKIP in with the BNP or EDL. Which again is very lazy of you.
The moment they stop their once-a-week racist or xenophobic outbursts, they will automatically drift away from the association with ugly far right on their own and no-one will mention it again. But until the tail stops wagging the dog, that association just has to stay with them. Stupid is what stupid does.
I personally think, the crowd behind Nigel will inevitably sink the ship for him. He might genuinely believe UKIP to be thatcherite back-in-time conservative party, but I don't think the rest of the party agrees with him and general public certainly doesn't see it that way. Wasn't there a poll recently that showed
UKIP supporters lose quarter of their friends because of their political views and associations?
I would say i see far more often is that the liberals and socialists confuse patriotism for xenophobia. It scares the bejesus out of them or makes them sneer to see some one to be proud of the English flag (See Emily Thornberry) Yes our countries flag has been high-jacked by the BNP or EDL, but this doesn't mean we should run away and abandon it, is this why pro-Europeans want a new flag to salute to? No, we should fly the Union-Jack and St George with pride, and if a tiny group of racists want to use it then we shouldn't let them have it wholesale.
I am glad to see Thornberry gone, but I don't agree with the whole flag-gate. Crashing candidate's career against a random yob with football logo'ed polyester rags hanging, literally, from gutters is 1:0 to UKIP and press, but let's face it - it had nothing to do with patriotism or working class, it was just good story and a massive knee jerk from the labour leader.
I would love to see Union Jacks on houses more often though.
It's extremely sad that you feel that want to pigeon hole people so easily, i thought you were better than that.
I can't not pigeon hole UKIP supporters, because for every you, there is another deuse. I think you would have done much better on right wing of the conservatives than with this self imploding, one-step-from-massive-screwup new outfit, but I also understand this is, in large percentage, protest vote.
To me, democratic process is too important and life too short for protest votes and cutting off noses to spite the face. Electing people that don't turn up to their work or vote against their own country, into European Parliament weakens British position and damages national interests. It's also self fulfilling prophecy. It creates the problems that provided UKIP with bullets in the first place. I consider something like this to be almost political terrorism. Within two or three European elections it might actually be the local equivalent of "burning of the Reichstag".
