dprjones | Rivers of Blood @dprjones | Uploaded March 2011 | Updated October 2024, 13 hours ago.
The clips used in this video come from a BBC documentary. If you want to know more about the Powell and the speech then Part 1 of the documentary is here:
youtube.com/watch?v=HP7fETsKYkA
(and yes, I did copy the opening due to poor audio quality)
As ever, it is likely that my message will be misconstrued or misinterpreted (whether deliberately or not).
In order to avoid unnecessary comments let me try and explain my position.
I have great regard and respect for Enoch Powell.
He was an intellectual giant and a brilliant orator.
I do not believe that he was a racist.
I believe that he was right to raise the issue.
I think that the manner in which he did raise the issue was deliberately provocative. It undoubtedly caused an increase in tension and, as one of those in the clips said, "it was a call to arms".
I failed to understand what Willett was saying or was trying to say.
The tone of his video suggested to me, (in the absence of evidence to the contrary), that Willett is harbouring racial bigotry and is seeking, as others have done, some form of intellectual support and credence from Powell's speech. If so, they fail. Powell's "predictions" (as contained in the speech) are only accurate in so far as the prediction of the number of immigrants is concerned. The idea that the country is flowing with blood is risible.
Despite my regard for Powell it would be disingenuous for me to try and pretend that any "prediction" in the Rivers of Blood speech was correct. It wasn't, save for the one mentioned in the video.
In short, however brilliant Powell may have been, you can not canonise him. In his Rivers of Blood speech he was wrong.
It is disgusting to me that there are those who may seek to monopolise on, or seek credence from this speech. To do so is dishonesty parallel to the creationists who claim that the bible foretold scientific knowledge.
The video to which I am responding appears to have been removed by Willetts.
Other video responses that I recommend that you watch are by;
Coughlan616;
youtube.com/watch?v=eDkQP2zlQpY
and dlandoncole;
youtube.com/watch?v=RgjUNYqEPB0
The clips used in this video come from a BBC documentary. If you want to know more about the Powell and the speech then Part 1 of the documentary is here:
youtube.com/watch?v=HP7fETsKYkA
(and yes, I did copy the opening due to poor audio quality)
As ever, it is likely that my message will be misconstrued or misinterpreted (whether deliberately or not).
In order to avoid unnecessary comments let me try and explain my position.
I have great regard and respect for Enoch Powell.
He was an intellectual giant and a brilliant orator.
I do not believe that he was a racist.
I believe that he was right to raise the issue.
I think that the manner in which he did raise the issue was deliberately provocative. It undoubtedly caused an increase in tension and, as one of those in the clips said, "it was a call to arms".
I failed to understand what Willett was saying or was trying to say.
The tone of his video suggested to me, (in the absence of evidence to the contrary), that Willett is harbouring racial bigotry and is seeking, as others have done, some form of intellectual support and credence from Powell's speech. If so, they fail. Powell's "predictions" (as contained in the speech) are only accurate in so far as the prediction of the number of immigrants is concerned. The idea that the country is flowing with blood is risible.
Despite my regard for Powell it would be disingenuous for me to try and pretend that any "prediction" in the Rivers of Blood speech was correct. It wasn't, save for the one mentioned in the video.
In short, however brilliant Powell may have been, you can not canonise him. In his Rivers of Blood speech he was wrong.
It is disgusting to me that there are those who may seek to monopolise on, or seek credence from this speech. To do so is dishonesty parallel to the creationists who claim that the bible foretold scientific knowledge.
The video to which I am responding appears to have been removed by Willetts.
Other video responses that I recommend that you watch are by;
Coughlan616;
youtube.com/watch?v=eDkQP2zlQpY
and dlandoncole;
youtube.com/watch?v=RgjUNYqEPB0
