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There’s also a slight difference in the Flemish flag. The one displayed here has a red tongue, while the one used by VB is all black on yellow, no red parts.

Having read this, I’m glad you folks are taking LGF challenge in strides. This is exactly what is needed: zero invective or bad feelings towards Charles Johnson and his loyal readership, zero “Americans don’t know/understand this or that”; maximum information that would present the other side of the story and permit the readers, including Americans, to make up their own minds.

This has caught my attention for some days already and it looked regrettable, because LGFers not only seemed to have made up their minds, but Mr. Johnson seemed to be utterly bent on presenting one story only - his own convictions and what he believes supports them. Making Dewinter’s interview available fixed that part, all the predictable reactions in comments notwithstanding. The attitude seems somewhat puzzling: on one hand quite a few commentators there expressed the idea that it is necessary and indeed possible to reinvent the politics; that it needs to be done among the political right in Europe (reinvent I understand to mean, at the very least, getting rid of racism and antisemitism), and on the other hand – unwillingness to entertain the thought that that could be precisely what VB (I have no idea or opinion about Swedish Democrats) is doing.

Personal feelings: LGF is making a weak case that Vlaams Belang has, in fact, not evolved since the beginning of nineties and thus far it is based on appearances, tenuous connections and implications only, and centers mostly on one person – Mr. Dewinter. The evidence presented for all the categorical assertions (especially those made in comments) is, in my opinion, paltry. I mean - Dewinter has gone on some radio show in USA frequented also by extremists, racists and the like? That alone or taken in conjunction with other such bits be evidence he is a racist? Uhmmm, ok… and did he say or advocated something extremist, racist while on that radio? Anything at all..?

What also is overlooked is that personal opinions of one of leader’s of VB towards his daughter’s hypothetical association with (what was it?) lesbian, African, I forgot the third, and about having lasting relationship with person coming from another culture, so long as they are not policy statements of WB and stay his own convictions only, are… something reasonable people may disagree about, IMO. My wife is Asian, I cannot agree with Mr. Dewinter, but… has it anything at all to do with policies of political party Vlaams Belang – as stated, advocated or practiced?

The motivation of Mr. Johnson is, however, understandable:- appearances do matter a lot when it comes to political propaganda and nobody wants to be bogged down having to prove VB policies are not racist, Nazi, etc. (having to justify association with VB) each time one wants to make a case against political Islam.

Keep up the good work and hopefully Mr. Johnson too will bring some of this information to his readers attention. It is doubtful it will change his own convictions or those of his loyal readers, but it would be right thing to do.

Here’s a link to Indymedia Antwerp which has a piece on the CounterJihad conference. I don’t read Flemish so maybe someone here will give us a rough idea of what it says (no doubt deeply unflattering!)

http://antwerpen.indymedia.org/news/2007/10/13676.php

[...] Wie die meisten Leser inzwischen wissen, war ich in etwas involviert, was sich leider zu einer höchst öffentlich ausgetragenen Streiterei - manche würden wahrscheinlich auch Hexenjagd sagen - mit Charles Johnson von dem großen amerikanischen Blog Little Green Footballs entwickelt hat. Es ging dabei um den angeblichen “Rassismus” der Schwedendemokraten und des Vlaams Belang. Vielen dieser Behauptungen ist bereits widersprochen worden, obwohl sich LGF weigert, das zu verlinken. Ich habe meine Absicht kundgetan, eine Kommentarpause bei LGF einzulegen, wo ich mehrere Jahre lang aktiv war, denn ist mehr als klar geworden, dass sowohl Charles als auch viele seiner Leser keinerlei Interesse an einer echten Debatte haben, geschweige denn an einer über die wirklichen Bedrohungen der Freiheit in Europa. [...]

[...] Footballs about the supposed “racism” of the Sweden Democrats and the Vlaams Belang. Many of these claims have already been countered, though LGF refuses to link to this. I have announced my [...]

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