--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It would shine a torch into the dirty…" description: "\"It would shine a torch into the dirty little corner where the BNP defecate on our democracy, and that would be much more powerful than duffing them up ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/billy-bragg-8867_corners_it-would-shine-a-torch-into-the-dirty-li_2101853.png" --- # It would shine a torch into the dirty little corner where… ![“It would shine a torch into the dirty little corner where the BNP defecate on our democracy, and that would be much more powerful than duffing them up in the street - which Im also in favour of.” quote by Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/billy-bragg-8867_corners_it-would-shine-a-torch-into-the-dirty-li_2101853.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/billy-bragg-8867_corners_it-would-shine-a-torch-into-the-dirty-li_2101853.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/billy-bragg-8867_corners_it-would-shine-a-torch-into-the-dirty-li_2101853.png) > “It would shine a torch into the dirty little corner where the BNP defecate on our democracy, and that would be much more powerful than duffing them up in the street - which Im also in favour of.” [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Exposing corrupt groups publicly is more effective than violent confrontation. **In simple terms:** Expose, don’t fight physically. Key Takeaway Use truth to combat injustice. Themes politics justice nonviolence Mood defiant hopeful Type political activist When to use this quote - journalism - social media campaigns - peaceful demonstrations Key Concepts media strategy public accountability ethical protest Questions to Reflect On - What truth can you reveal? - How to protect yourself when exposing? A Different Perspective Nonviolent exposure may be ignored by those in power. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bnp Defecate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bnp-defecate-4201433/) [Corner Bnp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corner-bnp-4201434/) [Corners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corners/) [Defecate Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defecate-democracy-4201432/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-powerful-2949086/) [Dirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirty/) [Favour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favour/) [Im Favour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/im-favour-4201435/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Shining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shining/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Torches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torches/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [Believing in and practising the principles of the rule of law is, with our liberty and democracy, among the most powerful weapons we have.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/believing-in-and-practising-the-principles-of-the-rule-of-law-is-with/) [Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/) > [“The soft black talc blew through the streets like squid ink uncoiling along a sea floor and the cold crept down and the dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-soft-black-talc-blew-through-the-streets-like-squid-ink-uncoiling/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [America now is stumbling through the darkness of hatred and divisiveness. Our values, our principles, and our determination to succeed as a free and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/america-now-is-stumbling-through-the-darkness-of-hatred-and/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [Love is watchful. Sleeping, it does not slumber. Wearied, it is not tired. Pressed, it is not straitened. Alarmed, it is not confused, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/love-is-watchful-sleeping-it-does-not-slumber-wearied-it-is-not-tired/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [The constant man loses not his virtue in misfortune. A torch may point towards the ground, but its flame will still point upwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhartrhari/the-constant-man-loses-not-his-virtue-in-misfortune-a-torch-may-point/) [Bhartrhari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhartrhari/) > [If someone strikes my heart, it does not break, but it bursts, and the flame coming out of it becomes a torch on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazrat-inayat-khan/if-someone-strikes-my-heart-it-does-not-break-but-it-bursts-and-the/) [Hazrat Inayat Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazrat-inayat-khan/) > [Even ministers of good things are like torches, a light to others, waste and destruction to themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hooker/even-ministers-of-good-things-are-like-torches-a-light-to-others/) [Richard Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hooker/) > [Faith is like lighting the torch that passes from one person to the next. You can't light the torch of another if yours isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/faith-is-like-lighting-the-torch-that-passes-from-one-person-to-the/) [Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/) > [From early on I valued the gift of memory above all others. I understood that as we grow older we carry a whole nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-hamilton/from-early-on-i-valued-the-gift-of-memory-above-all-others-i/) [Jane Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-hamilton/) > [My pen.’ Funny, I wrote that without noticing. ‘The torch’, ‘the paper’, but ‘my pen’. That shows what writing means to me, I guess.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/my-pen-funny-i-wrote-that-without-noticing-the-torch-the-paper-but-my/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [ “\[The main road was\] now teeming with people carrying torches, pitchforks, and rakes, and one very confused man who apparently had mistaken the mob… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cuthbert-soup/the-main-road-was-now-teeming-with-people-carrying-torches-pitchforks/) [Cuthbert Soup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cuthbert-soup/) > [Prayer is the way to destroy all fear. It is the way to banish sorrow, the way to light a torch of hope. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/prayer-is-the-way-to-destroy-all-fear-it-is-the-way-to-banish-sorrow/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [Once Europe existed in a Dark Age and Islam carried the torch of learning. Now we Muslims live in a Dark age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmud-tarzi/once-europe-existed-in-a-dark-age-and-islam-carried-the-torch-of/) [Mahmud Tarzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmud-tarzi/) > [Reach me a gentian, give me a torch! Let me guide myself with the blue, forked torch of a flower down the darker and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/reach-me-a-gentian-give-me-a-torch-let-me-guide-myself-with-the-blue/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) ## More by Billy Bragg > [In that sense, I became politicized because the people in the coal mining villages who were involved in the struggle knew why they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/in-that-sense-i-became-politicized-because-the-people-in-the-coal/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [“A virtue never tested is no virtue at all. - Must I Paint You a Picture ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/a-virtue-never-tested-is-no-virtue-at-all-must-i-paint-you-a-picture/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [Never trust anyone who has no doubts. And I'm not talking about scepticism either: scepticism can be a healthy thing. You can have an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/never-trust-anyone-who-has-no-doubts-and-i-m-not-talking-about/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [I'm trying to make a case for those people who don't have a sense of belonging that they should have, that there is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/i-m-trying-to-make-a-case-for-those-people-who-don-t-have-a-sense-of/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [There are quite a few honest songwriters out there writing about relationships and their own personality traits. But for some reason, once they step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/there-are-quite-a-few-honest-songwriters-out-there-writing-about/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [By the time I was 19, punk had occurred. It had a completely different cultural dynamic to it which rejected everything and started again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/by-the-time-i-was-19-punk-had-occurred-it-had-a-completely-different/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [If there is a single trait in our character that has historically set us apart from other nations, it is our determination to limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/if-there-is-a-single-trait-in-our-character-that-has-historically-set/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [You can experience a download, but you can't download an experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/you-can-experience-a-download-but-you-can-t-download-an-experience/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [The most important thing for anyone, I think, is to be engaged, whether you're an artist or a journalist is to be engaged in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/the-most-important-thing-for-anyone-i-think-is-to-be-engaged-whether/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [The evil lot who did that thing on September 11 did it because they wanted to create a war between America and Islam. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/the-evil-lot-who-did-that-thing-on-september-11-did-it-because-they/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [Certainly, the international image of the United States today is a lot less positive than 10 years ago. And that really shouldn't be, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/certainly-the-international-image-of-the-united-states-today-is-a-lot/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [I'd like to think that in a generation or two we'll have politicians whose life experience reflects that of the people who are voting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/i-d-like-to-think-that-in-a-generation-or-two-we-ll-have-politicians/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [I came into this whole business by going to see Rock Against Racism gigs with the Clash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/i-came-into-this-whole-business-by-going-to-see-rock-against-racism/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [“Freedom is merely privilege extended Unless enjoyed by one and all. - The Internationale ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/freedom-is-merely-privilege-extended-unless-enjoyed-by-one-and-all/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [War what is it good for? It's good for business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/war-what-is-it-good-for-it-s-good-for-business/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) [Explore all 77 Billy Bragg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) ## More Corners quotes > [On the McLaughlin Report, August 26, 1990: 'There are only two groups that are beating the drums for war in the middle East, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/on-the-mclaughlin-report-august-26-1990-there-are-only-two-groups/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [I feel excited about getting older as an actress, too. I think there are some amazing opportunities around the corner and I don't need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sutton-foster/i-feel-excited-about-getting-older-as-an-actress-too-i-think-there/) [Sutton Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sutton-foster/) > [You will not find a soulmate in the quiet of your room. You must go to a noisy place and look in the quiet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/you-will-not-find-a-soulmate-in-the-quiet-of-your-room-you-must-go-to/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [I was so shy. Instead of waiting in line with other kids at lunch, I'd go to a corner and buy a pretzel and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-facinelli/i-was-so-shy-instead-of-waiting-in-line-with-other-kids-at-lunch-i-d/) [Peter Facinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-facinelli/) > [Curiosity is the essence of human existence. 'Who are we? Where are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?'... I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/curiosity-is-the-essence-of-human-existence-who-are-we-where-are-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Curiously, the righteous Pharisees had little historical impact, save for a brief time in a remote corner of the Roman Empire. But Jesus' disciples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/curiously-the-righteous-pharisees-had-little-historical-impact-save/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [If we could imagine such a man, that is a man who could invent the fly and send him out on his mission and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-we-could-imagine-such-a-man-that-is-a-man-who-could-invent-the-fly/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Self-respect,--the corner-stone of all virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-herschel/self-respect-the-corner-stone-of-all-virtue/) [John Herschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-herschel/) > [My first big mistake was made when, in a moment of weakness, I consented to learn the game; for a man who can frankly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/my-first-big-mistake-was-made-when-in-a-moment-of-weakness-i/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [Guys standing around and talking about Spanish fly: 'You know anything about Spanish fly?' 'No, tell me about it.' Well there's this girl Crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/guys-standing-around-and-talking-about-spanish-fly-you-know-anything/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [If I had to pick favourite parts of Interlagos, I would say the first and last corners. The first corner is really technical and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romain-grosjean/if-i-had-to-pick-favourite-parts-of-interlagos-i-would-say-the-first/) [Romain Grosjean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romain-grosjean/) > [With the great people that you work with, it's that they're never giving up and they're never thinking something's finished until they've really, really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-price/with-the-great-people-that-you-work-with-it-s-that-they-re-never/) [Steven Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-price/) > [What curious little corners of folly are to be found in even the sanest brain!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-of-romania/what-curious-little-corners-of-folly-are-to-be-found-in-even-the/) [Marie of Romania](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-of-romania/) > [I liked the taste of beer, its live, white lather, its brass-bright depths, the sudden world through the wet-brown walls of the glass, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-thomas/i-liked-the-taste-of-beer-its-live-white-lather-its-brass-bright/) [Dylan Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-thomas/) [Browse all 1,329 Corners quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corners/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It would shine a torch into the dirty little corner where the BNP defecate on our democracy, and that would be much more powerful than duffing them up in the street - which Im also in favour of.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Billy Bragg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/it-would-shine-a-torch-into-the-dirty-little-corner-where-the-bnp/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Corners" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/it-would-shine-a-torch-into-the-dirty-little-corner-where-the-bnp/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/billy-bragg-8867_corners_it-would-shine-a-torch-into-the-dirty-li_2101853.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/billy-bragg-8867_corners_it-would-shine-a-torch-into-the-dirty-li_2101853.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e85/billy-bragg-8867_corners_it-would-shine-a-torch-into-the-dirty-li_2101853.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It would shine a torch into the dirty little corner where the BNP defecate on our democracy, and that would…” — Billy Bragg", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Billy Bragg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It would shine a torch into...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/it-would-shine-a-torch-into-the-dirty-little-corner-where-the-bnp/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/it-would-shine-a-torch-into-the-dirty-little-corner-where-the-bnp/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```