Why no self-respecting socialist
or Labour supporter should buy the Guardian
or Labour supporter should buy the Guardian
On and on they go. I didn’t realise just how bad the Guardian campaign has been until someone had the bright idea of doing a compilation. An incessant drip drip of poison against Jeremy Corbyn allied to a monotonous one-sided propaganda campaign about non-existent ‘anti-semitism’ in the Labour Party. There are plenty more of these articles at the bottom of this post.
The fact that the Daily Express, Mail and Sun are so concerned about this ‘anti-Semitism’ should tell you all you need to know.
You might think that the Guardian’s readership having fallen from nearly 1/2 million a decade ago to about 150,000 today that they might have taken care not to alienate the hundreds of thousands of Corbyn supporters who joined the Labour Party.
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Owen Jones demonstrates his fierce independence from the Guardian consensus
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The Guardian seems to have a bottomless pit of stupid journalists and vacuum heads
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I’m not sure who they are but five filters have done a
remarkable job in collating some of the more tedious attacks by Guardian columnists
on Jeremy Corbyn. I have added a few
more from the Guardian’s sponsorship of the false anti-Semitism campaign.
remarkable job in collating some of the more tedious attacks by Guardian columnists
on Jeremy Corbyn. I have added a few
more from the Guardian’s sponsorship of the false anti-Semitism campaign.
They are all on one theme – in the
words of Suzanna Moore ‘Corbyn’s
Uselessness has lost its charm.’
Their many but not varied columnists deploy a variety of approaches, but
all with the same monotonous message.
words of Suzanna Moore ‘Corbyn’s
Uselessness has lost its charm.’
Their many but not varied columnists deploy a variety of approaches, but
all with the same monotonous message.
There is the bludgeon approach
of Nick Cohen ‘Labour
has the stench of death – meet the killers’. Cohen doesn’t do subtle. There is the smug approach of Jonathan Freedland
No more excuses: Jeremy Corbyn is to blame for this
meltdown. Then there is the concerned ‘left-winger’ aka Owen Jones Jeremy Corbyn says he’s staying. That’s not good enough
(Jones always falls on the wrong side even if it is for the right reasons!).
of Nick Cohen ‘Labour
has the stench of death – meet the killers’. Cohen doesn’t do subtle. There is the smug approach of Jonathan Freedland
No more excuses: Jeremy Corbyn is to blame for this
meltdown. Then there is the concerned ‘left-winger’ aka Owen Jones Jeremy Corbyn says he’s staying. That’s not good enough
(Jones always falls on the wrong side even if it is for the right reasons!).
Then there is the resident ‘concerned’ Tory Matthew d’Ancona who
misquotes John Donne ‘The bell tolls for
Corbyn’s leadership, but where are Labour’s centrists.’ There is even the fake sympathiser,
Polly Toynbee who hawks her social conscience around the TV studios but when push comes to shove backs free market capitalism. Why can’t I get behind Corbyn, when we want the same
things?
misquotes John Donne ‘The bell tolls for
Corbyn’s leadership, but where are Labour’s centrists.’ There is even the fake sympathiser,
Polly Toynbee who hawks her social conscience around the TV studios but when push comes to shove backs free market capitalism. Why can’t I get behind Corbyn, when we want the same
things?
Toynbee has the gall
to write Free to dream, I’d be left of Jeremy Corbyn.
as if we have forgotten that the last time Labour went leftwards Polly Toynbee helped
found the SDP which guaranteed Thatcher her victory in 1983. Their hypocrisy is only matched by their
dishonesty.
One should not of course forget the Observer’s pompous and verbally
incontinent political correspondent Andrew Rawnsley who professes that The
really scary thing about Corbyn? He’s not radical. Who would have thought that Rawnsley was a genuine revolutionary!
There is John
Harris who is happy to write the first rubbish that comes into his head Twitter parodies won’t worry Corbyn. But his supporters
deserting him should
Marina Hyde is the Guardian’s resident vacuum head who makes Jonathan
Ross seem like an intellectual. She
genuinely believes that ‘His remain colleague’s effort level was not so
much half-arsed as quarter-arsed.’ is
amusing in Labour is making the Conservative omnishambles era look
like a utopia’.
Ross seem like an intellectual. She
genuinely believes that ‘His remain colleague’s effort level was not so
much half-arsed as quarter-arsed.’ is
amusing in Labour is making the Conservative omnishambles era look
like a utopia’.
One of the qualities of these empty rhetoricians is their pomposity. Raphael Behr is the most pompous of all in a field with stiff competition. In his Jeremy Corbyn, you broke it – now you must own it
Behr summed up the Guardian’s lack of principle
when he berated Corbyn over his lack of support for Sellafield and nuclear
energy in the Copeland by-election.
According to Behr Corbyn should act like any other Labour right-winger
and bury his deeply held convictions about nuclear energy for the sake of transient
electoral approval. ‘The Tories were not
shy of reminding people that the Labour leader was ideologically hostile to the
engine of their local economy.’ The Guardian, following in the footsteps of
the Lib Dems simply does not understand a principled politician. Principles must
be sacrificed for pragmatism.
So
when we have another nuclear disaster, as happened at Windscale in the 1950’s
who will remember that Corbyn refused to bow to the tabloid’s populism?
when we have another nuclear disaster, as happened at Windscale in the 1950’s
who will remember that Corbyn refused to bow to the tabloid’s populism?
In
the middle of the first leadership election campaign Michael White, who used to
be its parliamentary sketch writer and was from memory genuinely funny, could
find nothing else worth saying other than Jeremy Corbyn: is the world ready for his sandals and
socks?
the middle of the first leadership election campaign Michael White, who used to
be its parliamentary sketch writer and was from memory genuinely funny, could
find nothing else worth saying other than Jeremy Corbyn: is the world ready for his sandals and
socks?
My favourite article is by Islamaphobe
Nick Cohen Don’t
tell me you weren’t warned about Corbyn.
Written just before the General Election it is a text book example of
mendacity and how the class of political commentators and pundits speak to
themselves.
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Not one Guardian columnist matched this blog’s analysis!
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In an election, they [the
Tories] would tear them to pieces. … Will there be 150, 125, 100 Labour MPs by
the end of the flaying? My advice is to think of a number then halve it.
One senior Labour figure told me he thought
Corbyn was endangering British democracy. … The 60% of the population who do not want
Conservative rule are faced with Conservative rule without end, with the only
pressure for change coming from an ever-more audacious right.
Corbyn was endangering British democracy. … The 60% of the population who do not want
Conservative rule are faced with Conservative rule without end, with the only
pressure for change coming from an ever-more audacious right.
More troubling for you ought to be the
question why might May, a prime minister with a fragile majority, not bother to
call an early election. One cabinet minister explains her insouciance thus.
question why might May, a prime minister with a fragile majority, not bother to
call an early election. One cabinet minister explains her insouciance thus.
He and George Osborne used to worry about how
Ed Balls and Chuka Umunna would strike back against their austerity programme.
Now ministers do not give Labour a second’s thought.’
Ed Balls and Chuka Umunna would strike back against their austerity programme.
Now ministers do not give Labour a second’s thought.’
The ever thoughtful Cohen finished with a self-righteous
flourish of anger:
flourish of anger:
‘In my
respectful opinion, your only honourable response will be to stop being a
fucking fool by changing your fucking mind.’
respectful opinion, your only honourable response will be to stop being a
fucking fool by changing your fucking mind.’
Contrast this with my own
blog. On April 20th, when Labour was behind in the polls by over 20%,
I wrote an article Labour
Can Win if Corbyn is Bold – the Key Issue is Poverty and the Transfer of Wealth. My article began:
blog. On April 20th, when Labour was behind in the polls by over 20%,
I wrote an article Labour
Can Win if Corbyn is Bold – the Key Issue is Poverty and the Transfer of Wealth. My article began:
‘It was Harold Wilson who said that a week is a long
time in politics. Seven weeks is a political eternity. Theresa May
has taken a gamble that her 21% lead will hold. It is a gamble that she
may yet come to regret.
time in politics. Seven weeks is a political eternity. Theresa May
has taken a gamble that her 21% lead will hold. It is a gamble that she
may yet come to regret.
There is only one direction that her lead can go
and that is down. Once her lead falls then a snowball effect can take
over. What is essential is that Labour marks out the key areas on which
it is going to base its appeal. The danger is that Corbyn is going to
continue with his ‘strategy’ of appeasing the Right and appealing to all good
men and women. If so that will be a recipe for disaster.
and that is down. Once her lead falls then a snowball effect can take
over. What is essential is that Labour marks out the key areas on which
it is going to base its appeal. The danger is that Corbyn is going to
continue with his ‘strategy’ of appeasing the Right and appealing to all good
men and women. If so that will be a recipe for disaster.
No election is guaranteed to be without its
surprises. Theresa May is a cautious conservative. She is literally
the product of her background, a conservative vicar’s daughter.
Reactionary, parochial and small-minded, she is a bigot for all seasons.
What doesn’t help is that she is both wooden and unoriginal. The danger
is that Corbyn tries to emulate her.’
surprises. Theresa May is a cautious conservative. She is literally
the product of her background, a conservative vicar’s daughter.
Reactionary, parochial and small-minded, she is a bigot for all seasons.
What doesn’t help is that she is both wooden and unoriginal. The danger
is that Corbyn tries to emulate her.’
Hindsight
is a wondrous thing but foresight is a rarer quality. Unlike the Grauniads I could not understand what
the pundits saw in May. She reminded me of
that Agatha Christie title, ‘The Mirror
Cracked from Side to Side’. I had a
feeling that St. Theresa would come unstuck but not one Guardian columnist displayed an iota of doubt. So confident was I that for the first time in
my life I entered a bookies and placed a bet, thus enjoying my prediction even more!
is a wondrous thing but foresight is a rarer quality. Unlike the Grauniads I could not understand what
the pundits saw in May. She reminded me of
that Agatha Christie title, ‘The Mirror
Cracked from Side to Side’. I had a
feeling that St. Theresa would come unstuck but not one Guardian columnist displayed an iota of doubt. So confident was I that for the first time in
my life I entered a bookies and placed a bet, thus enjoying my prediction even more!
Cast
your mind back. There was a wall to wall
consensus that Corbyn was going to fail and badly. Labour’s Tory MPs such as
Peter Kyle and Joan Ryan of the pro-Israel lobby, appealed to the electorate on
the basis that they too hated Corbyn.
your mind back. There was a wall to wall
consensus that Corbyn was going to fail and badly. Labour’s Tory MPs such as
Peter Kyle and Joan Ryan of the pro-Israel lobby, appealed to the electorate on
the basis that they too hated Corbyn.
I
confess to fearing that I might have egg all over my face. Perhaps there was something I hadn’t yet
grasped since no one else saw it the way I did.
Yet going canvassing in Brighton Kemptown, where a Tory majority of 700
was turned into a Labour majority of nearly 10,000, I was convinced that the
tectonic plates were shifting.
Five days before the election I was
even more convinced that there was going to be a major upset. At this stage the polls were firm in the view
that May’s wobble had come to an end.
The Guardian was gleefully looking forward to the end of the Corbyn experiment.
As idiot Guardian columnist Matthew d’Ancona was writing ‘The
bell tolls for Corbyn’s Leadership’ I reaffirmed my view in General
Election – Is Labour on the threshold of victory? I wrote
‘Strong and stable Mrs May found that her slogan had
made her a figure of fun as she dodged having to directly debate Jeremy
Corbyn. She even sent her Home Secretary into bat for her in the debate
between party leaders earlier in the week, despite Rudd having only lost her
father two days before.
made her a figure of fun as she dodged having to directly debate Jeremy
Corbyn. She even sent her Home Secretary into bat for her in the debate
between party leaders earlier in the week, despite Rudd having only lost her
father two days before.
It would be a mistake for people to be over
confident at the fact that the Tories made major slip-ups over things like the
Dementia Tax, taking food of children’s tables etc. It is clear that the
Tories and the Mainstream Media (BBC et al.) are going hell for leather over
the question of Corbyn’s devotion to the State, be it Ireland, Terrorism
or Trident.
confident at the fact that the Tories made major slip-ups over things like the
Dementia Tax, taking food of children’s tables etc. It is clear that the
Tories and the Mainstream Media (BBC et al.) are going hell for leather over
the question of Corbyn’s devotion to the State, be it Ireland, Terrorism
or Trident.
The essence of what I wrote was
correct. The Tory lead has shrunk. My fears that Corbyn might
backtrack have not come to pass in the economic sphere. Labour’s
manifesto was unexpectedly radical.
correct. The Tory lead has shrunk. My fears that Corbyn might
backtrack have not come to pass in the economic sphere. Labour’s
manifesto was unexpectedly radical.
I have thought of
suggesting to Guardian editor, Katherine Viner, that I would be prepared to replace
Cohen and Owen Jones for half their combined pay. Not only would the Guardian save a fortune
but they would gain someone whose prime quality was not repeating the truisms of the political pundits.
suggesting to Guardian editor, Katherine Viner, that I would be prepared to replace
Cohen and Owen Jones for half their combined pay. Not only would the Guardian save a fortune
but they would gain someone whose prime quality was not repeating the truisms of the political pundits.
However I soon woke up
and realized that my day dreaming was going nowhere. The function of Guardian
columnists isn’t to provide analysis and independent thought. Their role is to propagandize for the neo-liberal
agenda. Although the Guardian isn’t as
crude as the Express or Mail, it shares the same basic assumptions about the
free market.
and realized that my day dreaming was going nowhere. The function of Guardian
columnists isn’t to provide analysis and independent thought. Their role is to propagandize for the neo-liberal
agenda. Although the Guardian isn’t as
crude as the Express or Mail, it shares the same basic assumptions about the
free market.
If the Guardian had any
self-respect they would have fired Nick Cohen, a useless and repetitious Islamaphobe.
They would have promoted Jonathan Freedland to Keeper of the Guardian Cat. Cohen
is a permanent testimony to the Guardian’s change from being a genuinely
liberal paper, with socialist columnists like John Palmer its European editor. It
was a paper that used to have excellent Middle East correspondents such as
David Hirst and Michael Adams, whereas today it has surrendered that region of
the world to the Independent’s Robert Fisk and Patrick Coburn.
self-respect they would have fired Nick Cohen, a useless and repetitious Islamaphobe.
They would have promoted Jonathan Freedland to Keeper of the Guardian Cat. Cohen
is a permanent testimony to the Guardian’s change from being a genuinely
liberal paper, with socialist columnists like John Palmer its European editor. It
was a paper that used to have excellent Middle East correspondents such as
David Hirst and Michael Adams, whereas today it has surrendered that region of
the world to the Independent’s Robert Fisk and Patrick Coburn.
In 1968 I remember how Victor
Zorza predicted the Soviet Union’s invasion of Czechoslovakia, putting an end
to the Prague Spring. Even when I was on
the dole I ensured that I had enough money to buy the Guardian each day. Today the only time I get it is when I shop
at Waitrose and spend over £10 as it comes for free! It never fails to disappoint.
Zorza predicted the Soviet Union’s invasion of Czechoslovakia, putting an end
to the Prague Spring. Even when I was on
the dole I ensured that I had enough money to buy the Guardian each day. Today the only time I get it is when I shop
at Waitrose and spend over £10 as it comes for free! It never fails to disappoint.
Editor
Kath Viner, under the baleful influence of Freedland, is determined to exhaust
the diminishing funds of the Scott Trust.
The Guardian is losing so much money that it is doubtful that it can
survive for more than 2-3 years, hence the pathetic pleas on its website for readers
to make a donation. It is as if, amongst
all the good causes, you are going to donate to the Guardian rather than the starving
children in Gaza or the refugees of Rohinga. Why should we pay Freedland’s
salary when he is the Guardian’s Zionist gatekeeper, determined to ensure that
whatever atrocity Israel commits, the Guardian will never question the world’s
only Apartheid state.
Ten years ago I contributed a
series of articles to the Guardian’s Comment is Free. My contributions and others attracted the attentions
of the Zionist lobby who set up CIF Watch.
The idea of an anti-racist critique of Zionism and Israel was too much. The
Guardian ran up the white flag and I and others were excluded. The late Georgina Henry, who originally hired
me, was by then a marginal figure as Matt Seaton, their bicycling correspondent
took charge.
series of articles to the Guardian’s Comment is Free. My contributions and others attracted the attentions
of the Zionist lobby who set up CIF Watch.
The idea of an anti-racist critique of Zionism and Israel was too much. The
Guardian ran up the white flag and I and others were excluded. The late Georgina Henry, who originally hired
me, was by then a marginal figure as Matt Seaton, their bicycling correspondent
took charge.
Perhaps if the Guardian survives
as an Internet paper in 30 years there will be some bright young journalist who
will uncover the story of where the ‘anti-Semitism’ campaign originated. S/he will no doubt relook at the Al Jazeera programme
The Lobby concerning the Israeli Embassy’s role. If they are diligent, they will go on to
examine the role of the United States in destabilising the second major party
of the US’s main ally in Europe. It is inconceivable
that those who have made destabilisation of Latin American countries into a
fine art, who ran Operation Gladio in Europe, would be prepared to sit back as
an anti-NATO anti-Trident politician became leader of the Labour Party.
as an Internet paper in 30 years there will be some bright young journalist who
will uncover the story of where the ‘anti-Semitism’ campaign originated. S/he will no doubt relook at the Al Jazeera programme
The Lobby concerning the Israeli Embassy’s role. If they are diligent, they will go on to
examine the role of the United States in destabilising the second major party
of the US’s main ally in Europe. It is inconceivable
that those who have made destabilisation of Latin American countries into a
fine art, who ran Operation Gladio in Europe, would be prepared to sit back as
an anti-NATO anti-Trident politician became leader of the Labour Party.
Perhaps if the equivalent of
Wikileaks gets hold of US Embassy cables we will learn even sooner about their
and Israel’s role in the anti-Corbyn campaign.
Perhaps we will even learn whether Freedland and other Guardian
columnists were on the payroll of either Embassy and what the Guardian’s links
were with MI5. If the Guardian had any
political integrity it would have already have begun investigating these
matters but the sad fact is that the Guardian of today is a pro-war rag that
runs with a neo-liberal pro-imperialist agenda.
Wikileaks gets hold of US Embassy cables we will learn even sooner about their
and Israel’s role in the anti-Corbyn campaign.
Perhaps we will even learn whether Freedland and other Guardian
columnists were on the payroll of either Embassy and what the Guardian’s links
were with MI5. If the Guardian had any
political integrity it would have already have begun investigating these
matters but the sad fact is that the Guardian of today is a pro-war rag that
runs with a neo-liberal pro-imperialist agenda.
An article worth reading on the anti-Semitism campaign is John Booth’s Labour, Corbyn and anti-semitism in The Lobster. Enjoy these headlines because they tell the sad, sorry story of a once good liberal paper that went to rack and ruin.
Tony Greenstein
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| The Guardian was nothing if not predictable |
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| One more on the Guardian’s boring theme – yet it will not examine why all its useless columnists sang the same song |
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| What Bloodworth means is Hamas and Hezbollah – the ‘worrying connections’ of the Tories with the Saudis and Yemen are not of course worrying |
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| Another useless supporter of Progress |
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| The only cruelty is that inflicted on gullible Observer readers who read this rubbish |
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| Despite getting it spectacularly wrong Freedland has learnt nothing |
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| The capacity for self-delusion is endless |
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| Former New Labour MP Martin Kettle seriously believed this utter tripe |
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| One more reason why London needs a genuinely radical Mayor |
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| I suspect that Suzanne Moore thought this was original – it isn’t – James Dean got their first |
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| Let’s hope she didn’t join |
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| I don’t know what the answer to this question is – one explanation is that you are a shrivelled reactionary prune |
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| When all else fails, try being polite |
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| Polly is really a radical – if only Corbyn were electable unlike David Owen |
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| One amongst many pathetic predictions |
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| Idiocy without limit – how was Blair going to secure his ‘legacy’ – wage another useless war? |
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| Let’s hope this useless right-winger is deselected |
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| One of the themes of Corbyn’s detractors was that they were simply interested in democracy |
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| Yes we hate you and no we will still vote Labour! |
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| Sometimes one wonders whether even Cohen believes this rubbish |
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| The wonder is that Nick Cohen has the audacity to show his face after June 8th |
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| Gaby doesn’t get why she speaks more rubbish |
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| I won’t even begin to ask what a ‘real leader’ is |
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| Polly is nothing if not unoriginal |
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| I must have missed the eating of humble pie |
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| Poetically batty |
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| Polly seriously expects us to believe that one of the founders of the SDP is to the left of Corbyn |
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| I hadn’t realised before that Andrew Rawnsley was a radical – the only thing he’s ever fought for is a good seat in a restaurant |
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| Another empty headed Guardian columnist |
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| Another Guardian empty head – Marina Hyde actually believes she is witty which is a problem |
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| Nick Cohen is a prophet whose warnings were fortunately disregarded – there has been no mea culpa for getting it so badly wrong |
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| I suspect that Michael White actually thinks he is amusing |
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| The pretentious Rafael Behr |
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| Spot the difference between Owen Jones, the Guardian’s resident lefty and Freedland and the Express/Mail |
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| Yvette Cooper, New Labour’s war mongering former home office minister was the Guardian’s choice for leader |
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Even for Freedland this is one of the most stupid articles – do Jews suffer from state racism, deaths in custody, violent attacks, synagogue arson – being a minority doesn’t make you oppressed – but Freedland is nothing if not superficial
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| I suspect Freedland still he thinks he was right even if the electorate was wrong |
Posted in Blog
