No fake outrage over assault on Jeremy Corbyn please – the shock is that he was attacked AT ALL
Let’s be honest: Jeremy Corbyn likes to be among members of the public. That creates an issue when some of them have been incited to harm him by misleading media stories [Image: John McDonnell].
There has been a considerable amount of outrage over this failure in coverage by the mainstream media – particularly the BBC – as a result, with questions also asked about how the sound was cut from a report on the incident and its aftermath, on BBC News yesterday (March 4).
And people have been complaining that a far greater fuss was made about the harassment of then-Conservative MP Anna Soubry on College Green in Westminster in January – by far-right-wing “pro-Brexit” protestors.
Calm down, everybody – please.
These were different cases. A suspect in the Corbyn incident was arrested immediately; the Soubry case rumbled on in both the mainstream and social media because nobody was charged with any crime after an MP (and several others including journalist Owen Jones) was put in fear for their safety.
The issue was that it was too easy for dangerous people to get close to our elected representatives; it was about protection.
That raises an obvious – more relevant – question: Why was Mr Corbyn in a situation where it was possible to assault him – or do worse?
He’s the Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition party, after all. Doesn’t he rate a bit of safety?
The answer is, of course, that it’s up to him.
As a man of the people, he may not – justifiably – want people in black suits going before and behind him, putting distance between him and members of the public. It would be counter-productive.
But when media coverage of – for example, the fake anti-Semitism row or Brexit – enflames public opinion against him (possibly in a misleading way; it should be suggested), then hard questions need to be addressed.
Only today (March 5), Labour MP Margaret Hodge has been all over the TV and radio news saying Mr Corbyn interferes in cases involving accusations of anti-Semitism.
As someone who has been through that process, This Writer can state that I found absolutely no evidence to suggest that this is true. I’d like to see hers.
And I think it is hugely irresponsible of her to be coming forward with apparently baseless accusations in public, immediately after a serious incident involving physical violence against Mr Corbyn.
Watch the mainstream commentators skate right past these issues over the next few days.
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With the increasing and dangerous violence of right-wing fanatics, it is no surprise that some nasty individual would, sooner or later, take advantage of the fact that wherever he goes Jeremy Corbyn mixes with and meets ordinary people, and attack him. It is a relief that he has not been seriously hurt. What is also worrying is the fact that the media has played down the incident.
The mainstream media played down the incident because the mainstream media dialled up the anti-Corbyn sentiment.
Margaret Hodge did a good hatchet job on Mr. Corbyn on Radio 4’s Today programme, quite nauseating it was. Below is the text of a letter I wrote to the i newspaper, though I doubt that they will publish :-
Brexit is almost upon us. It will affect all of us, not necessarily for the better, depending on who you believe.
But what is even more important is that we tackle antisemitism in the Labour party, and in particular attack its leader.
Global warming and resultant climate change threatens the future of not just humankind, but the whole planet.
But I emphasise once again that what we really must do is attack antisemitism in the Labour Party.
The present government is at best incompetent – for example failing railway privatisation, failing Grayling wasting government money while us ordinary folks are still being punished by austerity, the NHS in dire straits, schools desperately short of resources, poor and disabled people severely harmed by incompetence in the DWP, more recently a failing Probation Service, and growing deadly violence on our streets.
But the Labour Party must be at the forefront of the news for its alleged anti-semitism, and especially the leader must be denigrated and preferably removed – obviously the anti-semitism problem would then disappear overnight.
After all, Mr. Corbyn is such an awful man. He doesn’t show leadership by standing up and shouting down those that don’t agree with him. He treats other people, even politicians, with respect, even those that sneered at him across the floor of the house in the early days of his leadership. Mrs. May certainly left us an unpleasant image of herself on those occasions. Mr. Corbyn thinks we should have a fair and equitable society – how terrible is that? – with properly funded health and education services. He thinks that the disabled, the unemployed, those in poor quality low-pay jobs, should be treated with dignity and fairness. Worst of all, he thinks that tax evaders and avoiders – be they companies or wealthy individuals – should pay their fair share of tax. Tax evasion costs us billions.
I don’t defend anti-semitism, or any other kind of racism. Nor does Mr. Corbyn. He doesn’t defend, for example, oppression of Palestinians in the West Bank or Gaza either – clearly an anti-semitic act. Does criticism of Mr. Netanyahu’s government imply prejudice against all Jews? Actually, no.
Mr. Corbyn stands for efforts to make a fairer society, benefitting all people, not just the wealthy and privileged. No wonder he comes under attack!
No one deserves to be punched, but, he is
What’s the saying? Nothing before the “but” matters?
In case the rest of you are wondering, what followed the “but” was not true so I deleted it.
The Labour Party is said to have adopted a “zero tolerance” approach to anti-Semitism. Fair enough.
I’ve decided to adopt a “zero tolerance” approach to fake claims of anti-Semitism in this comment column.
Anti-Semitism, whatever it is and however it is perceived, is not good but there seems to be a lack of perspective and proportion when it is being discussed of late, especially by the media and certain M.P.s. Allegedly, incidents of racism are 70 times greater than those of anti-Semitism yet receive, at this rate, about a 70th of the coverage. Something is sorely amiss here.
It appears the Globalist Elites own practically the entire media world wide so I have no expectations that the paid for puppets will not dance to their owners tunes and play totally dishonest mind games with their audiences. However I strongly object to the BBC, that is paid for mainly by licence payers, also being under the same rigged media control, when the Elite do not pay for this service but they seem to own it somehow. I guess the BBC have been infiltrated by globalist actors into positions of power such they control internally the BBC fake messages and lies so the controlled public do not get independent reporting ….just filtered fake propaganda.
surprised that the headlines weren’t ‘ Corbyn assaults egg’ ‘Corbyn headbutts fist’ or maybe ‘ Corbyn guilty of discrimination against eggs,eggstremism rampant in Labour party, Labour MP calls for Corbyn to be eggspelled’
>>Calm down, everybody – please.
NO! It was a fist this time next time it well could be a knife, MSN is whipping up emotions we have already had one Labour MP assassinated by a far right pillock and this attack happened in the place of another deadly attack. Enough is enough Labour needs to come out fighting and shouting to the rooftops this is unexceptable from fake news from most of MSN to total silence from our so called deputy leader or do you want to wait until it’s to late and Jeremy is seriously hurt or maybe martyred?
I must agree. The irresponsible media fervour against the EU clearly played a key role in the assassination of Jo Cox, and she wasn’t even a particularly noteworthy public figure. That same pattern of media behaviour – the only difference being in the parameters (fervour about wildly exaggerated anti-Semitism claims) – has led to Corbyn now being put in harm’s way, and it could easily be someone armed with a deadly weapon next time.
The trouble is that there are too many contradictory voices within the Party. How is anybody supposed to believe that this is all bunkum, when myriad M.P.s come out proclaiming the £abour has a serious anti-Semitism problem? There is anti-Semitism in the world. To expect a political party to eradicate it is utter nonsense, if it exists within the society from which it is made. We have had racism for centuries and despite education, racist attitudes pervade and in some circumstances, prevail. This is going to be a long journey but hurling accusations and blaming certain persons will do NOTHING to eradicate anti-Semitism, or any other form of prejudice. It will, however, if allowed to continue, deprive us of the government for which many people have been crying out.