For those who don’t like Jeremy Corbyn - and why on earth wouldn’t you? – he said in his election launch yesterday in Battersea, the Labour Party isn’t him, he doesn’t do presidential style elections. The Labour Party is a team, it is all of us. He is the most democratic leader around.
Some of Team Labour
Jeremy with his cat El Gato
But I want to talk about Jeremy Corbyn in this blog. I am prepared to concede that some people just don’t get him or have fallen for the terrible onslaught of smears that have been levelled at him since he because party leader. These are mainly from the right wing media who want nothing less than a Labour government - particularly a socialist Labour one - because Labour support redistribution of wealth, higher tax rates for the highest earners and corporate tax for big business meaning less profits, along with proper investment in public services. We’re not talking about healthy profits here, we’re talking about obscene numbers, and most fair minded people cannot possibly object to a more equitable society when countless families and single people are forced to use food banks on one of the wealthiest economies in the world.
If you don’t believe me, think back a few years to when Ed Miliband was Labour leader. The right wing media laid into him too. He is Jewish. They weren’t so kind to Ed Miliband’s father in the Right Wing press. The Daily Mail - far from apologising - described Ed Miliband’s response in its editorial headlined "An evil legacy and why we won't apologise", as "tetchy and menacing", and said it stood by its article, citing Labour's response to the Leveson inquiry. "The father's disdain for freedom of expression can be seen in his son's determination to place the British press under statutory control … If he crushes the freedom of the press, no doubt his father will be proud of him from beyond the grave, where he lies 12 yards from the remains of Karl Marx.....” guardian 1st October 2013
Now the Daily Mail et al are at it again criticising Corbyn for being a Marxist and Labour for being anti-Semitic. While any anti- Semitism in any party is to be derided, all racism is on the rise across all political parties and is an unwelcome symptom of society today.
The Daily Mail has a shameful history of how they treated Jews and supported the Nazis. Here is a slice of that history about the Rothermere family (owners of the Daily Mail):
“Despite (Lord Rothermere’s) former mild reservations, the press baron was also now parroting the Nazis’ anti-Semitic slurs. Germany had been “falling under the control of alien elements,” Rothermere argued. There were 20 times as many Jews in government positions than there had been before the war....Israelites of international attachments were insinuating themselves into key positions in the German administrative machine,” he noted darkly. “It is from such abuses that Hitler has freed Germany.” The Jews were not just a problem in Germany. The menace they posed was much more widespread, he felt. “The Jews are everywhere, controlling everything,” Rothermere wrote in private correspondence.
Unsurprisingly, given its proprietor’s naked anti-Semitism, the Mail did not delve too deeply when it came to reporting the Nazis’ growing threat to Germany’s Jews. Its report of the boycott of Jewish businesses in April 1933 even contained a statement from Hitler’s spokesman arguing that allegations of “the mishandling of Jews” were “barefaced lies.”
Then we hear the endless accusations about Corbyn’s ‘associations with the IRA’ and being a ‘terrorist sympathiser’. Please. Both Thatcher and Major had to negotiate with the IRA in order to bring about the Good Friday agreement. Corbyn is a pacifist - he has won a peace prize.
Jeremy Corbyn being presented with the prestigious Sean MacBride peace prize in Geneva
Further confirmation about the power of the controlled media can be found in this excerpt in the London Economic February 25 2019
Think Corbyn is a ‘danger to Britain’? Here’s how you’ve been brainwashed
“The Conservative Party is in chaos. Whilst the ruling party’s mismanagement and in-fighting is creating one constitutional crisis after another, poverty is increasing, services are failing, and debt is rising. But with such a weak and incompetent Government in power, why are there those still those supporting it?
Here’s why…
They’ve already told you what to think on a multitude of issues. You think you made up your own mind, and you think you’re right. But, you didn’t, and you aren’t.
How do I know this? Because blind policy based voting results (whereby voters tick the policies they agree with, without knowing which party they were voting for overall) are always radically different to the actual vote result when it comes to general elections and other major political votes.
Had all votes in previous elections been cast on policy pledges alone, studies suggest the Green Party and Liberal Democrats would have both had a turn at power by now.
What this means is that people generally have a different perspective when presented with policy pledges, yet vote in a completely different direction. Why? Because these chaps’ media outlets are bombarding your brain with high level right-wing propaganda:
Lord Rothermere, a billionaire living in France, owns the Mail, Mail on Sunday, and the Metro.
Rupert Murdoch, a billionaire US citizen, owns the Sun, Sun on Sunday and is the man behind Fox News, BSkyB, News Corp, etc, etc.
Alexander and Evgeny (son) Lebedev, an Ex KGB Russian Billionaire, owns The Independent, Independent on Sunday, The Evening Standard.
Richard Desmond, a billionaire, did own the Daily Star, Sunday Star, Daily Express, Sunday Express. Now owned by Reach (previously known as Trinity Mirror).
David and Frederick Barclay, billionaire brothers living on a private island near Saark, own the Telegraph, The Spectator, and the Business.
The Sun, for example, claim to have backed the winner of each general election since the notorious Sun headline, ‘It’s The Sun Wot Won It’ referring to the 1992 John Major Tory victory.
Lord Rothermere, a billionaire living in France, owns the Mail, Mail on Sunday, and the Metro.
Rupert Murdoch, a billionaire US citizen, owns the Sun, Sun on Sunday and is the man behind Fox News, BSkyB, News Corp, etc, etc.
Alexander and Evgeny (son) Lebedev, an Ex KGB Russian Billionaire, owns The Independent, Independent on Sunday, The Evening Standard.
Richard Desmond, a billionaire, did own the Daily Star, Sunday Star, Daily Express, Sunday Express. Now owned by Reach (previously known as Trinity Mirror).
David and Frederick Barclay, billionaire brothers living on a private island near Saark, own the Telegraph, The Spectator, and the Business.
The Sun, for example, claim to have backed the winner of each general election since the notorious Sun headline, ‘It’s The Sun Wot Won It’ referring to the 1992 John Major Tory victory.
The tabloid had led an increasingly personal campaign against the then Labour leader Neil Kinnock, culminating in the famous election day headline: “If Kinnock wins today will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights.”
The same campaign is running against Jeremy Corbyn right here, right now.
Is Corbyn the man of integrity we hear about from his constituents, or the national traitor that we hear about in the press?
Think Corbyn is an unelectable loser? Apart from what you’ve read in your daily newspaper, how much do you really know about him?
Corbyn is a phenomenally hard working MP who passionately fights to protect the poor and vulnerable, seeks to protect the NHS, wants to nationalise natural monopolies and take back publicly financed utilities that were sold off to investors at a pittance, aims to stem the flow of capital from the poor to the rich, and campaigns tirelessly to seek diplomacy over war.
Is Corbyn the man of integrity we hear about from his constituents, or the national traitor that we hear about in the press?
Think Corbyn is an unelectable loser? Apart from what you’ve read in your daily newspaper, how much do you really know about him?
Corbyn is a phenomenally hard working MP who passionately fights to protect the poor and vulnerable, seeks to protect the NHS, wants to nationalise natural monopolies and take back publicly financed utilities that were sold off to investors at a pittance, aims to stem the flow of capital from the poor to the rich, and campaigns tirelessly to seek diplomacy over war.
However, what is perhaps most threatening of all to the overseas billionaires is that Corbyn wants to stop corporate tax breaks, close down overseas tax avoidance, and stamp out wage inequality. This makes him hugely unpopular with the wealthy elite.
OK, maybe you do know a bit about Corbyn, but still dismiss his credentials out of hand. Sadly, it may be too late for you. The handful of right-wing media moguls running the bulk of the UK press have planted a seed, the roots of which have now grown deep within your subconscious, telling you that Corbyn is ‘dangerous for Britain’, just like Kinnock was.”
It’s high time Corbyn was recognised for his humanity and being a principled man. But we live in a crazy perverse world where the good are seen as corrupt and the corrupt are seen as saviours. How have we come to this?
But even if you are gullible enough to believe all you’ve read about Jeremy Corbyn or even if you like him but don’t think he makes for a good leader, he isn’t going to be around forever. He’s already talked about his successor. They are keen for it to be a woman. Maybe someone like Rebecca Long-Bailey. If you don’t vote Labour because of your views on Corbyn then that’s a bit like abandoning your football team because you don’t like the manager! Your team is bigger than the manager. It was there before him or her and it will be there after.
It has been shown in surveys that there is strong support for plans to renationalise energy, tax the wealthiest, and rule out a rise in the state pension age.
In an online survey of 1,000 adults for the Daily Mirror, renationalising the railways was backed by 52% of voters, with 22% opposed and 26% saying they did not know. Nationalising the energy market was supported by 49% with 24% against and 28% saying they did not know.
Labour’s most popular policy among those surveyed was banning zero-hours contracts, with 71% in favour and 16% against.
So there is strong support for the party’s policies and you should vote for a party on their policies. I am admin in a Facebook group which helps people with their social security benefits. It beggars belief why anybody in the group would vote anyone else other than a progressive party (Labour, Green, Plaid Cymru in Wales or the SNP in Scotland). Anyone thinking of voting Tory because Boris Johnson will ‘get Brexit done’ is screwing the rest of us and consigning sick and disabled people to years more of punitive benefits sanctions, bedroom tax, endless unfair PIP or ESA assessments where evidence is ignored and 73% of decisions are overturned at appeal. People should instead be looking at Labour’s voting record on welfare. Labour voted against all the harsh reforms in the welfare reform bill as it went through parliament. It doesn’t even compute with these Corbyn-bashers that it was his nemesis and hard Brexiter Iain Duncan Smith who was the architect of Universal Credit (aka Universal Chaos) and why they find themselves in such appalling situations with the benefits process. But if they don’t join up the dots they are part of the problem not the solution.
So let’s have some love for Jeremy Corbyn. I believe that British people like to see fair play. They don't like unfairness and good people being torn apart and besmirched by a nasty media. Jeremy has paved the way for a more humane, fair, equal society, and paving the way for his successor whoever he - or most likely, she - will be.
In an online survey of 1,000 adults for the Daily Mirror, renationalising the railways was backed by 52% of voters, with 22% opposed and 26% saying they did not know. Nationalising the energy market was supported by 49% with 24% against and 28% saying they did not know.
Labour’s most popular policy among those surveyed was banning zero-hours contracts, with 71% in favour and 16% against.
So there is strong support for the party’s policies and you should vote for a party on their policies. I am admin in a Facebook group which helps people with their social security benefits. It beggars belief why anybody in the group would vote anyone else other than a progressive party (Labour, Green, Plaid Cymru in Wales or the SNP in Scotland). Anyone thinking of voting Tory because Boris Johnson will ‘get Brexit done’ is screwing the rest of us and consigning sick and disabled people to years more of punitive benefits sanctions, bedroom tax, endless unfair PIP or ESA assessments where evidence is ignored and 73% of decisions are overturned at appeal. People should instead be looking at Labour’s voting record on welfare. Labour voted against all the harsh reforms in the welfare reform bill as it went through parliament. It doesn’t even compute with these Corbyn-bashers that it was his nemesis and hard Brexiter Iain Duncan Smith who was the architect of Universal Credit (aka Universal Chaos) and why they find themselves in such appalling situations with the benefits process. But if they don’t join up the dots they are part of the problem not the solution.
So let’s have some love for Jeremy Corbyn. I believe that British people like to see fair play. They don't like unfairness and good people being torn apart and besmirched by a nasty media. Jeremy has paved the way for a more humane, fair, equal society, and paving the way for his successor whoever he - or most likely, she - will be.
Good blog, all opposites and topsy turvy world, because most of the smears aimed at Corbyn could be aimed straight back at the right wing parties and top figures, they have had to negotiate with the IRA to bring about the Good Friday agreement in the first place, people don't think deep enough do they or if they are being told something, not critical enough to wonder if there's a nefarious agenda, you are not usually told things by the mainstream media without some sort of aim behind it. One good thing is, Murdoch has now sold Sky, in 2018, News Corp or whatever it was called then had 39% of it, it is now imn the hands of Comcast NBC Universal, Disney/Fox were close runners to buy it but didn't, makes it a bit better anyway, I think he still has the papers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback, Asterick, and for updating on the situation with Sky. I copied and pasted that from the article but good to know that Murdoch has his paws in one less thing, but yes, he still has the papers
DeleteNice little poem of a true gent god bless him the only one to trust to vote are only hope to try and hget out of this deverstating mess the Tory Party have left us in
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading and feeding back
DeleteThis is Katy, Moggie - a great article! :)
ReplyDeleteI just so wish that more people would investigate the past of all the people they vote for - even if it's only their voting record! They'd soon see who was really worthy of their vote!
Jeremy Corbyn is a man worthy of our respect, not only for being the kind of man that he is, but for all the years he's strived to make our lives better throughout his career :)
I'm just so sickened that politics has become more of a Miss World competition, than a battle for justice for the many! :/
Thanks for taking the time to read and respond, Katy! Yes, I'm always asking people to check any potential candidates voting record. It's so important.
DeleteLove your moniker by the way :D