Watching live, I too did not think that John McDonnell’s Chairman Mao joke was wise, because of the obvious misrepresentation to which it was open in the right wing press. But in fact while the openly right wing media all have a go, they all respect the basic tenets of journalism by fairly reflecting both the content and the context of what Corbyn said:
The Labour shadow chancellor mocked the Chancellor – who he dubbed “Comrade Osborne” – for encouraging China to invest in British infrastructure projects…
After joking about the sale of public assets to the Chinese government, Mr McDonnell said: “To assist Comrade Osborne about dealing with his new found comrades, I have brought him along Mao’s Little Red Book.”
Mr McDonnell accused his Tory rival of selling off Government assets to foreign nations such as China.
He said: “Nationalisation is ok for him as long as its by any other state but ours.
“To assist comrade Osborne in his dealings with his new-found comrades, I have brought him along Mao’s Little Red Book.”
The Shadow Chancellor, who could not be mistaken for Jimmy Tarbuck even on a good day, was essaying a satirical dig at Mr Osborne for becoming too chummy with Chinese investors. He argued that Mr Osborne was nationalising our economy – but turning it over to the Chinese state.
That is pretty plain, is it not? And actually fair journalism.
Yet astonishingly the Guardian ran three whole articles entirely about the McDonnell gaffe. You could read every single word of these three articles and not learn the basic information provided in each of the three Blue Tory papers above. The utterly disgraceful Jonathan Jones, John Crace and Tom Phillips all managed to produce articles which utterly omit what McDonnell actually said and why he said it, to contrive to give the impression that McDonnell was quoting Mao straight and with approval.
As a member of the NUJ myself, I cannot say how much it pains me to see colleagues renouncing every single tenet of professional, let alone ethical, journalism in order to produce a deliberate distortion of the truth. Even the Blue Tory newspapers did not here sink to anything like the depths plumbed by the Red Tories of the Guardian.
Crace, Jones and Phillips have crossed a line and are not journalists. What are they? Paid lying bastards.
The embittered has-been Blairites at the Guardian, by-passed by history and despised by the public, still resentfully nursing their support for the Iraq War and insistence it improved the world, have turned a once great newspaper into a journalistic abomination.
UPDATE: This is absolutely beyond parody. The Guardian have just published a FOURTH article on this subject, by Roy Greenslade, which still fails to say that McDonnell was referring to Osborne’s disposal of British assets to the Chinese state. Instead Greenslade cuts and pastes the most damning comments he can find in the Tory media. Not of course including any of the Tory media quotes given above which, unlike the Guardian, tell you what McDonnell was saying.
When do you think the fifth Guardian article is coming?
Brandishing a book written by a man responsible for millions of deaths wasn’t the cleverest of things to do.
Mick,
There will be a thread on Cameron’s paper once I have read it.
Daesh is not funded or supported by the West. Significant elements of it used to be, and it is funded and supported by the Saudis and other Gulf states, and Turkey has an ambivalent relationship with it.
But if you actually believe in Cameron’s 70,000 “moderate fighters”, you are deluded yourself.
Bort Remember they have an American and Australian division now so have to appeal to a right wing neocon mentality.
No longer a trust since Rusbridger peeled off his wig Strikeaway in June!
The new editor Viner is there.
https://companycheck.co.uk/company/00094531/GUARDIAN-MEDIA-GROUP-PLC/directors-secretaries
Brent Hoberman left this month. A familiar name. Fingers in many pies including ‘a member of the New Enterprise Council, a group of entrepreneurs who advise the Conservative Party (UK) on policies related to the needs of business.’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Hoberman
Grandpa Shawzin a rich South African.
An Andrew Miller has also left the board in October. He was the Chief Financial Officer. https://uk.linkedin.com/in/darren-singer-3470b020
Pemsel joined in July as CEO. http://www.theguardian.com/gmg/2015/jul/23/gnm-board The current Board
He founded Shine http://www.shine.tv/programmes/
slightly off topic, but spoken by one of Craig’s ex colleagues, ex ambassador to Syria Peter Ford.
He said on the BBC news that we should not support more action ‘just to take part in some recreational bombing of Raqqa’.
To the subject. Are you by any chance encouraging us to read the Daily/Mail/Telegraph/or Express? accidental I’m sure.
I find that the news is a string of in between the lines reading, not just in one language, or continents, as well as websites such as Insurge Intelligence which are showing the way forward.
I don’t like to interrupt someone when they’re kicking the Guardian, but let’s face it, Corbyn is completely unelectable and the Graun will be pushing for his replacement with a Labour leader who is.
From the right’s perspective, Corby is doing a grand job and no one wants to be too hard on him. It was certainly the best three quid I ever spent.
I don’t usually pick up on typos, you all make mistakes, but a ‘deluge of carp’ is hilarious, it is up there with Robert Wotsit’s ‘Anglican Water’.
Craig,
The 70,000 in my post should have been in inverted commas along with the concept of moderate. I don’t believe the first and not sure how anyone can actually gauge who is moderate in Syria anymore.
Cheers
Sadly Fedup the bilge is still being purchased plus all the Metro and E Standard muck given FOC littering London and suburbs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_newspapers_in_the_United_Kingdom_by_circulation#Circulations_2010_to_present
Personally, I rather enjoyed McDonnell’s joke, which made a valid point.
Craig, off topic, but apropos your comment above, on The Daily Politics the RUSI representative said he knew of no evidence that Saudi Arabia is funding and arming ISIS. The reply was evasive, obviously. Do you know of such evidence?
Sad to find these Guardian writers so cloth-eared. They need to learn to appreciate the shadow Chancellor’s wit. As Bertrand Russell noted in his Autobiography (1968): “Many Chinese have that refinement of humour which consists in enjoying a joke more when the other person cannot see it.”
“Judicial Watch has – for many years – obtained sensitive U.S. government documents through freedom of information requests and lawsuits.
The government just produced documents to Judicial Watch in response to a freedom of information suit which show that the West has long supported ISIS.”
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/05/newly-declassified-u-s-government-documents-the-west-supported-the-creation-of-isis.html
https://www.judicialwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Pg.-291-Pgs.-287-293-JW-v-DOD-and-State-14-812-DOD-Release-2015-04-10-final-version11.pdf
“Pentagon report predicted West’s support for Islamist rebels would create ISIS
Anti-ISIS coalition knowingly sponsored violent extremists to ‘isolate’ Assad, rollback ‘Shia expansion’”
by Nafeez Ahmed
https://medium.com/insurge-intelligence/secret-pentagon-report-reveals-west-saw-isis-as-strategic-asset-b99ad7a29092
Today at FMQ’s Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, used her questions to the FM, not to question Osborne’s autumn statement and his war on the poor.
No instead Dugdale used all her alloted questions to attack oil projection forecasts from a 2013 SNP white paper.
That line of questioning over something that not pertinent, but which attacks SNP policy is sadly indicative of Labour. It says to me that Labour are far more concerned about smearing or doing down the SNP government, than concentrating on the economy and the Tories savage agenda of austerity.
This is exactly why Labour in Scotland are in dire straits and are onto a hiding in next years elections.
“Corby is doing a grand job”
Not bad. The way New New Labour defeated the Tax Credit changes was pretty nifty, can’t imagine New Labour quite having the guile or indeed the desire. Her Majesty’s Opposition doing its solemn duty to the queen once again, how refreshing.
13.50 in
John Pilger examines the role the media play in spreading the political propaganda.
https://www.rt.com/shows/going-underground/323420-paris-isis-daesh-uk/
Not that ambivalent when Turks are buying all the oil they can get their hands on at knocked down prices and enjoying the proceeds of flipping it all. Who is getting the money and how is it getting delivered to the source?
War is a great time for some people to make a bundle out of it! Those smuggling the refugees at the cost of each $2000 to $4000 per person, and those selling pharmaceuticals, etc!
Re FMQ’s again, I thought Nicola Sturgeon was in top form today, a notable jibe aimed at the nasty party (Tories) came when the FM pointed out that, the Tory share of votes in Scotland was at its lowest since 1865.
Jackson Carlaw, a noted member of the nasty party, took the brunt of the observation.
Here is FMQ’s.
http://www.scottishparliament.tv/Archive/Index/2324553e-1acd-4524-aa8f-4c1a10744239?categoryId=c4f18fbd-ff17-4f07-a265-37a0c452db4f&parentCategoryClicked=False&pageNumber=1&orderByField=ScheduledStart&queryOrder=DESC
The Oxbridge sect has out done themselves. It is just incredible. Since Cameron/Clegg put in Robocops to smash up the print room and threaten the Editor with jail. A ‘D’ notice under the Official Secrets Act The Greenwald/Snowden leaks. The Guardian has toed the UK Gov line. The Guardian the only paper of any independence of Editoral in Britain, because of it’s constitution. The Editor developed mental health issues and has ended up back at Oxbridge. A reward? The Guardian is going down the tubes.
The Tories are borrowing more money from China for unafforded ‘white elephant’ Rail and Nuclear projects, which will adversely affect the UK economy snd put up the debt. Alternative projects would be less costly and more effective.
Taxing the Oil sector at 75% and spending £170Billion on nuclear weapons and dumping the unsafe waste in Africa.
Oil tax 75% . Oil production down 60%
The UK Press is owned by tax evading Non Doms. Thatcher ilegally handed over titles to Murdoch. She broke the Ministerial Code and denied it. Without a fair and balanced Press, there is no democracy. Murdoch s a criminal who has bribed public officials and should be in jail. Harold Evans wrote an article about Thatcher’s behaviour after the documents were released under the thirty year (secrets) rule, last year.
The rest of the Press are printing companies who print literature for political Parties and Government. Large Gov contracts. The Press are in Westminster pocket. They use the Official Secrets Act to cover up their crime. Weetminster members break the Laws that they make. They are above the Law.
It might be th Guardian that fails and Corbyn stays.
Labour and tax credits they abstained or voted them through with the Tories. Same difference. HoL rejected the Bill. The cuts are still going through over a longer period of time. £12Billion of cuts. Increased Defence budget. £12Billion.
On Trident Labour/Unionist MP’s ran away and didn’t turn up. Despite Corbyn and Scottish Labour being against. 30 Labour MP’s voted with the Tories.
Osbourne’s ONS balanced the figures by a predicted a random tax revenue increase of £100Billion (a year) The increased spending is putting up the Debt. Taking done the Defict but increasing the Debt. Double dealing accounting.
Erdogan’s a complete and utter nutter!!
After being fingered by Putin for his involvement in laundering oil for ISIS, now he’s accusing Assad of funding ISIS.
It’s like all Western leaders and their vassals are living in make it up la la land.
The end must surely be near.
http://fortruss.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/erdogan-accuses-assad-of-financing-isis.html
“Meet The Man Who Funds ISIS: Bilal Erdogan, The Son Of Turkey’s President”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-11-25/meet-man-who-funds-isis-bilal-erdogan-son-turkeys-president
Remember, like Hunter Biden in the Ukraine, Gulnara in Uzbekistan, or any Saudi princeling.
It’s a Family thing.
Those Scorcese movies weren’t just for fun.
The Western MSM has been almost totally suborned by the Govt elites via their security services using various means of bribery ,blackmail etc.
They control our perceived reality ,when they control the message from the MSM. The message is of spin, lies, propaganda and the most pernicious of all, omission of the real news.( as is evident with Mao’s Little Red Book Incident)
The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society.
Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.
We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by the MSM.
Paul Craig Roberts terms these lower class of journalists as presstitutes.
It is difficult for a journalist to speak truth when his job,mortgage and paycheck depend on telling lies.
Craig, hadn’t you guessed by now that the Guardian is the dirtiest organ on Fleet Street? It’s lower than the Sun, and by God, they’ve plumbed some depth. Why does it surprise you that people who delete btl comments just because they’re un-pc should be so Orwellian?
“Brent Hoberman left this month. A familiar name. Fingers in many pies including ‘a member of the New Enterprise Council…etc; etc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Hoberman
Grandpa Shawzin a rich South African.
______________________
Yes , Mary, we know, Hoberman’s Jewish.
Why don’t you just come out and say it?
Ken2
“The Editor developed mental health issues and has ended up back at Oxbridge. A reward?”
_____________________
Don’t be so sloppy, Ken2.
You either “end up” at Oxford or at Cambridge; you cannot “end up” at Oxbridge, which is a composite from OXford and CamBRIDGE, in the context you’re referring to.
“Paul Craig Roberts terms these lower class of journalists as presstitutes.”
__________________
I wouldn’t pay too much attention to Roberts if I were you, Salford Lad.
He’s been prophesying all manner of catastrophes for the last couple of decades and not a single one has happened. He is, to put it in a nutshell, barking.
Herbie
“Erdogan’s a complete and utter nutter!!
After being fingered by Putin for his involvement in laundering oil for ISIS, now he’s accusing Assad of funding ISIS.”
__________________
That could be a splendid conspiracy theory and false flag, Herbie.
People longing for freedom and democracy rise up against Assad Junior.
Assad Junior creates ISIS as a false opposition, designed to discredit the true popular opposition.
The West falls for this and starts supporting Assad Junior again.
Are you sure Erdogan’s come up with this and not Lysias/Fedup/N_/Tony M/ or any of the other Eminences and Old Trolls on here?
Mary take a look at the graph on the right hand side of the page it is down, down, down going and gone!
The fact that the social media are being manipulated by the gubiments and their sponsors the banksters clearly shows the battle limes have been drawn and it is game on! However to keep the “Oligarch Owned Media” current and relevant there is a full hose pipe linked to the social media.
The circulation figures I am incredulous of, and I bet if they are talking print media circulation they should be fiddling their production figure or somewhere there is a huge toilet paper factory running twenty four seven to recycle the “circulated print media” back to a more useful and credible product!
Take heart girl the bastards are losing it, just watch and see the shambles in the mid east, who would have believed after fighting the war on terror for fifteen years Brussels and Paris would be under the Martial Law (they call it emergency measures these days)?
The empire is fast imploding and the out reaches are crumbling away whilst the pissant vassals in charge of the outlands are taking their chances to play the hot shots and bigup!!!
@Hieroglyph
“There are no Chinese walls between newspapers. Basically, we have one newspaper.”
You hit the nail on the head.
Last I heard, the political editors of major newspapers literally met at Downing Street each morning to be told the major issues, to contribute where they could to any required discussion of course (never let it be said there’s no consultation), and to sort out who’d come at which issues from which angle.
I’m not joking.
Is it still like that? Can someone post some up-to-date details please.
It’ll be the same with the political parties, mutatis mutandis.
Indeed, it’s the same with national governments.
Alexander Lebedev who owns the Independent and the Evening Standard used to be a senior KGB guy in London.
Politics is shit. They’re all lying motherfuckers, whether Con, Lab, LibDem, Green, SNP or my auntie’s uncle.
Fedup – Facebook was set up by the CIA. I think “manipulated” is a bit of a weak word.