The Ugliest Face of Unionism 161


It is very hard to understand why The Spectator would wish to pay Nick Cohen substantial money to write a column defending Brian Spanner and Stephen Daisley, and claiming the SNP has destroyed free media in Scotland.

To start with the most astonishing, Nick Cohen vociferously denies that “Brian Spanner” is a misogynist. Yet his own article contains a series of appalling tweets from Spanner, sent to Cohen by John Nicolson MP in an effort to make Cohen see sense. They include these tweets:

Margaret Curran: is she a victim of FGM? She is a torn faced cunt.

Mhairi Black is a nasty little fuck.

Poor Roseanna Cunningham. The change really has made her a bitter shovelled old cunt.

Plainly Cohen’s repeated assertion that Spanner is not misogynist is simply a lie. Cohen’s argument – that Spanner could not be misogynist as he is a friend of J K Rowling – is nonsensical. For those who were not already aware of her appalling neo-con politics, Rowling’s friendship with whoever “Spanner” really is might give some worrying indication of Rowling’s character. But it can in no way be said to prove Spanner is not misogynist. I am not sure it is possible to imagine more misogynist material than the above.

Long term readers of this blog will know that Daisley and Cohen are old comrades in arms. Daisley, Cohen, Murdoch attack dog Oliver Kamm and the Guardian’s Hadley Freeman indulged together in a mainstream media anti-Craig Murray hate fest on twitter.

A year ago I published about Daisley:

It is amazing to me that a supposed “journalist” working for a broadcaster would be so completely open about their anti-SNP, unionist, anti-Corbyn and far right agenda. Daisley is only very small beer, a stinking, sweating foot-soldier of the forces of reaction. But if you can stand it, the way the unionist establishment interacts and thinks is revealed very clearly from a study of his twitter feed. Messages are exchanged with Aaronovitch of Murdoch, Nick Cohen of the Guardian, with John McTernan of the Blairites and with J K Rowling of the 1%, and a great many others. The SNP and Corbyn are smugly derided by all. These well-paid state supporters live in a cosy Panglossian paradise and have contempt for anyone who is not “in”.

Cohen’s fury that a member of his neo-con clique should be denigrated, leads him to deny the existence of the most extreme misogyny imaginable. It also leads him to make the laughable assertion that the SNP control the media in Scotland. In Scotland the BBC, STV and 80% of the newspapers are viciously anti-SNP. Plainly that is not enough for Cohen. He hates the SNP for providing an alternative to unionism, he hates Corbyn for providing an alternative to neo-liberalism, and he hates the idea of anybody criticising the neo-con cheerleaders. His pathology is simple enough. But why does the Spectator pay him for it?

Liked this article? Please share using the links below. Then View Latest Posts


Allowed HTML - you can use: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

161 thoughts on “The Ugliest Face of Unionism

1 2
  • Stewie Newie

    Guardian centrism posing as everyman point-of-view leads to some interesting articulations. Just give Cohen the rope, I think.

  • glenn_uk

    Cohen’s betrayal of what I thought were his principles, during the run-up to the Iraq war, was the reason I stopped buying The Observer for a great many years. I occasionally buy it now, but never read his articles. I’m sickened that a pro-war Neo-con apologist like that is yet employed by that once great newspaper.

    The title of his piece in The Observer this week (unread, naturally), is “Who, on the left or right, will stand up for Syria?”

    If Cohen were not such a compromised creature of the Neo-con war machine, I might be tempted to read it. But even without doing so, I can absolutely guarantee not one word will admit to the war of choice against Iraq – invading and occupying a country that has never attacked us – as being a hefty contribution to the current problems in Syria.

    That war, for which Cohen was a full-throated cheerleader, displaced millions, entirely destabilised the region, and gave rise to ISIS. We would have expected support for these wars from the usual suspects – but this was an attack from within our own ranks. A fifth columnist, a traitor, a chicken-hawk who – despite the disaster that has unfolded – continues to moralise against those who knew better.

    There are few in the entire neo-con movement that disgust me more than Cohen. He bears some considerable personal responsibility for providing an excuse to those who would otherwise have decided better, Cohen shares with others the blood of millions on his hands.

    Perhaps that’s why he now feverishly attacks those genuinely concerned for peace, and those on the left in general. People like him fear those who he has betrayed and injured, and from whom he fears revenge – mistakingly judging them to have his miserably poor standards.

  • bevin

    “…His pathology is simple enough. But why does the Spectator pay him for it?”
    Because it coincides with The Spectator’s.
    He ‘speaks’ for them.
    That is how he earns his living.
    It would be mistaken to believe that it is a coincidence that his views are those of the class which owns the media and can afford to provide stabling and fodder for its creatures.

  • bevin

    So who is Spanner anyway?
    It is amazing, having read The Ponsonby Post on the subject, that this remains a secret.
    My guess is that it is McTernan or perhaps even Jim Murphy. Some suggest that, in an unwonted inaginative feat, Spanner may be the creation of JK Rowling’s still fertile mind.

      • Paul Barbara

        I don’t know about the ‘quality’ of her writing, but leading vulnerable kids and young people into the world of the occult indicates a very sick mind, doubtless why she is so successful (the Devil – under whatever hat, maybe Hecate in this case – looks after it’s own: ‘And the devil led him (Jesus) into a high mountain, and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And he said to him: To thee will I give all this power, and the glory of them; for to me they are delivered, and to whom I will, I give them. If thou therefore wilt adore before me, all shall be thine.’ Luke lV : 5-8 ).

        • Burt

          (as a non-Christian, but interested (and not hostile)), Which version of the devil are you referring to? The original one who was a trickster figure ultimately carrying out the work of god (eg in the temptation you mentioned), or the ridiculous paranoid nutty version dreamt up in medieval times in response to the black death (among other things), which contributed to the murder of thousands of women?

          Believing in the devil and demons (or god) in such a simplistic fashion seems to me just about exactly as silly as believing in Hogwarts (well, I guess the potter books have a more coherent narrative, being written by one person). The common idea of satan seems like a way of avoiding taking ownership of your own failings, or of avoiding understanding/empathising with the failings of others, by blaming them on the ultimate spiritual macguffin. (Though I can still see value in some of these ideas as symbols metaphors and allegories (but what do I know?)).

          If you’re interested – Melvyn Bragg on the history of the devil: (or is Melvyn bragg satanic also for telling us this stuff?)
          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLH7q5W7Rmk

          • Chris Jones

            Burt – your naivety is saddening but not unique. You do know freemasonry is kabbalistic luciferianism as is the Talmud bible, the Quran and all new age movement? There is a globalist spiritual war of good v bad going on incase you haven’t noticed

          • Chris Jones

            @Wolsto – Gollum, together with JK Rowling, has taken out an injunction against Frodo and slapped him with a D notice. Frodo is in trouble and needs to cut his hair and stop dreaming

          • Wolsto

            Well, that’s certainly made things clearer, thanks. Tom Bombodil’s been nabbed by Yewtree and the hobbits have voted for Shexit for the Shire. Just on the remote chance that anyone else reading has trouble following us, though, maybe you could explain a little more about this global Lucifarian spiritual war thing?

          • Chris Jones

            @Wolsto – Let me try in a simplified way. Most of the world leaders and the powerful people behind them are luciferian-they worship lucifer, not God. Many are just greedy arses and are just along for the ride and don’t particularly believe in anything of course. But most are luciferian and/or freemasons. Freemasonry is based on kabbalism which is luciferiansim based on occult Baylonian religion. It is a hateful anti Christian, anti God doctrine. This is what the Baylonian Talmud, the Quran and Jesuit doctrine also teaches but in different ways. Most rabbis and their globalist zionists elite followers are therefore also luciferians. These are to be found disproportionately in positions of worldwide power and they are always trying to start wars, suck the people dry through debt and eventually kill as many of us (the goyim cattle) off as possible. All based on their luciferian anti god beliefs.This is why there is a spiritual war going on. Frodo needs to wake up.

          • Burt

            @Chris Jones: This: “Burt – your naivety is saddening but not unique.”

            Followed by this: “You do know freemasonry is kabbalistic luciferianism as is the Talmud bible, the Quran and all new age movement? There is a globalist spiritual war of good v bad going on incase you haven’t noticed”

            Surely this is irony? I’m not naive enough to believe in an actual devil if that’s what you mean (maybe the super-devil…). If i had to choose from one of western christianity’s often childishly simple dualistic theologies, i might pick the cathar/gnostic idea of matter is evil and spirit is good (but only because i can see it’s basically a garbled translation of buddhism). Imo, evil isn’t some outside force but something we conjour up all by ourselves – thinking otherwise is a cop out.

            I can chat with you about what i know about kabbalah and biblical history that makes me consider your second sentence ludicrous, but it sounds like you’ve made your mind up a bit (just listen to the melvyn bragg link maybe).

          • Wolsto

            Chris: I really don’t know where to start with that. I’ll admit, I was trying to goad you into posting something daft that I could take the piss out of, but if you actually believe all that then… well… I dunno. Part of me is happy I’ve just filled out my internet conspiracy bingo card in one easy post, but also… you’re a real person and if you really believe that stuff I would – in all honesty and with no snark intended at all – really urge you to at least try and get a different perspective on life, and on the world. There’s enough badness around that we don’t have to go inventing more.

          • Chris Jones

            @Burt – I’m afraid it’s the truth. You may think you know otherwise but I’m afraid you’d be wrong. Most if not all religions including Buddhism have been but hijacked and manipulated by occult luciferianism/kabbalism. Christianity not so much at its basic level. That’s why it’s being attacked so hard. It doesn’t matter where you think evil comes from, you admit it exists, refuting your own points in the process

          • Chris Jones

            @Wolsto – I’m happy to oblige. I’m afraid it’s the truth. I’d really urge you to at least try and look in to it further in order to broaden your no doubt already broad outlook on how the world works

        • jake

          It’s not the occult or the demonology that bother me, it’s the notion of a chosen elect and the genetically determined predestination of it all.

    • fred

      “So who is Spanner anyway?”

      Britain has a long and I believe healthy tradition of taking the piss out of their politicians. From the days of nursery rhymes to cartoons in newspapers, satirical magazines like Punch or Private Eye and who could forget Spitting Image.

      There are some in Scotland who believe our politicians are to be worshipped not ridiculed.

    • Habbabkuk

      I recall there used to be a poster on this blog who had a real down on any woman who had achieved anything on the world of work, politics, international relations and so on.

      Never a good word to say about any of them.

      Why, she even extended her animosity to our friend Dreoilin, who seemed a very nice person and whi was, of course, also a woman.

      Good to see that our new poster “Sharp Ears” is now widening that previous poster’s animosity towards successful women to include successful female writers.

  • Dave

    Its tribal! Once the ‘Jewish Interest’ was served by Jews sitting within and providing leadership of the “Left”, but now, ironically due to the immigration they promoted creating a new competing constituency within the “Left”, they have had to de-camp and sit within and provide leadership of the “Right”, because their priority is not “Left or Right” but “Israel”. That is they used to be communists and now they are neo-conservatives.

    • Wolsto

      You realise you sound even crazier than the loony in the post above who’s quoting biblical verse about Harry Potter leading us all to the devil?

      I love Craig’s writing, but such deluded jewish-Illuminati-masonic-lizards-rule-the-world drivel really spoils this site for me. Idiots straight out of the pages of Prague Cemetery. It’s possible to discuss all the problems with the Israeli government without recourse to this nonsense, but can you at least keep it to a vaguely relevant thread or, preferably, scratch it on the walls of your cell instead of bothering us with it?

      • Habbabkuk

        Congratulations for new poster Wolsto for realising, very quickly, what Craig’s blog is all about for a number of the regular “commenters” 🙂

        • Wolsto

          I’ve been reading this blog for years and years, and enjoying it immensely. I’ve only just started posting here though, mostly in despair at some of the discussion below the line.

  • paul ewart

    It’s very hard to understand why anyone pays Nick Cohen anything at all. His increasingly splenetic and fact-free posts make Katie Hopkins look like a bleeding-heart liberal and Melanie Phillips a Trot. He would benefit fro a long lie down and a period of abstinence. I find it astonishing that The Observer still print his hate-filled columns, The Spectator less so.

    • George

      I don’t know what would benefit Nick Cohen but the rest of us would benefit enormously if he just fucked off completely.

    • Shatnersrug

      That was utterly perfect. I saw Cohen in Islington a couple of months ago – boy did he look rough – pitiful, and scowling. I felt almost sad for him, all grey and sallow with ginblossums, but then I thought “this man is a victim of himself”

  • Andrew K

    This frothing rabid output by all of those you mention boils down to one aspect. It is in effect the same aspect that led to a black Jewish lady amongst others who support Jeremy Corbyn being labelled anti-Semitic. This isn’t about unionism, but about control. Both the SNP and Corbyn are linked to a loss of influence both in the general establishment and those who you would view as ‘Zionists’.

    There is something horrific about the way these campaigns are designed, launched and delivered. It seems that the establishment and their ‘obedient retainers’ will stoop to any lie to prevent the loss of influence. We are in effect entering the Orwellian nightmare scenario where we are being fed lies by MiniPlenty and propaganda by MiniTrue.

    • Shatnersrug

      I certainly don’t think the “Euston manifesto” is even worthy of a wiki entry. The man would be a joke if he was funny.

  • Clydebuilt

    “Why does the Spectator pay him for it”

    Is the Spectator a “well paid state supporter”?

    • Vronsky

      “Is Jay Kay Scotland’s present day Daniel Defoe?”

      I know what you mean, but no. And, Unionist rascal though he was, I think you owe Mr Defoe an immediate apology.

  • fred

    ” In Scotland the BBC, STV and 80% of the newspapers are viciously anti-SNP.”

    Like the press in Russia are viciously anti-Communist.

    In the real world the SNP got 56 MPs elected to Parliament and you don’t do that without a lot of help from the media.

    As what your opinion of Stephen Daisley the fact is he was silenced for arguing against nationalism which is an affront to freedom of speech.

    • Ba'al Zevul

      In the real world the SNP got 56 MPs elected to Parliament and you don’t do that without a lot of help from the media.

      But not as directly as I think you believe. The Labour media tell the punters the Tories are shit, and the Tory media tell the punters that Labour is shit. The public believes both (they’re all shit). Most of the media have global or London bases, and in any characterisation of the SNP as shit plays beautifully in the Home Counties, but as it is glaringly obvious that they’re not Scottish, not so well in Scotland. All the SNP has to do is STFU as far as the MSM are concerned and get out on the street and really talk to real people. As it did.

      (BZ LP, in taking this methodology a step further, would like to announce that it is currently advising revolutionary movements on encouraging the Establishment to utilise deliverology , transformative change, good governance, mentoring, empowerment, faith, hope and management bollocks, and in doing so to destroy itself completely. Very reasonable fees, For further details simply send a substantial cheque to Lizardrush Ventures (Gibraltar) Ltd.)

    • J

      True, but the sole function of that help consisted of being the thing which is being rebelled against, in it’s entirety.

    • Republicofscotland

      “In the real world the SNP got 56 MPs elected to Parliament and you don’t do that without a lot of help from the media.”

      ____________

      They got elected because, the voters were, and still are, sick of the lies and fearmongering, spewed out incessantly by the unionist politicians of Ungreat Britain.

  • giyane

    Anyone who has had their personal and financial lives wrecked by rampant feminism has the right to swipe back. Trump rules OK.

    • fred

      Yes and what things have we seen said in these pages about Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher, the Queen. Yet any criticism of a Nationalist politician is tantamount to sacrilege.

      Then they have the gall to call everyone else biassed.

        • fred

          That sounds like healthy criticism to me, nothing wrong with healthy criticism of politicians.

      • Anon1

        The funny thing is, when it’s the nasty nats dishing out the abuse, Craig just dismisses it as part of the rough and tumble of politics.

      • Ba'al Zevul

        I do take some care to verify what I say about Tony Blair. I think I can justify ‘POS’ as a summary.

      • Republicofscotland

        Don’t make me laugh, even all your numerous friends for every occasion, must’ve noticed that you and a whole host of commentors on this blog, have criticised the Scottish government on a number of issues.

        I standby your right to do so, but it doesn’t mean I won’t counter that argument if I feel the need to, as for criticising Westminster, well they leave themselves wide open to do so…silly buggers.

  • DonNeedNoStinkinUserName

    So, you aren’t a fan Craig ?? . . . . . . ( ͝° ͜ʖ͡°)

    They really are just so “out there – with no discernible way back” aren’t they, Cohen & friends. Seeing themselves as the lead bureaucrats or whatever they’ll be labelled when their long planned spawn of Satan NWO reaches full term.

  • Loony

    Only someone with a very limited imagination would describe a few offensive remarks as “the most extreme misogyny imaginable”

    After all anyone with an interest in misogyny has the example of Saudi Arabia available. Take the 2002 example of Saudi Religious Police preventing women from leaving a burning building due to their not wearing appropriate Islamic dress. This resulted in the deaths of 15 women. Even the BBC covered this story:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1874471.stm

    There is plenty more in the same vein. The conflation of run of the mill abuse with real misogynistic persecution does little more than provide cover for acts of extreme barbarism.

  • Rob Summers

    Not surprised you’re the recipient of a Twitter “hatefest”. You’re a fucking idiot who misses the whole point again and again. Sheesh

  • Loony

    Here is another example (although of course it pales into insignificance compared to someone swearing at a member of the SNP)

    https://www.rt.com/news/312151-man-daughter-drown-dubai/

    I suppose it is important to ignore examples such as this (and there are very many) when you are determined to flood Europe with people, some of whom, will think like this.

    Who is going to protect women from this kind of mindset? In the UK there are a number of indications that the answer is absolutely no-one.

    • J Galt

      That explains it.

      Ardrossan widely known as the “Arsehole of Scotland”

      And god knows there’s plenty of competition.

      He’s more to be pitied!

  • Estoban

    This story was done to death weeks ago and the rehash that cohen has put together shouldn’t unduly worry anybody really, unless you subscribe to the spectator and pay his wages. What you should look at is the cosy/chummy relationship that exists between journos and politicians, which continues now with the SNP and used to happen with Labour. If you think the msm are anti establishment you should take a closer look at yourself and be more objective. After all it all springs from your own point of view and perspective.

    • bevin

      ” If you think the msm are anti establishment you should take a closer look at yourself and be more objective. After all it all springs from your own point of view and perspective.”
      And Murdoch is just the fulfillment of our own secret wishes?
      And we all believed, deep inside, that Saddam Hussein was about to launch nuclear armed missiles in 2003?
      You would be closer to the truth if you said that “our point of view and perspective springs from the msm.”

  • Manda

    Gosh Craig, those tweets are pretty shocking not only misogynist but the foul, gutter language of misogyny.
    I avoid Cohen like the plague… I always feel I need to cleanse myself after reading his writings.

    Rowling, in my view, is one of the more extreme of a string of celebrities who are on side with the Neocons and Globalist project and are rolled out at regular intervals to influence the public via their huge fan bases.

    British corporate press/media has truly become very ugly indeed. I keep saying this but these are very scary times indeed…

  • Tony

    He still writes the occasional good article but they are invariably buried under a mountain of absolute crap.
    His praise for Paul Wolfowitz was truly sickening.

    According to Wikipedia, he lives in Islington and so his MP is either Jeremy Corbyn or Emily Thornberry!

    I noticed when he suddenly flipped from opposing the then proposed invasion of Iraq to becoming one of its greatest supporters.

    He blames Corbyn supporters for vicious attacks on some Labour MPs but, and he is not alone in this, does not tell us what evidence he has for this.

  • Ben

    Sorry to interrupt the ethnoentrism but Ecuador apparently has caved to Kerry’s threat of dire consequences and removed Assange’s internet access. Apologies to ANY who might have breeched the subject so far from home.

  • Republicofscotland

    Not content with robbing Scotland of Devolution in 1979, (Scotland would’ve been independent by now in my opinion) by counting the dead as no voters, (and even then the yes vote won) but, they were then, nobbled by the 40% margin forced upon them.

    Now decades later, Nigel Smith is calling for a similar nobble by hoping Westmister will only grant independence if yes attains 55% of the vote. Now I’m no mathematician, but the Brexit vote didnt attain 55 % of the vote, yet Frau May and the goose steppers, constanly bleat Brexit mean Brexit.

    I wonder if the dead will be counted as no votes next time around?

    http://wingsoverscotland.com/this-is-how-afraid-they-are/

1 2

Comments are closed.