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Wednesday 21 October 2015

Corbyn Spin Doctor Hypocrisy

The right-leaning punditerati is in a terrible froth of its own making this morning at the news that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has not only not asked them nicely before appointing an “executive director of strategy and communications” - that would be chief spinner - but also that he has given the job to Seumas Milne, who has had the audacity to work for the deeply subversive Guardian while holding left-wing views.
No, he still doesn't look scary

This unforgivable act has provoked a suitably righteous outcry: typical is Alex Massie in the Spectator, who rambles on and on until he deigns to mention Milne in the fifth paragraph of his self-regarding dirge, before telling “Nothing is too bonkers to be unthinkable these days. Life in Corbynvania will never be dull”. Why? Oh come on, you know, nudge nudge, wink wink and all that. Nod’s as good as a wink to a blind bat.
Wibble

The perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog list what they claim are Milne’s views, but sadly, the tendency of The Great Guido to talk well, and lie badly, causes them to become badly unstuck when they recycle their claim that Milne “despaired” at the fall of the Berlin Wall, a view that he has never advanced. Elsewhere, the Telegraph has concluded that Milne is a supporter of terrorism.
Yah-boo

The paper claims Milne “commissioned articles by Osama bin Laden”. This is a somewhat optimistic talking up of “once gave a byline to terrorist Osama Bin Laden by reproducing text from a taped speech on the newspaper's website”. And Kate McCann’s drivel includes this priceless gem: “The outspoken supporter of Mr Corbyn has also made a number of strongly-worded criticisms about the mainstream media, referring in one article to ‘a Conservative press largely owned by tax-dodging overseas plutocrats’, which sources think could make his new role difficult”. Aw, diddums!
Smug sneer

Elsewhere, the frothing continues, as the Tel’s not at all celebrated blues artiste Whinging Dan Hodges carps “Seamus [sic] Milne's appointment is insane”. The loathsome Toby Young at least spells Milne’s first name right, despite the snobby and sneering tone. Semi-pro know-all David Aaronovitch sniffed “He was what was known as a 'tankie'. Pro-Soviet and anti-American/imperialist. Possibly impatient of feminism, gay rights etc”.
Spot the schoolboy error, Master Cole

And at the Sun, the odious flannelled fool Henry Cole puts his foot in it as he tells readers “When London was bombed in 2006 by terrorists, Mr Milne wrote ‘the only surprise was that the attacks were so long coming’”. Well, quite, especially as those attacks happened the previous year. But the real hypocrisy of all these august beings went untold.
Anyone remember this bloke's appointment?

Seumas Milne has merely voiced his opinions. Andy Coulson, who Young Dave appointed as his chief spinner and then took into Downing Street, had overseen the transformation of the Murdoch Screws into a criminal enterprise. The scale of organised criminality was impressive, even by criminal standards. Yet Coulson’s appointment was defended - and by some of those whining about Milne.

Yes, the Fawkes rabble, Master Cole, and the loathsome Tobes all defended Coulson. Now they’re sneering because a Labour leader employs a spinner who expresses left-wing views. But they are blind to their hypocrisy. No surprise there, then.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

If Milne was employed for only one comment, it would be this: "...a Conservative press largely owned by tax-dodging overseas plutocrats..."

Those are of course the same plutocrats who helped steer war criminal and mass murderer Blair to $50,000 a pop "lectures," and windbag Kinnock to an unelected Commissioner role in the EU. The latter bleating that he'd "...been a good boy."

It's great fun watching all the Murdoch and Dacre Nastzis shitting themselves at the possibility (no more than that) of a leading politician who wants see democratic decency restored in society. For a start it puts their jobs in danger - but they can always get on their bike and look for honest work in Scunthorpe and other steel towns on the verge of economic destruction by, to coin a term, tax-dodging overseas plutocrats.

My bet is that they and their puppet masters will get more and more desperate and insane if Corbyn actually manages to anchor himself and the Labour Party as a genuine radical opposition.

If we can have a 1945 moment so much the better. Watch Murdoch's shitbags then run away to gun-toting, racist, school-kid massacring, rogue state USA for shelter. If only they could take the sock puppets in broadcast news with them. I'd replace them with refugees any day.

It can't come soon enough for this democrat.

rob said...

No, it's an obvious blunder by Corbyn.

Seamus hasn't as far as I know
1. Committed perjury and only got off because it didn't affect outcome of the trial.
2. Been involved and convicted of conspiracy to hack phones.
3. Employed a PI after coming out of jail for setting someone up - and is alleged to have committed far more heinous crimes
4. Committed adultery whilst decrying similar situations written up in his newspaper.

At least one of the above was made known to cameron before his appointment yet the security scrutiny required was not followed through.

Ann then there's Lynton Crosby - say no more, say no more (except perhaps Oh Canada)

So Mr Corbyn your judgement is obviously flawed as to the characters you want in your team as opposed to the PM's because they are not as ruthless as the media would have it.

Jonathan said...

True then again Coulson

1 Wasn't a member of Straight Left a Stalinist front organisation

2. Didn't claim that Milsoevic was innocent of war crimes

3. Didn't say the killers of Lee Rigby weren't terrorists

4. Hasn't acted as an apologist for anti-western regimes no matter how loathsome

It's seems to me that this blog has lost its moral compass

Tim Fenton said...

@3

You appear to be having difficulty distinguishing between the voicing of opinions - and even then, at least exaggerating - and forthright criminality.

You're welcome.

Anonymous said...

@ Jonathan.

Yeah, right on, Adolf. Go right ahead reading and possibly writing(?) for Murdoch and Dacre.

But you won't find any moral compass there: it's been missing for 35 years.

The Bullingdon head boy and all his public school/Canary Wharf chums and apologists must LOVE you.

But beware......JEREMY'S COMING FOR YOU.

Andy McDonald said...

@3 - presumably you're referring to him calling the Rigby murder 'not terrorism in the usual sense' (or words to that effect), because, he said, they targeted an off duty soldier instead of civilians.

Well, one can disagree with him on factual grounds (plenty of Northern Irish pubs got blown up because they were known hang-outs for off-duty soldiers), but in no way did he say the killers were not terrorists - he branded them as a different type of terrorist (indeed, a particularly loathsome and self-defeating type).

Interestingly, there was a belief during the Troubles that people convicted of terrorist attacks should be described as 'murderers', because 'terrorist' carried with it an air of political justification for their actions. Times change.

Jonathan said...

Nice of you to call me Adolf Anon 15:31 how original

Anonymous said...

My pleasure Jonathan......No, really.

But you seem to be a last word freak so go right ahead and have it. The floor's all yours.