Sun EU Propaganda Hypocrisy

While Young Dave figures out how to extricate himself from his latest Little Local Offshore Difficulty, the part of the Fourth Estate that has a pathological hatred of the EU continues to pump out its Europhobic propaganda, frequently by accusing those in favour of Britain remaining a member of the Union of, er, pumping out propaganda. Today has brought an excellent example of the genre from the Super Soaraway Currant Bun.

An unsavoury sleazebag airs his views

The paper’s alleged “Westminster Correspondent”, the odious flannelled fool Harry Cole, has claimed an “exclusive” for “EU is flooding UK schools with 'propaganda' to 'brainwash' kids”. Note the quote marks around “propaganda” and “brainwash”, because what Master Cole describes is neither of these things. And nor is it an “exclusive”.

So what’s Cole’s beef? “THE EU is ‘flooding’ British schools with ‘propaganda’ sent to ‘brainwash’ kids just ten weeks out from the referendum, The Sun can reveal”. Note also that “making available for download online” has become “flooding” in the retelling. Moreover, the “just ten weeks out” is baloney, as it’s been available for years.

But do go on. “The European Commission mails out slick textbooks - such as daft cartoon adventure ‘The Mystery of the Golden Stars’ - to school teachers free of charge to ‘educate’ children about the EU ‘in a fun and stimulating way’ … The naff ‘book to be handed out to every pupil’ is designed to introduce ‘the EU in a child-friendly way’ and is paid for from the EU Commission’s hated £158million taxpayer-funded PR budget”.

I know, I know, Master Cole calling “daft”, “naff” and “hated” on others. And what’s this “book to be handed out to every pupil” drivel? If it’s being taught in class, of course it gets handed out to every pupil. But enough of this, er, propaganda.

First off, this is not an “exclusive”: The Mystery Of The Golden Stars has been available only for more than THREE YEARS - the Guardian advertised it back in February 2013, as both a story book and an activity guide.

Second, it’s aimed at 9 to 11 year olds. Who will not be voting in the upcoming referendum. The ones who will vote are their parents, who get bombarded by real and often factually incorrect propaganda from clowns like, well, Master Cole and his pals on a daily basis.

Three, look who’s being presented as Cole’s main witness: Michael “Oiky” Gove. That’s the same name as the one who is widely believed to have broken the confidence of the Privy Council to provide the Sun with its “Queen Backs Brexit” pack of lies.

And Four, if Tory MP Andrew Rosindell really said “It is simply wrong that the EU Commission have the ability to flood schools with this dodgy literature when a referendum is so close -they must immediately withdraw this freebie resource”, then either he told a whopper, or Master Cole lied to him in order to secure a quote.

The EU makes resources available on request, and has done for years. There is no wave of propaganda coming from Brussels. This is yet another pretend “exclusive”, full of pretend “facts”, from a pretend “journalist”. No change there, then.