Mail Corbyn Attack Channels Goebbels

Yesterday, as Combover Crybaby Donald Trump pretended he admired Theresa May and lied his way through a Chequers press conference before heading off to Scotland, around a quarter of a million people gathered in London to march from somewhere near the BBC to Trafalgar Square in protest at his visit - and, indeed, his character.

Those protesting were supporters of different political parties and none; they were socially, racially and geographically diverse; all ages and faiths were represented. There was a carnival atmosphere, yet with a serious purpose. But for the propagandists of the press establishment, this was dangerous - a threat that had to be dealt with.

So it came to pass that, in the dog days of his editorship, the legendarily foul mouthed Paul Dacre directed the Daily Mail to emulate Joseph Goebbels and declare that a protest attended by 250,000 individuals was not in fact a protest after all, or at least not one that enjoyed any legitimacy. The Vagina Monologue declared it to be a non-protest.

Under the suitably judgmental headline “THE POMP … AND THE PYGMY”, Mail readers were told “In Windsor the US President meets the Queen. In London Corbyn’s rent-a-lefties shame Britain”. The article, which for some reason appears not to have been made available at Mail Online, went on to assert “Jeremy Corbyn led a rag-tag band of Left-wingers and others protesting against President Trump’s policies”.

Sadly for the Dacre doggies, the only voice they could muster in defence of this shameless rewriting of events was allegedly Tory MP Andrew “HS2 ate my hamster” Bridgen. But readers were reassured that all their usual hate figures were on the march - Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, and maybe even Bianca Jagger and Lily Allen.

If only the Mail could have got its details consistent, though: the article sneered “Mr Corbyn, who has met former IRA terrorists”, while any fule kno that Donald Trump has done just that (and so have a succession of past UK Prime Ministers and US Presidents). It was almost as if the article, and its supporting editorial, had been created using a quote generator, with the obligatory attack on the BBC, and calling protesters “infantile”.

But all of that would be to miss the point: the press establishment has decreed that, despite his being the ultimate amateur human being, Trump is to be talked up at every opportunity, and anyone passing adverse comment is to be attacked. The excuses, unfortunately, have been lame in the extreme.

Typical has been shout-down merchant Piers Morgan, who snapped “Doesn't free speech allow the Mail to criticise these protestors?” at those questioning Dacre’s tactics.

Yes, in the press establishment view, Goebbels was just exercising his free speech. So were the compliant editors of Pravda and Isvestia. So were those writing in support of Augusto Pinochet, the Argentine military junta, the Greek Colonels, Francisco Franco and António de Oliveira Salazar. It’s all about freedom of speech, see? We got them all wrong!

It’ll be freedom of speech when Morgan shouts down any guest coming on Good Morning Britain and suggesting otherwise. And if you believe that, you’ll believe anything.