As Zelo Street pointed out yesterday, gullible and desperate sent-detached Labour MP Kate Hoey endorsed a video from the Peoples Vote March put together by one Avi Yemini, who has achieved the remarkable feat of getting himself banned by Facebook not once, but twice. She was not the only one to have been suckered into Retweeting this deeply unsavoury individual. But at least she was not shameless with it.
We know who you are, thanks
That kind of behaviour could be left to self-promoting TalkRADIO host Julia Hartley Brewer, who also endorsed Avi Yemini. Unlike Ms Hoey, though, Ms Hartley Dooda clearly knew who Yemini was - well, if not when she Retweeted him, certainly later on - but declined to rescind her backing for his work. Worse, she became progressively more defensive and abusive in defence of her shameless stance.
After she had endorsed Yemini’s video and its comment “WATCH & RETWEET what really happened at the anti-Brexit rally in London yesterday … These people are seriously cray cray” with the observation “Hilarious”, the warnings came thick and fast.
Andy Mather was one of those cautioning her: “You’re re-tweeting a very dodgy character there Julia. I know there are a lot of them on your side of this debate, but even Farage has no truck with this man”. Nigel “Thirsty” Farage shunning publicity opportunities?
Indeed. Peter Jones then reminded Ms Hartley Dooda of Yemini’s grim Facebook record: “That would be the Avi Yemini banned from FB. Thanks for retweeting ‘work’ of another lovely alt righter. All in the name of public service, no doubt”. Yemini had by now RTd her endorsement, clearly delighted to have an alleged mainstream pundit backing him.
But she could no doubt dismiss these mere opinions. Then came Ciaran Jenkins of Channel 4 News to tell her “Hi @JuliaHB1 you may want to review this gentleman’s previous output before giving him further attention. Here is Nigel Farage abruptly terminating an interview with him because of his views on the Islamic faith”.
Ignoring him was going to be a more challenging proposition, and so she met his well-intentioned advice the only way she knew how, with defensiveness and abuse. First came the bluster: “I’ve no idea who he is. It was the comments of the marchers that I found funny. They’re still funny even if they’re being interviewed by Genghis Khan, aren’t they?”
Not sure Genghis Khan would have troubled himself with interviews, but hey ho. By now, though, Ms Hartley Dooda had run out of intellectual road and so out came “Oh, and by the way, don’t try to police what I do or don’t tweet. It’s none of your sodding business. Go and find a story to report on”. It’s social media, Julia. It’s not “your” platform. It’s the platform of all those who participate. So it is all of our sodding businesses.
Julia Hartley Dooda got caught making a seriously clumsy mis-step. She could have just deleted the Retweet, said no more about it and reflected on her lack of research. But keeping quiet is alien to her, and bothering to check her facts yet moreso.
She’s not just a bigot, she’s a petulant bigot. No change there, then.
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Anybody who wants to know how fascism creeps slowly into a culture need only read the willfully ignorant ramblings of someone like Hartley-Brewer or the assorted drone "pundits" shoveled up nightly on TV "press previews".
ReplyDeleteEach passing day this country more resembles a Ruritanian version of the Weimar Republic. Keep your fingers crossed it doesn't suffer a similar fate. The far right lunatics who infest the House of Commons and corporate media don't give cause for optimism.
It isn't as though there are no warnings from recorded history.
Anon 11:02
ReplyDeleteAgree whole heartedly.
A Ruritanian version of a Banana Republic like say Belize with it's dodgy passports given to dodgy tax avoiding ambassadors and associates trying to Lord it over us.
The BBC also seem to be sleep walking into the nightmare scenario giving credibility to Bannon and chums like Farage. But then they have an association with The Old Murdoconian Mutual Aid Society and the political sensitivity that goes with it doncha know!
I'm Jewish and live in a part of Melbourne that has a large Jewish community. Recently we were targeted by a favored Rupert Murdoch columnist Andrew Bolt who slammed us (and other ethnic communities)in a widely published article for "living in ghettos" and "refusing to integrate" illustrated with an old cartoon with people with large noses. Bolt's racism was rewarded by Murdoch who invited him to a top table at his annual News Corp dinner.
ReplyDeleteAvi Yemini is reviled by our community as his nasty racism is used by various ill-informed groups and individuals to attack us as they deem he somehow, being Jewish himself, speaks for us. This has resulted in many antisemitic attacks even while local Jewish community leaders condemn Yemini.
For a broadcaster like Hartley-Brewer to disgracefully promote this racist right winger for his alleged thigh slapping humour is alarming as she has a large audience. She is indirectly helping antisemitism to flourish.
@ Adam
ReplyDeleteYes, Murdoch is another mobster with an unfortunately large global media presence, built up by hook or by crook, that enables him to spread his creed worldwide utilising methods of disinformation and kompromat inter alios.
Not surprising that he and the Russians are on the same page. The interesting question now is whether Russian money is involved in our government's policy thinking and has created political sensitivity.