The old adage that something which looks too good to be true may actually be too good to be true seems not yet to have gained the attention of Countdown numbers person Rachel Riley, who has seen an attack on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and taken it on trust. But the attack has come from the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog, and I have to tell Ms Riley that it is a pack of lies.
Stick to the numbers next time
Under the pretentious heading “Guido Investigation”, which should more correctly read “Guido Fabrication”, and claiming an “Exclusive”, because no-one else was as shameless as the Fawkes massive, we see the title “We Should Have Appeased Hitler And Disarmed During WW2, Corbyn Argued”. Except Corbyn didn’t. But do go on.
You put your trust in HIM?
“Since we are dwelling on the Second World War today it is relevant to note that Corbyn has previously praised Hitler-appeaser George Lansbury, and quoted his call to disarm during the Second World War as a ‘lesson for today.’” Was Neville Chamberlain also a “Hitler-appeaser”? In a Britain where the horrors of The Great War still lingered, why is someone wanting to avoid war automatically cast as bad, if not evil?
But it gets worse in very short order. “Unbelievably, Corbyn wrote in a 2003 article titled ‘Lansbury’s lessons for today’ that Lansbury’s call for Britain to give up its weapons after World War II had already started was ‘wonderful’.” No he didn’t. But carry on digging.
Ah, now we have a quote from Jezza: “As war broke out in 1939 [Lansbury] wrote ‘I am also quite certain that the first great nation that declares its willingness to share the world’s resources, territories and markets and also disarms will be the safest in the world’. I hope Tony Blair, on his travels on behalf of George Bush, reads at least that part of this wonderful work”. Want to see the actual context?
You see, Corbyn is reviewing the book “George Lansbury, At the Heart of Old Labour” by John Shepherd. In it, he observes “George lived out his years in frenetic activity for peace travelling across Europe and the United States preaching pacifism and calling for a world conference on economic justice. He controversially met both Hitler and Mussolini in this effort, to no avail. The dogs of war were already out”.
That doesn’t sound like Jezza approved of Lansbury meeting Hitler, although from the way the Fawkes attack is structured, that would be the lasting impression. And as to that quote above … this is what Corbyn actually said, and in its correct context.
“As war broke out in 1939 he wrote ‘I am also quite certain that the first great nation that declares its willingness to share the world’s resources, territories and markets and also disarms will be the safest in the world’”. So that’s talking about what is in the book.
New paragraph. “I hope Tony Blair, on his travels on behalf of George Bush, reads at least that part of this wonderful work”. Corbyn is referring to the biography of Lansbury - NOT to his remarks about disarmament. It’s another Guido whopper.
Tom Harwood - the creep who made the whole thing up
That did not stop Ms Riley trilling “You’ve got to hand it to Corbyn, if we had have rolled over for Hitler back then, Labour wouldn’t be having all these problems with Jews right now”. Her Bezza Tracy Ann Oberman was also suckered (not difficult, it seems).
“Ha! Stopped myself from tweeting that two hours ago. At least his ‘Jewish Problem’ would be gone” she snapped. We have reached the stage where both these minor Slebs are prepared to take the Fawkes rabble on trust. It might give them a nice warm feeling, but no-one else will notice - except to move further in the direction of away.
Sad when someone is so desperate to attack Jeremy Corbyn that they are prepared to resort to streams of abuse and endorse packs of lies. Whatever will Channel 4 think?
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George Lansbury's Christian Socialism was demolished, in any political realism, by Ernie Bevin at the October 1935 Brighton Conference:
ReplyDeleteIt is placing the Executive and the Movement in an absolutely wrong position to be hawking your conscience around from body to body asking to be told what to do with it.
Lansbury's last Commons speech, 3 Sept 1939, is here:
https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1939/sep/03/prime-ministers-announcement#S5CV0351P0_19390903_HOC_42. It essential asks for a pledge against civilian bombing:
I want to ask the Prime Minister and the Government when they are considering the question of aerial warfare as they have considered it once, and may consider it again, whether even now it would not be possible to make a proposal to Germany and the world that we would be perfectly willing to abolish aerial warfare in its entirety. I have just come in from an air raid shelter, after a warning. What struck me was the calmness of the people and the feeling that, anyhow, the Government of the country were in the right; but I think, in fact, I know, that there was underlying that opinion the feeling that it is a terrible thing that either young people or old people should have lived to see the day when these foul weapons are being used.
Poor old George was sincere, but desperately off-piste in the time of late '30s militarism.
It took the General Secretary of the TGWU to put him in his place.
The union leaders couldn't get their man (Arthur Greenwood) as Labour leader, though. They were lumbered with ... err ... Clem Attlee. If only history repeated itself ...
The Fawkes blog - Bunty for the 21st Century.
ReplyDeleteBritain was very good at sharing "world’s resources, territories and markets" during the 19th and 20th centuries. Sharing them with itself.
ReplyDeleteIf Guido Fawkes had been successful then a lot of people would have been blown up. And there would almost certainly been a terrible backlash against Catholics which would have seen many of them and others killed.
ReplyDeleteTo name a website after such a person shows piss-poor judgment.
In fact, reading it shows piss poor judgement too.
I can tell you the last time Guido had sex I have access too his credit card statements.
ReplyDelete