Unite branch’s ‘shock’ about anti-free speech ban on book and film exposing ‘Labour antisemitism’ scam treated with contempt by union management
A Unite branch’s letter expressing members’ ‘shock and great disappointment’ at the union management’s anti-democratic behaviour has received only a ‘disgraceful’ response providing a rote, ‘off the shelf’ reply from assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail on behalf of Unite boss Sharon Graham.
The Cambridge branch of Unite’s ‘Community’ section wrote to Graham criticising the ban on showing the film ‘Oh Jeremy Corbyn/The Big Lie’ and Asa Winstanley’s forensic book ‘Weaponising Anti-Semitism: how the Israel Lobby brought down Jeremy Corbyn’ and expressing members’ anger at the union’s ‘flimsy and artificial’ pretext for the ban. Emphases have been added by Skwawkbox:
Dear Sharon Graham
Ban on use of Unite buildings
The Unite Community Cambridge Branch wish to express our shock and great disappointment that you have banned showing of the film, “Oh Jeremy Corbyn, The Big Lie” and the launch of Asa Winstanley’s book, “Weaponising Anti-Semitism” on Unite premises. These oppressive actions conflict fundamentally with the aims of the trade union movement in general and of Unite in particular. They also conflict with the contract between us as Unite Community members and you as the senior paid representative of our union.
Some reports of these actions that we have seen are:
Ban on showing “Oh Jeremy Corbyn, The Big Lie” from all Unite buildings:
https://www.change.org/p/unite-the-union-stop-censoring-the-jeremy-corbyn-film-the-big-lie?original_footer_petition_id=25563035&algorithm=recommended_ELSAModel_41&source_location=petition_footer&grid_position=11Exclusive: Graham’s Unite bans Corbyn film from all its buildingsExclusive: Unite bans branch from making donation to makers of Corbyn filmExclusive: Unite branch accuses Unite of banning film and book to appease ‘Zionist lobby’Cancellation of Asa Winstanley’s “Weaponising Anti-Semitism: How the Israel Lobby Brought Down Jeremy Corbyn” book launch scheduled for 24 July at Tony Benn House in Bristol –
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/uk-union-cancels-weaponising-anti-semitism-book-launchBreaking: Unite email confirms leadership is behind ban on film and book exposing antisemitism smearsPage 2 of 3
DP/11.08.2023 (amended 21.08.23) Final
The grounds given for this ban are that Unite resources should not be used for political purposes, and that “The issues covered in the film (and by implication in the book) are pertinent to internal Labour Party matters and that is not the focus of our union.” Frankly, this beggars belief. The unions founded the Labour Party to achieve the political voice that is essential to the best interests and welfare of our members. It is neither possible nor desirable to make such a flimsy, artificial distinction.
It is also an undemocratic refusal to face up to what happened to the movement within the Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn – the foul means used to bring him down, means used by members of the Parliamentary Labour Party and the permanent staff of the Party. As exposed not only by the Leaked Report but by Al Jazeera’s “The Lobby” and “Labour Files”, and the Forde Report. Foul means which involved the gross misuse of Labour Party funds, including Unite’s/Our contributions in the 2017 General election.
At the heart of the assault on Jeremy Corbyn’s movement was and is the unfounded smear by those in the Party to whom we have referred, augmented by the right-wing media, that under Jeremy’s leadership the Party had become institutionally antisemitic. And that to allow Unite premises to show this film and launch this book would cause “deep hurt” to British Jews, the offensively racist trope used on these occasions which disrespects the individuality of Jews in our country by attributing to them inaccurately a collective view. Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party under his leadership dared to stand up for and beside the unlawfully occupied, murdered and maimed citizens of Palestine, and against that country’s unlawful occupation by Israel, its brutal treatment under military law and aggressive settlement by 750,000 Israeli colonizers in Palestine protected by Israeli troops. “Deep hurt” – Tell that to the Palestinian mothers sheltering their children from drone dropped bombs in Gaza, tell that to the decades long displaced refugees and their children in Jenin Camp so brutally attacked by Israeli troops. Other instances of this are:
Resulting in the following fatalities and serious injuries reported by the United Nations: https://www.ochaopt.org/data/casualties
This “hurts” us as Unite members and we demand that we be able to debate these issues on Unite premises without the imposition of a dictatorial ban on the spurious grounds you advance. Grounds which deny and conflict with the “Solidarity” across national boundaries which is fundamental to our union as expressed in various affiliations such as that to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign: https://www.unitetheunion.org/what-we-do/international/solidarity-work/
Page 3 of 3
DP/11.08.2023 (amended 21.08.23) Final
Yet you say we cannot discuss these issues on our own premises.
These are the some of the fundamental issues which the film and the book address, and which every Unite member should have the opportunity to debate freely on Unite premises – using our own resources created from our subscriptions for the purpose. Yet you have chosen to suppress this essential discussion on the flimsy ground that this is somehow not Unite’s business. Not our business! When our resources make a major contribution to the Labour Party’s funds, we participate in the supposed, sadly diminished democratic institutions of that Party, our contributions are misused and solidarity with our international neighbours as expressed in our affiliations flouted by the proudly self-proclaimed “Zionists” who lead it.
Central to our participation in the union as Unite Community members are the following provisions of “Community Membership” to which we – and you – signed up:
“Unite’s mission is to organise people to strive for a society that places equality, dignity and respect above all else … our union recognizes we can only achieve this if we bring people together from all walks of life … It is with this mind that Unite has founded its community membership scheme. Making us the leading community trade union in the UK and Ireland …Organising and activism are at the centre of strong communities, which is why Unite’s community membership provides a way people can find and use their political voice …”
This is our contract with you. A contract that has been broken by your undemocratic and oppressive ban on our use of Unite resources to express our “political voice” and “strive for a society that places equality, dignity and respect above all else”. Aims shared with Tony Benn from whose eponymous House you have banned the discussions he thought essential to a democratic society.
We ask you to withdraw this ban and encourage the use of Unite resources for the debate and discussion fundamental to our and your mission.
In solidarity
David Plank For Unite Community Cambridge Branch
Cartmail responded with similar trite claims to those already been exposed exclusively by Skwawkbox – but additionally now claiming that Unite supports Palestinians, despite bowing to the pressure of right-wing pro-Israel groups determined to discredit those who stand in solidarity with Palestinians and against oppression and apartheid:
From: Cartmail, Gail
Sent: 22 August 2023 10:40
To: davidplank@hotmail.com
Subject: Email to the General SecretaryDear David,
Thank you for your email to the General Secretary, who has asked me to respond as she is supporting members in dispute.
There had been a small number of requests to show ‘The Big Lie’ film in Unite offices.
We have also received concerns that the film has the potential to offend on issues that have proven previously to be extremely divisive. Unite is proudly anti-racist and stands with all minorities in our communities who face prejudice and discrimination.
Following the publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report of its investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn on reflection corrected his initial response to the report:
“We must never tolerate antisemitism or belittle concerns about it… I regret the pain this issue has caused the Jewish Community and would wish to do nothing that would exacerbate or prolong it. To be clear, concerns about antisemitism are neither “exaggerated” nor “overstated”.
Labour List published an article on the film. It is clear that the film ‘Oh Jeremy Corbyn – the big lie’, will offend and rakes up issues that Jeremy Corbyn in his statement addressed: “I fully support Keir Starmer’s decision to accept all the EHRC recommendations in full and, in accordance with my lifelong convictions, will do what I can to help the Party move on, united against antisemitism which has been responsible for so many of history’s greatest crimes against humanity.”
Additionally, Unite has been criticised for not supporting in our offices a book launch. The publicity for the book states that the book shows “how Labour’s antisemitism crisis was manufactured”, which again will cause offence.
Unite has not “banned” the film mentioned nor the book, however we have declined to use our buildings for its showing and a related book launch.
Alongside this Unite has a longstanding commitment to international solidarity and has for decades supported the Palestinian cause and will continue to do so. No union has done more on Palestinian solidarity than Unite. Most recently Unite led the Parliamentary briefing on the government’s restriction on public bodies preventing the boycott, disinvestment, and sanctions in respect to the continuing illegal occupation of Palestinian land, the West Bank. This was reinforced by Unite’s Policy Conference held earlier in July. Subsequently the union’s Palestinian solidarity work continues within Parliament, and we are hosting Palestian guests at the forthcoming LP Conference. A further Unite delegation to Palestine is currently being organised.
Additionally, the issues covered in this film relate to internal Labour Party matters and that is not the focus of our union. In this time of a cost-of-living crisis, rising inflation and interest rates, our union’s focus is on the critical fight for our members jobs, pay and conditions, as well as issues affecting our local communities.
Best wishes, Gail
The branch chair’s response was simple:
Dear Gail,
Thank you for your off the shelf reply to the Branch’s bespoke letter. It does Unite no credit.
Your reply will be considered by the Branch at our next meeting.
A branch member told Skwawkbox:
The reply from Sharon Graham via Gail Cartmail was sent almost immediately and it is a disgrace. Unsurprisingly, as it is a standard reply it misses our strongly felt point and is disingenuous in its arguments.
Sharon Graham’s tenure at Unite has been marked by a string of other serious allegations, which neither she nor the union has ever denied – of abuse, cover-up and failure to protect women:
- that she attempted to have evidence destroyed in bullying and misogyny complaints about her husband, whom she now employs in her office despite a final warning from the union for his behaviour
- the union’s appalling treatment of Irish union legend Brendan Ogle has led to Ogle taking legal action over Unite’s ‘disgusting’ abuse and bullying following his return from cancer treatment. Ogle did not support Sharon Graham in the union’s general secretary election and the union’s conduct toward him led to protests during Graham’s recent Dublin visit, outrage among Irish politicians and even threats from a whole sector to disaffiliate entirely
- after her supporters failed in their bid to take control of the Unite executive despite ‘dark money’ spending on advertising, ineglible and racist members being allowed to stand and the alleged use of paid organisers in and following the exec election campaign, her faction has resorted to Starmerite tactics to try to discredit the executive members’ election of a new left-wing union chair and both vice-chairs, as well as the vital Finance and General Purpose Committee
In addition, she has been exposed behind the union’s decision to ban showings in Unite’s buildings of a film exposing racism, smears, rigging and abuse by the Labour right and has grown increasingly cosy with red-Tory Labour ‘leader’ Keir Starmer, despite Starmer’s lies, his contempt for democracy, his u-turns on promises to Unite members and his regime’s repeated blocking of Unite-backed parliamentary candidates.
Right-wing pro-Israel groups have attempted to put heavy pressure on venues showing the film or discussing the book, despite the conclusions even of the Starmer-commissioned (and subsequently ignored) Forde Inquiry confirming the weaponisation of false accusations of antisemitism for political purposes. One group boasted of its success in making Graham and co ban both from Unite’s buildings – exposing Unite’s false claim that there had been no attempts from outside groups to force the ban.
Read an exclusive extract from Winstanley’s book here.
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Here is the key phrase in Unite’s reply.
“Unite has not “banned” the film mentioned nor the book, however we have declined to use our buildings for its showing and a related book launch.”
Where’s the problem. There is no obligation for Unite to provide a platform and/or facilities to the small minority of their members who wish to promote this film and book. If they are really so passionate about this then there is absolutely nothing to stop them from hiring a room in a pub or other commercial facilities.
It’s a manufactured fuss by a few about nowt.
I wonder how Len would have dealt with the issue:
‘Unite union leader Len McCluskey dismisses dossier accusing Labour of antisemitism’
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/unite-union-leader-len-mccluskey-dismisses-dossier-accusing-labour-of-antisemitism-x50f5n66h
When I did a search re McCluskey and antisemitism (and posted a link to the above article) I also came across the following Guardian article from November 2020 entitled ‘Union leader says Keir Starmer ‘pushing Labour into civil war’ over Corbyn suspension’, in which it says the following:
Fiona Sharpe, spokeswoman for Labour Against Antisemitism (LAAS), said it was clear that Labour’s processes had not been “fit for purpose” and called for a wider, independent review into hundreds of antisemitism complaints.
“Over this period, LAAS reported hundreds of apparent party members, providing evidence of Holocaust denial, the use of racially pejorative language, threats of violence and a variety of antisemitic tropes,” she said. “Due to Labour’s appalling mismanagement, many of these members are still active in the party: at local meetings, on councils and even in parliament.”
Needless to say, Fiona Sharpe and LAA are lying through their fascist teeth, and DOUBLY so! Put it this way: Wouldn’t any organisation on the planet that was legitimately concerned about antisemitism, have reported such incidents to the police, and NOT only the Labour Party (if they did ANYway, and it’s not a Great Big Lie, which it undoubtedly is)??! Of course they would, but given that only one or two LP members have ever been prosecuted for A/S hate speech and threats, I think we can safely assume that LAA is spouting complete and utter B/S lies.
Yep, and note that Sharpe says ‘hundreds of *apparent* party members’! So anyway, I challenge the LAA to explain why they didn’t report any of these (alleged) cases to the police, as of when they came across them. (And you can be 100% certain the LAA will see my challenge, because as with the other fascist Zionist black propaganda groups such as the JLM and CAA, they constantly monitor sites such as Skwawkbox; but they won’t be responding of course because there is no explanation for why they wouldn’t have reported such cases to the police).
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/nov/01/keir-starmer-accused-starting-labour-civil-war-corbyn-suspension-antisemitism
Oh, right, and The Guardian just unquestioningly prints such blatant propaganda falsehoods and lies and smears! Yet AGAIN!!
The fact that you don’t know where the problem is says so much about you!
I am a Roman Catholic and have been since Birth. It gives me a wry
smile when I hear about these bans because in the bad old days there used
to be a similar ban by the church of books, films etc – called “the index”. However
by the time I grew up it was mostly ignored by members of the church and st some stage
officially abandoned..
The excuse of the Labour Party is that these books and films “upset people” – even
when members of the Shadow Cabinet admit some of the assertions are true –
eg numbers accused of antisemitism in the Labour Party. They do not tackle the
problem that telling untruths upsets people too and that failing to challenge untruths
is itself a lie. If they trouble to read practically any code of ethics of any
profession – that the truth is essential ..and particularly for those of us who teach at
somrec level.
Not only that but – strangely – many of those accused of “upsetting people by
informing them of the truth” about antisemitism are themselves Jewish and to
persecute them in this way is – essentially antisemitic. Not only that but to assign
a single point of view to Jewish people is an antisemitic trope.
Granted – there were Jewish members of the Labour Party treated badly during
Corbyn’s time – but he noticed it and was concerned but was was not allowed to
interfere.
Why is there not a concern from Starmer about the situation now –
which is many degrees worse?
And why is there not concern from the MSM?
But of course these questions are of course rhetorical ..
and I know I speak to the converted .. (or mostly).
The question I asked first is particularly ironic given that until recently
there was an intolerance of Roman Catholics in the UK – most particularly
in Northern Ireland.
Who’s truth?
Ooops –
Who’sWhose truth?The accurate truth.
SteveH Whose truth?
The truth belongs to no-one and is transcendent.
Herr Flick
Most dishonest politician in the country
Thats the Truth
Who’s truth? Who is truth?…….. Truth, a very unusual concept, especially in Starmer’s Labour Party. Truth can be wrong and misleading ‘though not deliberately so. Truth is the absence of deceit or the intention to lie and deceive, but it can also be factually incorrect. Telling the truth is reliant on intention. Seems Der Sturmer has a lot in common with Boris Johnson.
steve hilling,
You do realise you are dealing with a mindset which is using the post-modernist woke approach that objective truth is obsolete and the only thing that matters is the subjective reality of the individual mind which, to paraphrase Karl Rove, creates its own ‘truth’ and reality.
You would get more sense out of a three year old then you will with steveH.
Dave – I see that you are still desperately trying to impress everyone with how clever you are.🥱
Dave, neat.
steveH, I see you are still self identifying as a Frank Burns tribute act.
It’s a manufactured fuss by a few about nowt.
But of course it is.
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/DependableSolidCheetah-size_restricted.gif
Toffee – FFS Grow Up.
Bingo card answer.
Again.
Toffee, dangle the worm and the stupid frog swallows it…..
When its this fundamental to democracy ffs stand your ground
That’s an order
New New Labour always keep getting worse
Chris Mooney, its hard to believe but with each passing day they move further to the right. How they manage to pass as centrist is alarming. This scurrilous crew of bandits have very powerful and influential friends. There is some good news for Skwakies. Impress have not been fooled by Mann. Cheering piece on “Not the Andrew ( I’m a trot, can I take you to the ball? ) Marr show. Nice one Steve and Steve.
In solidarity, with David Plank and the Unite Community – Cambridge Branch!
There will be another, full showing, of – ‘Oh, Jeremy Corbyn! The Big Lie.’ – on the ‘Not the Andrew Marr Show.’ website, on the 30 Aug 23, via Zoom, to be followed by a discussion.
Tickets are going fast, so book your place as soon as you can. It’s not the first showing, and it won’t be the last.
‘It’s a manufactured fuss by a few about nowt.’
Which, of course, is why ‘the charity’ Campaign Against AntiSemitism have been desperate to have the film-showings censored, all over the UK.
P.S. The book – ‘Weaponising Anti-Semitism – by Asa Winstanley’ is, still, widely available, and well worth the money spent.
P.P.S. Publication of Alex Nunns book – ‘Sabotage: The Inside Hit Job That Brought Down Jeremy Corbyn.’ – has been put back, yet, again.
New publication date is, now, the 20 Jun 24.
This leads me to assume – ‘the charity’ Campaign Against Anti-Semitism – are terrified of this book ever seeing the light of day.
Further to ‘the charity’ Campaign Against Anti-Semitism(CAA). Asa Winstanley has, just, posted this on his blog ‘Electronic Intifada’.
https://electronicintifada.net/content/revealed-israel-charity-funded-campaign-against-antisemitism/38351
Reading it, it may be safe to assume, of the billions of US$ donated to Israel, each year, some of that money will find itself channelled to various Jewish charities overseas, including CAA.
That makes me wonder why CAA would find it necessary to hold separate, occasional, fund-raising drives, in the UK, at all. Perhaps, that’s, simply, camouflage for the sake of appearances.
In any case, surely the Charity Commission should have ample concern to investigate CAA’s charitable status. The sooner, the better.
“The grounds given for this ban are that Unite resources should not be used for political purposes.” –
If those who have been denied the opportunity to show this film, and organise this book launch, using “Unite resources” were to ask how it is that Unite, when providing the Labour Party with substantial funding, is not doing so for “political purposes”, it would be interesting to see what lame excuse Graham et al come up with.
Goldbach…..early this year when I was a member Graham emailed me and asked me to vote for the retention of the political fund. When I asked her what the fund was for and would it be used for supplying Labour financial General Election support she refused to answer me. Needless to say when the stitch up affiliation vote came I cancelled my 25yr old membership. If Unite don’t get involved in political campaigns that represent decent people then what use are they?
Bazz2001, in theory at least, my understanding is that Trade Unions Political Fund support campaigns and not the Labour Party.
Thus, direct funding of the Labour Party shouldn’t come from the Political Fund. It is a pity that you resigned your Unite’s membership as otherwise, you could have raised a pwetition via your branch demanding to see accounts on how the Political Fund has been used in the last 5 years.
I am still a member of Unite and at my next branch meeting will raise this point. I find interesting that Graham didn’t give you a reply to a very simple question, which reply should have been NO.
I see that the petition which was started over a month ago has attracted some support from those interested.
In its first 24 hours the petition site had 11,000 visitors and 500 signatures
Unite the union STOP CENSORING the Jeremy Corbyn film (“The Big Lie”)
1,798 signatures in only just over a month.
Maria, re:” my understanding is that Trade Unions Political Fund support campaigns and not the Labour Party.”.
What campaigns could be regarded as not being political?
We haven’t banned paying subscriptions as members, we’ve just declined showing them.
Maggie killed the unions. What’s left is a charade.
NVLA…Correct.
rise from the ashes, and be reborn?
Qwertboi, a phoenix with a touch of Ted Hughes, red in tooth and claw. Not afraid of greasy prey.
NVLA, sadly I agree. What I am seeing reminds me of the Sparks union of the 70s and 80s.
Interesting language in the first line of Skwawkys brilliant peace. He calls it the unions “management”. You know, the bosses not the leaders.
Antisemitism was chosen because even if you’re the least racist person on eath, it’s so difficult to prove you aren’t anti-Semitic. We saw evidence free accusations are accepted at face value by the BBC and entire media establishment.
Corbyn’s policies were popular, so centrist critics couldn’t challenge those, so they instead chose to fight dirty with smears about alleged racism and discrimination. The subsequent reports show the issue was weaponised by people in Labour’s HQ dragging their feet on resolving cases. Labour had 580,000 members and a very small, almost insignificant number of those (<0.03%) were posting stuff that be classed as anti-Semitic. I don't know how anyone could look at the minuscule numbers involved and not conclude the hysterical press coverage was totally out of all proportion, fanned by Corbyn hostile elements in the PLP and HQ.
The Left should boycott Labour as it's now led by those who were fanning this stuff.
Andy, the Left should also boycott that yellow rag with its well spoken presstitutes, the Guardian. Unions and Labour councils shouldn’t use it as a job centre for the carnations. Why their readers make a point of quoting it and flashing it around on public transport mystifies me. The intellectuals paper of choice in its own opinion. Loathsome. I dumped it during the Great Strike and my lifetime of critical support for the Daily Worker is nearing an end. So now I don’t watch TV news, read the press and avoid the radio. Alt-news is all I need. I get more than enough informed news in web sites and their comments sections than I would from that shabby scoundrel Peston and the soiled, pampered elittes on QT etc.
The Rich and Powerful UK Establishment (later as exposed supported by the US Right Wing establishment) felt threatened by Corbyn so he had to go.
It’s media were happy to comply as many of the tax dodging owners would have had to cough up under a Corbyn Govt.
Lumpen Right Wing Lab were also desperate – all these forces had thrown everything at JC but to no avail including Right Wing Lab MPs slagging JC off in public – thus publicly aiding the Tories.
(The Lab Right wanted their top down cosy club back-toss a few crumbs to the w class & fabulous careers for themselves then the House Of Lords Gravy Train & rewarding consultancies on retirement).
But then a Right Wing Lab London member gave the game away when his Right Wing Lab colleague was thinking of leaving: “Don’t leave, unlike the other stuff this AS stuff has traction.”
So the Elite Right Wing Coalition now had their political tool.
Then the media, Right Wing Personalities, Right Wing Lab and Right Wing Jewish Groups all piled in, each with their own agendas.
Is a lot of talk about offending people but what about offending hundreds of thousands of us by vilifying a decent human being and thousands of socialist Lab members who were expelled etc?
Tragically although SG’s manifesto is excellent this shows her to be a brilliant ‘Workerist’ (on workers pay) but not a political heavyweight?
Left Wing Democratic Socialists are holistic fighting for all aspects of the lives of the diverse w class yes even when they clock off!
We are about the TOTALITY of workers lives.
SG should not have delegated this issue to Lumpen union bureaucrats.
We should not accept the Contrived Dominant Right Wing Perspective on AS and particularly when most of us grassroots during this period were often face to face in demos against (often drunken) Far Right Wing thugs on the streets (putting ourselves at risk) and The Establishment, media reps, Right Wing Lab members & MPs, Right Wing Jewish Groups, and union bureaucrats were nowhere to be seen.
The grassroots will continue to weekly politicise the masses but not for our benefit but for the benefit of the diverse working class of the world. Solidarity!
What is interesting, looking below the surface, is that it is not just the traditional political left that is being targeted by the Neo-feudalist Junta put in place by the Oligarchy.
The recent take over of local Council’s and Councillors in some of the big cities which mirrors the authoritarian take over of CLP’s has casualties on the political right as well as the political left.
In this neck of the ‘woods’ [pun intended] the leader and deputy leader – both from the political right (the hard working and effective former DL was a key figure in our former LP MP’s team before the MP quit the Party early in 2019) – along with a number of others were called in to Region to sign a number of commitments which included accepting responsibility for certain debacles involving trees as part of being forced to resign their leadership and other positions on key Committees.
The deadline for signing has come and gone without effect. Which leaves something of a dilemma – at least for anyone with and ounce of common sense. With only 39 Labour Councillors against 29 Lib-Dems, 14 Greens, 1 Blue Tory and 1 Independent will the Party at national level, through the paid “PMC” flunkeys from the Regional Office really expel from the Party or remove the Council whip from the seven or eight holdouts for refusing to sign and risk losing any effective control of the Council?
These people are eating themselves. That’s how arrogant, ignorant, incompetent and stupid they really are.
Oh and to delve a bit deeper.
Neo-Liberal capitalism is in a crisis, it has painted itself into a corner with its drive for Cheap Labour as ‘Commodities need consumers.’
Great Left writers also argue we have a crisis of overproduction and even the FT suggested there is “Too much entry and not enough exit.”
The New Left Review pointed out that capital is sat on £950b it will not invest.
And it could be suggested lazy capital now prefers to seek profit from Cheap Labour and unproductive finance capital (they even make money from trading bad debt).
Corbyn threatened all this with state-led public investment, a new public investment bank, a Green New Deal, ending pay freezes, increasing benefits etc all putting more pounds in peoples pockets to boost the economy.
The Tories & Right Wing Labour “Haven’t a clue what to do.”
But the Left does.
Corbyn’s programme is still exactly what the world needs.
On the subject of capitalist overproduction and its voodoo economics….
https://www.businessinsider.com/france-spend-216m-destroying-excess-wine-as-consumption-habits-change-2023-8?r=US&IR=T
….the French Government have committed some two hundred million Euro’s to destroy surplus wine.
So tell us again, resident troll, how this system represents the only ‘viable’ alternative. We could do with a good laugh.
Bazza, Corbyn threatened the Neolibs that wanted to take over Russia. So with the aid of Starmer who is one of their disciples they neutralised him so he wouldn’t jeopardise their plan.
But with the aid of their EU idiot leaders they’ve created a new multipolar world that is making peace instead of war. This week who would have thought Iran and Saudi Arabia would make peace and belong to the same trading bloc such as BRICS ? The US, UK and EU is history and the dollar empire is crumbling, Corbyn is always on the right side of history, and think what we all might have had.
And it’s not over until.
There are still hundreds of thousands of us JC supporters out there just waiting for the call.
In the next General Election 620 JC Independents or Peace & Justice as a political party?
The Corbyn Dream could be kept alive.
Freedom of speech is meaningful only if is the freedom of people to express what you hate and radically disagree with. Should people be able to express the idea of holocaust denial? Yes. It’s a mad idea but the way to defeat it is not to forbid its expression but to provide the evidence and arguments which show it to be false. Pardon me for reminding you of what you know: Voltaire’s famous remark that though I disagree with what you say I will fight to the death for your right to say it. The Unite leadership argument that the book and film may cause offence is ludicrous. I’m offended every time Sunak opens his mouth, by the mealy-mouthed idiocies of Starmer, by the ghoulish war-mongering nonsense of Blair, but I don’t believe they should be silenced. Graham and co have fallen for pro-Israeli State thought-control and embraced the anti-Semitism which consigns all Jews to a single category. That they have lost their hold so utterly on the long-established liberal view that all opinions should be aired so the false can be sifted from the true is indicative of how far removed they are from any serious defence of a society where liberty means something.
So true Frank Dallas – and by it, holocaust confirmation becomes an article of faith instead of a real, material, shocking, historical fact, and it causes “the wrong type” of x to be more dangerous to these people than even their real enemies and antagonists.
Happily, where x = Jews, or socialists, or doctors of medicine, etc., etc., the onslaught against them by their own kind is so intense and relentless and is a dark shadow that harms the entire class, perpetrators and victims, that in time it creates a rejuvenation and renaissance of the pool/branch of knowledge. The world will never be without good socialists, Jews, medics, etc..