Guardian wastes no time in turning tragedy into politcal capital
Less than 24 hours after the violent death of the Labour MP Jo Cox, the Guardian has unleashed two editorials that seek to pin the blame, not on the suspect currently in custody, but on the people campaigning for Britain to leave the EU.
The first, by Polly Toynbee, is closed for comments (for the author’s sake, you would think…but we’ll get to that later) – it is tasteless, evidenceless and manipulative:
It’s wrong to view the killing of Jo Cox in isolation.”
…she says, and having quickly and efficiently removed the need to talk about the specifics of the murder, or any of the tragic details, she proceeds to use the killing of a 42 year old mother as a platform for attacking her political opponents and ramming home some Guardianista agenda.
This poor woman was not killed by the apparently mentally ill man, currently in police custody, but by the “mood of the country” in which we are “encouraged to mistrust elected officials”. In a sense, Polly Toynbee says, everyone who doesn’t like the government is responsible for Ms Cox’s death…and especially, of course, all those who want to leave the EU:
…there are [anti-EU campaigners] whose recklessness has been open and shocking. I believe they bear responsibility, not for the attack itself, but for the current mood: for the inflammatory language, for the finger-jabbing, the dogwhistling and the overt racism.
She contrives and twists to somehow make the murder of a white woman at the hands of (allegedly) a white man somehow an act of racism. She cites Oswald Mosely and Adolf Hitler and Nigel Farage as somehow equivalent, and levels the blame for the actions of one man firmly at everyone who disagrees with her about Europe.
It is political manipulation of the worst sort, and it is truly disgusting.
But then the “Guardian View” goes one step further.
It too tries to conflate Brexit supporters with racists, and tries to suggest that this somehow an inevitable consequence of “the mood”, rather than the actions of a single man. On a day when both Leave and Remain campaigns mutually agreed to stop campaigning as a sign of respect, the Guardian felt itself above such niceties:
The idealism of Ms Cox was the very antithesis of such brutal cynicism. Honour her memory. Because the values and the commitment that she embodied are all that we have to keep barbarism at bay.
Vote Remain, it’s what Jo would have wanted.
It makes your skin crawl, doesn’t it? It certainly seemed to raise the ire of many commenters, through whom the moderators cut a broad swathe. That so many should be censored under a column ostensibly defending Britain’s freedom and democracy does not seem to register on the Guardian’s irony meter.
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Readers may want to note:-
‘Pound sees biggest daily percentage gain since September 2008’.
‘The FTSE 100 also rose, with shares trading 3% higher on Monday. ‘
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36573757.
Some people and organisations may well have made a financial “killing” subsequent to the shooting of Jo Cox?
This tragedy is unlikely to change the votes of most people who want to leave the EU – people are more sophisticated than being emotionally manipulated on so important a political issue – but our government is probably desperate enough to try and change the perception that such a tragedy can change enough minds.
It’s easier to get away with rigging a vote that’s around 50/50 than it is to rig a vote showing 80/20 in favour of leaving, as polls consistently do in which the participant volunteers a vote, as opposed to those who were asked by a pollster. They can’t swing enough minds from 80/20 back to 50/50 to rig the vote, but if they can persuade us something big enough changed enough minds to swing it back then they can try. This tragedy enables that perception/deception.
The crime was clearly motivated by fear of a flood of immigation to the UK. The murderer swallowed whole the idea that leaving the EU would somehow stop this. The message put out by the Brexit campaign will not address the problem that concerns many British people. The British must instead face the fact that their government’s support for Anglo imperialism in the Middle-East and elsewher is the sole cause of the chaos causing people to flee their homes in Syria. The EU itself is not the cause and Brexit is not the solution. People are being mislead. Demogogory is manipulating people’s fears, just the same as the US and British government’s use fear to drive their imperial fantasies. The guy would murdered the young idelistic MP is as much a victim in this sense as the MP herself. Personally, I hope the Brexit campaign is hurt by this murder… Read more »
The murder is so very convenient for the Remain campaign, isn’t it. Would they stoop to unleashing a half-wit to maim or kill a convenient victim to keep the neo-feudal EU project trundling along? Silly question, really.
The message heavily pushed across much of the mainstream media and particularly on radio phone -ins:
Racist Brexiteers are responsible for creating the climate in which such a crime could happen.
Vote Brexit. Vote Racism.
Amazingly an almost identical crime occurred before the Swedish EU Referendum but it didn’t change the result. It is difficult not to sense the presence of the brave (and very ‘establishment’) Intelligence Services in these crimes.
https://off-guardian.org/2016/06/18/history-as-ghastly-repetition-anna-lindh-jo-cox/
Breaking news … well sought of . Toynbee is interviewed and it’s show on german news at halftime at Portugal vs Austria .The German tv has pushed the line that the murder was basically to be seen as the result of the hate filled Leave campaign this line has been pushed from the get go , they did have someone at one of the vigils saying that they did not think the murder would make any difference to the referendum but the underlying message is that it will , the question was asked so that the question is out there , once out there it just needs to be asked repeatedly, it is irrelevant as to what answer is given . What I find disturbing in the msm coverage of this brutal murder is the knowledge that there are undoubtedly people managing the reaction to this murder in order to… Read more »
I also found the events surrounding Jo Coxs death disturbing. Why a white supremacist would kill a white person, why they would shout the name of a known white supremacist political movement, why the first witness never heard any such shouts, why a foreign campaigning organisation would have the assailants receipts for far right literature to hand.
I also posted this on the guardian and sure enough it was deleted.
Simply put, the guardian is a mouthpiece of the government agenda. I didn’t read toynbees article as hitting women, even in my imagination, is bad.
Notice how most remain articles do not allow comments any more.
Apparently a pensioner was also stabbed in the attack whilst trying to defend Cox. Not much has been said about him. This whole story has been pimped up because the primary victim is an insider, a New Labour Rising Star no less, not a pleb.
Cox (whose ghastly death was undoubtedly a tragedy) was apparently an advocate of a ‘no-fly zone’ in Syria, even if not approved by the UNSC. Not only would that amount to ‘aggression’, the ‘Supreme Crime’ under International Law, but with Russia there bombing Cox’s jihadist friends, the risk of thermo-nuclear war would be ‘non-trivial’. And then there is the hideous recent experience of Libya and ‘humanitarian intervention’ there, with its ghastly consequences that one would have thought might cause some reflection. I wondered why Cameron and May spoke so warmly about her.
Good God guys, what do we make of this. Marteen’s apartment “accidentally” left wide open and unguarded less than 24 hours after the shooting. No crime tape. No guards. And the press free to just wander round filming stuff and doing what the hell they like. And wouldn’t you know, right there in the kitchen counter is his expired gun permit and some printed info about Islam. Is it me or is this just nuts? What in goodness’ name is going on?
Different shooting, but equally weird back story for the alleged shooter. Omar Mateen was an actor with an IMDB page – now scrubbed. His dad is a prominent Taliban politician and frequenter of the State Department. This vid features what is supposed to be a segment of a “documentary” film in which Omar features, not as an actor, but as a regular security guard. You decide if you agree with the commenter on the channel. I know what I think.
I too was appalled by Toynbee’s comment piece in the Grauniad but I want to take a very different line to the conspiracy pieces both here and elsewhere, to look at the murderer and wonder what led to his actions. Two days on from the murder, the police are following the ‘extremist right wing nut’ line and it seems that the entire story is sewn up. On the day of the murder, the Grauniad had a piece from the Huddersfield Examiner featuring him extolling the benefits of volunteering. Clearly not your typical right wing nut and in any case, when the UK had something close to full employment, when we still actually made things, the general view was that political creeds of the far right were unthinkable here because they were a symptom of economic despair and we didn’t do economic despair. For some strange reason that idea is little… Read more »
I hesitate to describe the mere questioning of the media narrative as a “conspiracy theory.” If we keep on broadening the definition of that phrase there’ll be no permissible discourse left beyond total assent to prevailing dogma. The fact is we all saw a certain picture of this man emerge immediately as the the first reports of the shooting began to be broadcast, and we then witnessed, in real time, that picture begin to change as the corporate media suddenly united behind the story that he was a right wing “extremist” or even “terrorist.” On cue the Southern Poverty Law Centre “obtained” a package of incriminating data linking him to right wing groups, and this became the centre of the unrolling narrative. I have no way of knowing which version is true at present, but the narrative switch is manifestly quite odd. Yet very few, even in the alt media,… Read more »
Dear Kevin, At this stage as Catte says, there’s no real evidence that Thomas Mair committed the crime. All evidence so far is circumstantial evidence. Yet as you say the police are following the notion that he is a neo-Nazi fascist within two days of the murder. You have to ask, how did the police come to such a quick summary of Mair and on what evidence this is based on. You have to ask how the Southern Poverty Law Center – an American organisation, by the way, which normally concerns itself with issues of racial hatred and bigotry WITHIN the United States, not outside – was able to obtain so much information on him so quickly, right down to details of invoices for books and manuals he supposedly ordered. https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2016/06/16/alleged-killer-british-mp-was-longtime-supporter-neo-nazi-national-alliance How did the SPLC even know what Mair was supposedly buying unless it was practically stalking him? It is… Read more »
First rate balanced summary Jen!
Reblogged this on TheFlippinTruth.
‘Britain First’ Shout Eyewitness on BNP Membership List http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/06/17/britain-first-eyewitness-bnp-member-list/ The eyewitness who insists Jo Cox’s killer shouted “Britain First” before murdering the MP was on the leaked British Nationalist Party (BNP) membership and contacts list. Britain First and the BNP are known to be openly hostile toward one another. As a result of eyewitness Clarke Rothwell’s claims, the media have been quick to link the Labour MP’s murder to Britain First, a hard line nationalist group. Much of the press has also linked the killing to Britain’s European Union (EU) referendum, and Germany’s Chancellor Merkel has claimed the Leave campaign is to blame for the murder, for using “radical” language. Mr Rothwell, who witnessed the brutal attack on the mother of two, told BBC Newsnight: “The words I heard [Cox’s attacker] say were Britain first, or put Britain first, “I can’t say exactly what it was but definitely Britain first… Read more »
I am increasingly disappointed with “The Guardian”. It used to be great, but now it has been “white-anted” from within, and unless readers comments are ‘acceptable’ to the Editor, they vanish.
I posted this earlier today; I had to leave it as a comment on John Harris’ piece about the divide between Labour and the British working class: “Thanks for this John; calm, reasoned and not one bit offensive – in stark contrast to Polly Toynbee’s disgusting attempt to use the murder of Jo Cox to score points in the referendum debate, lower even than Geldof’s sneering two fingers at the fishermen. I do not know when the moratorium on campaigning will be lifted but woe betide the person on either side who tries to marshal news of this dreadful deed behind their cause. For Toynbee, it is already too late and the Guardian might have paused for thought a little before publishing it.” My comment was deleted not long afterwards. I avoided any doubts I might have had about Cox (as a mark of respect and because they would have… Read more »
I read your comment earlier , Im totally shocked it was removed , It only commented very reasonab’y that Poly’s article was bit rich , (to paraphrase )
I wrote that it seemed illogical to honour an MP (described as ‘passionately democratic).’ s memory with a closing down of public debate and that she would be ulikely approve of such a ‘tribute’.
After about an hour and may recommendations later , it was deleted !
Neither of our comments were in the least offensive , and it just adds to the conviction that the killing was afalse flag op.
It also confirms my belief that a Brexit vote wll have a fast domino effect in Europe rendering the EU a lame duck .
Only desperate death throws warrant such extreme action as the sacrifice of one of their own .
Penny, the murder of Cox must serve some other purpose than merely vilifying the Brexiters. They would have simply rigged the vote counting, in any case. There was NO chance that the Brexit would ever have been allowed to happen. None.
,I would be surprised if this was a false flag op , not because I think that the powers that be would not do such a hideous barbaric act but simply due to the timing , a month back remain were ahead and nobody had reckoned with this surge in support for the Leave contingent. This being so it hardly gives a believable time line to get this particular nutter up and running .Also he is still alive , if he is found dead in his cell I might become more paranoid but until then I will consider it to be what it looks like mainly an act of terrorism perpetrated by a nazi. It remains an act of savagery against a young woman , a gut renching horror that is truly traumatic. I do not see it influencing the result , simply because the MP in question was universally… Read more »
Not to mention the ‘Guardian’s view’ that the football violence in France is all caused by Dr No mastermind Putin, cackling while stroking his white cat and funding all the Brexit and other anti EU parties.
very true , your comment made me laugh , Russian hooligans are “well trained ” as well as “trained to fight” where as England’s own bunch of losers are what exactly apart from over weight , most of them are hardly real fighters more like hooligan tourists.
Excellent article, except:
” … the apparently mentally ill man … ”
He was a nazi (racist-fascist). This doesn’t mean he’s mentally ill, just a nazi.
As for Toynbee, I write it off to Polly’s evil twin. I think real Polly has gone, never to return. Ever since the coup that destroyed the Graun’s nominal independence and turned it into an agent of the neocon hegemony there’s been no sign of real Polly, it’s all evil twin all the time. Shame. 10-20 years ago I used to enjoy reading her columns.
Mair has been described in several MSM sources as having suffered from mental illness or as having received treatment for mental illness. If this is now disappearing from the official narrative, don’t blame our writers, blame the changing story 🙂
Mair is mentally ill. And has had treatment for it. Obviously volunteering and helping neighbours with their gardens wasn’t enough to overcome his sense of social isolation. He was most likely vulnerable to suggestion, and therefore if it is shown correct that he murdered the MP, then we must conclude that he took the Brexit campaign of fear more seriously than others.
They ALL sell out, if required. In Australia our Government broadcaster, the ABC, was thoroughly turned Right under Howard, one of the flunky aggressors against Iraq. In the twenty years since it has become a simulacrum of the Murdoch cancer, with many Murdoch stooges moving across or being regular guests. And a number of the now superannuated hosts of various shows made the shift, from a pleasant even-handedness, to Guardian-like service to the Empire, without missing a beat, and even becoming quite febrile reactionaries as the years went by. Almost anything to feed their egomania.
In 2003, a few days before Sweden voted upon euro membership, someone stabbed Anna Lindh, the Swedish Foreign Minister, to death. Same scenario unfolded: newspapers spinning the news to manipulate public opinion. Didn’t work though; Sweden voted to stay out of the euro.
Despite all that the Swedes are still a gloomy bunch.* There’s no pleasing some people.
And we still don’t know why Palme was assassinated.
*Come to think of it that might explain why they have so many great thriller/crime writers.
We know PRECISELY why Palme was murdered. Just ask Carl Bildt.
Reblogged this on Worldtruth.
The script presented by Mrs Toynbee reflects the callous opportunism so many editorials resort to. Any loss of life is devastating, our sympathy natural. One would like to imagine all share such sentiments. In the case of those who capitalise upon others misery, whether by hiding behind journalism or voting for sanctions/bombing/war targeted at civilians, ones belief is shaken.
It must surely have entered the minds of others that this could be a false flag operation, being resorted to by those desperate to ensure a remain outcome for a referendum at a time when all opinion polls are showing a leave outcome? The individual who perpetrated the murder could have been manipulated into carrying it out, as no rational supporter of the leave outcome could surely have thought this would enhance their cause? Killing a young woman in this brutal fashion and allegedly shouting “Britain First” as he did so is hardly designed to buttress the case for leaving the EU – is it? If anything – as on this occasion – it simply provides fuel for the anti-leave campaign – does it not? There have been far too many of these “lone nut” jobs even in all our recent histories for this not to be self-evident. I am… Read more »
“It too tries to conflate Brexit supporters with racists” did you see the poster that Farage came up with yesterday? Or the time Sked the founder of UKIP talking about the time Farage wants ex-National Front people to join UKIP & talking about nig-nogs & niggers. Farage is a fucking racist & congenital liar – I fail to understand why you do not understand that?
I said “Brexit supporters” not “Nigel Farage”. I don’t know whether Mr Farage is a racist or not, it is immaterial to my point.
The attempt to simplify the EU debate into decency and tolerance on the one hand, and racism and bigotry on the other is dishonest. Do you not agree with that?
As a reluctant Remainer, I have to agree with you. That a woman politician was the unfortunate victim of an apparently deranged individual seems to have exercised them greatly. You can see the analogy in their facile suppositions to that of their yearning for a ‘Safe Space’ for women in society. What next, a ‘Safe Space’ for politicians where no dissent is allowed from the orthodoxy? Whose orthodoxy are we talking about, that of the Guardian? The establishment in general? To take another of the Guardian’s increasingly bizarre and authoritarian campaigns, the ‘Web We Want’. I expect this man’s internet activity to come under microscopic analysis to point out the dangers of people seeking information from ‘discredited’ sources, or of posting ‘hate speech’, as they interpret it, on blog sites and public forums. Perhaps yet another excuse to censor opinion, to ‘no platform’ certain people or ideas. Apart from taking… Read more »
The Guardian’s authoritarianism fits neatly with the Israeli push to ban the BND movement, and even criminalise it, and the even more sinister moves to ban ALL criticism of Israel as ‘antisemitism’.
Off-Guardian wastes no time in turning Guardian news coverage of tragedy into obvious dig.
Editorials are not news. Should we tolerate the use of false information and emotional manipulation to spread a political agenda?
Polly, is that you?
This happens everyday in the USA. Horrendous tragedies being used by special interest groups for political agendas. The strategy of creating fear in order to rule has become commonplace in the west now just as much as it had been mainly in the east before. We as a species are not long from extinction by default.