Alex Callinicos/SWP vs Laurie Penny/New Statesman Facebook handbags

[Bakunin]

You know, don't you, that this is why we can't have nice things. Like a revolution.

I'm sure your hearts are in the right place, but collectively you come across like a bunch of creepy bedroom bullies.

Question:

If we were all permanently blowing sunshine up your arse and praising you to the heavens as though you could do no wrong, would we still come across as being unpleasant and misguided?

 

[SpineyNorman]

And the burning socialist workers just add to the ambiance

 

[Belushi]

Revolutions are a lot of things, nice aint one of them.

 

[butchersapron]

You know, don't you, that this is why we can't have nice things. Like a revolution.

I'm sure your hearts are in the right place, but collectively you come across like a bunch of creepy bedroom bullies.

This was said. It really was.

 

[Mr.Bishie]

You know, don't you, that this is why we can't have nice things. Like a revolution.

I'm sure your hearts are in the right place, but collectively you come across like a bunch of creepy bedroom bullies.

What will you do come a revolution? Flash the press card?

 

[Betty_Rubble]

If it were a revolution, Fresquet's bus would be outside your house, Laura.

 

[goldenecitrone]

You know, don't you, that this is why we can't have nice things. Like a revolution.

I'm sure your hearts are in the right place, but collectively you come across like a bunch of creepy bedroom bullies.

WTF? I'm in the kitchen.

 

[spawnofsatan]

Revolutions are a lot of things, nice aint one of them.

She'd be too busy on her Blackberry twittering to notice...

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

Question:

If we were all permanently blowing sunshine up your arse and praising you to the heavens as though you could do no wrong, would we still come across as being unpleasant and misguided?

Probably creepier though

 

[Lo Siento.]

You know, don't you, that this is why we can't have nice things. Like a revolution.

I'm sure your hearts are in the right place, but collectively you come across like a bunch of creepy bedroom bullies.

FYI, collectively, you and your media chums come across as exactly the same as all your predecessors, who never did anything whatsoever for the revolution. It's not "disunity" to recognise things for what they are.

 

[butchersapron]

Work = writing. Look on this thread and tremble oh ye workers.

 

[love detective]

then I come home to people like you telling me my work is invalid, and I continue to do what I do despite being attacked by so-called comrades because I think those stories need to be told.

You and your type are not and will never be our fucking comrade, so called or otherwise

 

[Captain Hurrah]

The internationale is a good fucking tune and I won't hear anything against it.

Do you like to sing it with glottal stops?

 

[spawnofsatan]

I expect the call has gone out and Sunny Hundal will be registering here to defend Laurie

 

[butchersapron]

You know, don't you, that this is why we can't have nice things. Like a revolution.

I'm sure your hearts are in the right place, but collectively you come across like a bunch of creepy bedroom bullies.

OK, let's get down to it. Material politics - revolution is stopped because people dislike privilege? Generally and practically privilege is shown to be a driver of revolution. Rather than a retardant.

 

[Betty_Rubble]

What did you eat in Harvesters when you had dinner with Stephen Lennon?

 

[Captain Hurrah]

I expect the call has gone out and Sunny Hundal will be registering here to defend Laurie

I'll be reading his posts in Sylvester the Cat's voice.

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

You and your type are not and will never be our fucking comrade, so called or otherwise

don't be so dour

 

[butchersapron]

Odd how she's morphing into prof callinicnos - no sweetie you're doing it all wrong.

 

[Hocus Eye.]

The internationale is a good fucking tune and I won't hear anything against it.

Welcome Laurie. The internationale is a good tune but it is really hard to get the words to scan to it. Perhaps you know someone who could write new ones. I don't mean in the style of the Billy Bragg version which would pass for a middle of the road non-conformist hymn. But a modern take would be useful.

Are you here as a result of doing a search for that violent cartoon that Firky insulted you with? If so you will have discovered that it was not created by him and was not originally about you. There are several versions around, one with the two attackers being computer nerds into Mac and MS while the victim is into Linux, another with an atheist and a christian attacking someone from some other sect. In all versions of this cartoon the victim although smaller than the attackers is a male with ginger hair not a woman. Firky the re-publisher of the cartoon is a bit of a mixed character - find out more about him on these very boards if you can be bothered.

 

[SpineyNorman]

A wri'er for the new ink wirry.

 

[agricola]

This will be a day long remembered.

 

[free spirit]

I've risked arrest by doing my job many times. Every time, it's a calculated risk about how important the story you're doing today is compared to all the stories you might not be able to do in the future if you're arrested or get on a blacklist. I have been assaulted by police officers, grabbed and thrown away from the 'wrong' side of official reporting lines and watched my friends beaten bloody, and then I come home to people like you telling me my work is invalid, and I continue to do what I do despite being attacked by so-called comrades because I think those stories need to be told.

can I ask, have you actually spent a night in the cells (or longer) as a result of your actions?

I'm genuinely glad that you are reporting from that side of the police lines, but can you see why this sort of post might grate with other activists who've never been paid for their activism, quite the contrary for most it actually costs serious amounts of money at least in terms of lost income, using up holiday time, or attempting to scrape a living on the dole while campaigning / building up for big actions?

We all make sacrifices at various stages of our lives / activism, it comes with the territory, along with arrests, police intimidation, police violence etc. You're far from unique in this, but you are almost unique in actually getting paid for it. If you're going to come on here playing the game of 'I'm a bigger activist than you', then you're onto a bit of a looser really tbh.

 

[Mr.Bishie]

This will be a day long remembered.

You won the lottery?

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

can I ask, have you actually spent a night in the cells (or longer) as a result of your actions?

don't be an utter loon there's a good fella!

 

[Bakunin]

This will be a day long remembered.

And possibly turned into a paid blog post, article or column as well.

 

[Firky]

There's a thread about Owen Jones somewhere, Laurie. Might want to give him a headsup. You're not alone.

 

[rekil]

The internationale is a good fucking tune and I won't hear anything against it.

Bragg's version is a travesty.

Er, welcome to u75 btw.

Edit: beaten to it by hocus.

 

[SpineyNorman]

This will be a day long remembered.

Bollocks, wanted to get the theme tune but for some reason I can't get the thing that makes it skip to 13.55 to work

 

[free spirit]

don't be an utter loon there's a good fella!

sorry, I've obviously not been obsessed enough with her to know the answer to the question.