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

[SpineyNorman]

I don't know the ends and outs of the alleged racism, but she came onto this board via a shitty cartoon and got treated badly once here and it's that I'm bothered about.

Don't you think that pales into insignificance somewhat compared to what's been thrown in my direction? Where is the moral outrage on that one? I can assure you I'm not making this up - I'll happily get people to substantiate every word if necessary.

 

[audiotech]

Do clarify..name names etc.

This forum is infested with middle-class no-marks. They know who they are.

 

[killer b]

ok, edited.

 

[Blagsta]

Yeah, when everyone on here uses a pseudonym.

Is everyone on here a media celebrity editing a national magazine, going on Newsnight and having articles in the Telegraph defending them?

 

[killer b]

This forum is infested with middle-class no-marks. They know who they are.

still not sure. you'd probably best tell us.

 

[redsquirrel]

I don't know the ends and outs of the alleged racism, but she came onto this board via a shitty cartoon and got treated badly once here and it's that I'm bothered about.

How did she get treated badly when she came here? People asked questions to her and criticised her - that's not bullying.

Admittedly a couple of posters called her Dave (for some reason which like SN and sihhi I still don't really get) but I'm sorry most posters here, or most places else, will get far worse than that.

 

[DotCommunist]

I don't know the ends and outs of the alleged racism, but she came onto this board via a shitty cartoon and got treated badly once here and it's that I'm bothered about.

she's mugged everyone off in general with misogyny smears and slandered several specific people qrt racism- excuse me while I apply another coat of whitewash to your lance Ser NeverContributedToThisThreadBeforeNow. Let me caprison your horse with fresh bleached linen oh Lord of Only Just Noticed This Thread Now

 

[Ronnie Rubashov]

What's wrong with hyenas.
Lay off the fuckin hyenas.
Speciesist bastards.

Seriously...who or what do they bully?
Any suggestion that authentic hyena behaviour is inspired by anything other than adaptive survival mechanisms is rank anthropomorphism.
Check your fuckin privilege matey. Hyenas don't have access to the kinda opportunities afforded to white middle class twats. They can't afford precious liberal guilt trips like you...the savannah's an unforgiving place.

 

[chilango]

I don't know the ends and outs of the alleged racism, but she came onto this board via a shitty cartoon and got treated badly once here and it's that I'm bothered about.

It was a shitty cartoon.

BUT she was treated pretty well upon arrival. Then she refused to engage, called us a bunch of racists/sexists and ran away.

Then there was some pretty harsh stuff posted about her by a minority.

 

[framed]

My name is Harper Rottenrow...

Maiden names and hospitals accounted for.

With a name like that I must be due a NS column!

 

[Blagsta]

I don't know the ends and outs of the alleged racism, but she came onto this board via a shitty cartoon and got treated badly once here and it's that I'm bothered about.

That's not really what happened. Yes that cartoon was out of order, however the person who posted it got told this by plenty of people. Any other sexist or weirdo comments were criticised too. In what way has she been treated badly?

 

[sleaterkinney]

she's mugged everyone off in general with misogyny smears and slandered several specific people qrt racism- excuse me while I apply another coat of whitewash to your lance Ser NeverContributedToThisThreadBeforeNow. Let me caprison your horse with fresh bleached linen oh Lord of Only Just Noticed This Thread Now

Clean out my horse's bun bag while you're at it.

 

[Fez909]

Oh FFS... The point I was making with the 'Dave thing' is that the name 'Laurie Penny' is itself an invention, it's not her real name. It's been constructed for purely pretentious political reasons I would hazard to guess. From her politics right down to her 'wadical' choice of name, she is a fake.

But point me in the direction of the rule I am breaking and I might stop calling Dave 'Dave'.

I don't care enough to find it, but I believe calling posters by names which aren't actually theirs* is a rule. I'm not asking you to stop; I'm just saying I don't like it.

*I know she's not really called Laurie Penny either. It's a fucking minefield

 

[Ronnie Rubashov]

Is everyone on here a media celebrity editing a national magazine, going on Newsnight and having articles in the Telegraph defending them?

Well I know I am. But I can only speak for myself.

 

[framed]

I don't care enough to find it, but I believe calling posters by names which aren't actually theirs* is a rule. I'm not asking you to stop; I'm just saying I don't like it.

*I know she's not really called Laurie Penny either. It's a fucking minefield

Exactamente Shirley.

 

[cesare]

I know what it is. It's a thread that contains nasty, hyena like bullying of a girl who has done fuck all to deserve it.

That's not true.

 

[Red Cat]

I know what it is. It's a thread that contains nasty, hyena like bullying of a girl who has done fuck all to deserve it.

Check your privilege!

 

[SpineyNorman]

I don't know the ends and outs of the alleged racism, but she came onto this board via a shitty cartoon and got treated badly once here and it's that I'm bothered about.

I'll give you the lowdown on the alleged racism - it was a complete fabrication. That's all there is to it. Other than the use of a privileged media platform to ensure that the complete fabrication went essentially unopposed of course, and has had a direct impact in the real world.

 

[redsquirrel]

I'll give you the lowdown on the alleged racism - it was a complete fabrication. That's all there is to it. Other than the use of a privileged media platform to ensure that the complete fabrication went essentially unopposed of course, and has had a direct impact in the real world.

I'm not quite sure how anyone could have read the part of the thread after LP turned up and missed the racism accusations, particularly at the same time they can spot bullying.

 

[cesare]

I don't know the ends and outs of the alleged racism, but she came onto this board via a shitty cartoon and got treated badly once here and it's that I'm bothered about.

This is misrepresentation.

 

[Fez909]

Check your fuckin privilege matey.

Check your privilege!

These two posts got me thinking -- is Laurie the first person on Urban to say, in earnest, "check your privilege"?

 

[cesare]

These two posts got me thinking -- is Laurie the first person on Urban to say, in earnest, "check your privilege"?

Where did Laurie say "check your privilege"?

 

[Fez909]

Where did Laurie say "check your privilege?"

It wasn't an exact "check your privilege", but I think I'm right in remembering her say something like, "unchecked white male privilege" is what made her react the way she did? Hope I haven't imagined that....

 

[SpineyNorman]

I'm not quite sure how anyone could have read the part of the thread after LP turned up and missed the racism accusations, particularly at the same time they can spot bullying.

It's almost like they've either not really read the thread at all or they have read it and intentionally glossed over that part isn't it? It would be unfair to make that assumption though so I'll let the posters in question offer what is probablu an obvious alternative explanation that I'm not quite seeing.

 

[SpineyNorman]

It wasn't an exact "check your privilege", but I think I'm right in remembering her say something like, "unchecked white male privilege" is what made her react the way she did? Hope I haven't imagined that....

She said that in her email to me mate, the one she copied onto here. To be fair, I said it in an almost serious but also kind of taking the piss way earlier in the thread. Does that count?

 

[ViolentPanda]

I'm confused as to why a few people on this thread have gone out of their way to say they don't dismiss privilege/identity politics completely. It stuck out to me as I really don't see what privilege politics offers. I asked on the manarchism thread this question, and the last time I checked it there was no real response. So if it gives us nothing, and it shuts down debate, why are people not denouncing it in its entirety?

Because in its place (as a set of tools for analysing social interaction) it's not without utility. What people generally are disagreeing with w/r/t "identity politics", is when "identity politics" replace any and every other mode of analysis, so all that is left is difference, with no focus on commonality or solidarity, no attention paid to how reducing identity to a series of positions on a hierarchy of oppression from which commentators can criticise (but seldom critique) each other merely does power's work for it.
"United we stand, divided we fall", and all that.

 

[Fez909]

She said that in her email to me mate, the one she copied onto here. To be fair, I said it in an almost serious but also kind of taking the piss way earlier in the thread. Does that count?

Well, hers wasn't really on here if it was just a copy of the email. Perhaps you do take the dubious honour.

 

[sleaterkinney]

It was a shitty cartoon.

BUT she was treated pretty well upon arrival. Then she refused to engage, called us a bunch of racists/sexists and ran away.

Then there was some pretty harsh stuff posted about her by a minority.

It happened soon after she started posting, post #6239 for example.
http://www.urban75.net/forums/threa...cebook-handbags.266196/page-208#post-11794834

 

[DotCommunist]

I think having the username of a shit 90s band that nobody liked obliges you to take on viewpoints and fight the corner for shit opinions. Even though tossbags at the torygraph beat you to it.

 

[co-op]

That's not really what happened. Yes that cartoon was out of order, however the person who posted it got told this by plenty of people. Any other sexist or weirdo comments were criticised too. In what way has she been treated badly?

It's an internet bulletin board, anyone who has spent more than about 5 minutes online in their lives knows that you will always get idiotic posts thrown around, for laughs, from misjudgement, out of sudden anger, because someone is genuinely dumb, whatever. How the board deals with that varies but every board has these issues, she's supposed to be the voice of the new tech generation and she thinks that she can hide behind a group denunciation of a whole board based on one or two comments? That's utter bullshit and she knows it.

Anyone who isn't sure what she's doing here on this thread should rewatch the David Starkey debate clip where she demands a "right of reply" to his dig and only then when she's at the microphone does she remember "oh shit, what he said is true" so she just flaps and blusters. It's cringingly hard to watch but it's absolutely her technique here. It's a masterclass in narcissism; "if it makes me look like an arse it CAN'T be true".

At this point in her life she's lucky to get pulled up on this shit - if she doesn't take note of what's being said and change her ways or she's very likely in for a proper public Harigeddon.