Alex Callinicos/SWP vs Laurie Penny/New Statesman Facebook handbags
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ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
I think he imagines himself as a Patrick Bateman type of character, whereas he's actually more of a Jason Bateman type, albeit without the "apple pie" moderately good looks.
chilango
Hypothetical Wanker
JimW
支那暗杀团
Not so good but more amusingly, he had his agent mate touting him around for that fee but only didn't make money because even the silly sods who put on those sort of symposiums aren't that thick.
Idris2002
canadian girlfriend
He may yet surprise us all and reveal himself as a sort of Norman Bates-man.
"Mother, what have you done?"
JimW
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The market is always there ready to fill the vacuum, in this case with an empty vessel, it truly is like magic!
JimW
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Surely he donated his work as part of the broad-based mass worker's defence committees that form whenever Malcolm's being oppressed by the state.Top NY lawyers don't come cheap. I wonder how much Martin Stolar cost Malc's mammy and daddy.
Favelado
J'adore South Shore
What about a cravat?
muscovyduck
Good IT skills and food hygiene competent
He also claimed to not be bothered. Hm.
What does it tell us Ronaldo? That's the interesting bit. Us having a whinge about Malcolm Harris for our own amusement is peripheral to what this thread's about, for all the reasons you've mentioned. But the issue of "why he was getting touted around charging $5k to speak" is a genuinely important one - what say you Ronaldo? Anything political to add to this?
I'm all in favor of depersonalising the content of this thread because Laurie Penny's become a bit of a lightning rod for criticism because she's an archetype, someone who exemplifies much wider issues surrounding role the mass media play in buttressing a capitalist economic system, and these are issues that will have a tangible impact on a w/c political regroupment in the near future. It's better to de-personalise it, even if taking the piss out of posh kids is good sport and provides a bit of a laugh for us on here, because it's not about the individuals and besides Laurie Penny really does get a chorus of sexist abuse that's pretty vile, so depersonalising it is fine with me. It's always worth remembering that even if she'd never been born it would've made little difference to these tendencies, there's no shortage of worthy middle-class kids who'd crawl through a sewage pipe to get the paid gig at the new statesmam who'd fulfill the exact same role as her given half a chance. I follow a few of them on twitter, it's hilarious.
Thing is it's hard not to make it personal when that individual slanders those who disagree with her as racist and sexist to obfuscate the substantive criticism that exists of her professional work and how her career is an excellent example of the class politics at work in the media. It's hard not take it personally when you hear her come out with the "some of us have jobs y'know" line when your unemployed. It's astonishing how quickly the mask of radicalism slips and the inner Tory comes out when challenged by those beneath her. It's hard not to take it personally when you get called a racist in public after a lifetime of militant anti-fascism, and I'm sure it's very galling for the women on here (many of whom have been involved in grassroots feminist politics for much longer than Laurie Penny) are dismissed as middle-aged sexist blokes on a par with those wishing rape and other graphic sexual violence on Don't Start Me Off or Guido Fawkes comments etc. These are vile slurs, made by someone with a platform in the bourgeois media, made safe in the knowledge those who are the victims lack the means by which to defend themselves. Then again this thread contains dozens of examples and lots of background information that over time is going to make it harder for her to do her job. The gig at the indepedent didn't go to well, I suspect, based widespread rumour, they were less willing to indulge the incredible co-incidences that make up much of her output. If I was a fraud and charlatan, and if my ability to earn a crust was being jeopardised by a load of no-marks combing through my journalistic output looking for falsehoods, and the only way to diffuse that is to accuse those participating of being motivated by crude sexism and a dislike of women in the media, then I'd do it. Everyone's gotta eat - that's why class politics is so fundamental
Laurie Penny's prominence as a left-wing spokesperson is triumph of how far you can get in this country if you go to the right school, get a degree from Oxford or Cambridge and ruthlessly network yourelf as much possible, despite having nothing of much value to say. That's the interesting thing for me. And that's something which doesn't really revolve around Penny it could quite clearly be some other chump.
ALSO: Just as a giggle does she really go around the USA telling people that's she's a normal w/c girl who got a scholarship? hahaha god I hope it is, I bet some of these idiots really do fall for that.
chilango
Hypothetical Wanker
Top NY lawyers don't come cheap. I wonder how much Martin Stolar cost Malc's mammy and daddy.
Doesn't look very grateful here. Obvs doing some erotic Harry Potter fanfic in his reverie...
chilango
Hypothetical Wanker
rekil
to menny cranks
Sideshed neckwarmer hairdo and preppy wanker clobber. A most Communisn't look.
I also do fire and brimstone speeches, much like the one you favourited, in person for the very reasonable sum of £200 (or whatever you can get an ounce of skunk for in your area) so if you're interested PM me
JimW
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And he once caused a stir at Heckmondwyke fete by posting a notice claiming the Grimethorpe Colliery band were going to be playing outside the village hall.I also do fire and brimstone speeches, much like the one you favourited, in person for the very reasonable sum of £200 (or whatever you can get an ounce of skunk for in your area) so if you're interested PM me
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
J Ed
Follow Back Pro Expropriation
Wow, aren't you a nasty piece of work.
seventh bullet
sovietwave
Yes, hi there indeed!
Indeed. Welcome back LLETSA.
weepiper
I fix the machines that fight climate change
Who does she think she is, Peter fucking Pan? Christ.
tout.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
I believe he's being offered fight and fee.
Urbanites are nothing if not inclusivist.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
Haven't heard that one for a heap of years. Very "late '90s" of you.
Although I've heard you're more like a blunt penknife, to be fair.
JimW
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So more like a cash-back scheme than a scholarship, really. Or air miles, which she must have a fair few of now too.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
TBF, he looks like a picture of my great-great uncle Schmuley from the turn of the 20th century, except Unc had better dress sense. Unc was a proper anarchist, though. Fought and died for the Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine against the Whites and the Reds. Can't see Monkey Harris fighting for his beliefs. Writing for them, maybe!
Aaron Peters
New Member
You guys are my heros
JimW
支那暗杀团
That's several orders longer than a Laurie Penny published monograph! Someone get on the blower to Zero books.
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