BBC - Owen Jones

[butchersapron]

Most people don't think Labour even belong at protests like such any more. Labour's only line of defence is to ask people to not turn the protest into something political (yes, I know) - aka "Don't point out how hypocritical we are, now, where's the photographer for the local newspaper?"

It happens a lot around my local area, people from smaller groups doing all the hard work and the main political parties taking the credit, usually by using the local press after telling the others that they shouldn't be going after brownie points with the public.

Yes, here the labour PPCs for bristol south and bristol west did just this, presented themselves as the non-political face of the protests, got all the interviews and so on - of course nothing to with their election in 2015. Owen Jones just does the same sort of thing without the ambition. It all adds up to vote labour.

 

[treelover]

There are still some decent people in the L/P, such as Karen mentioned above, but yes, they were largely invisible on protests, etc, during the Blair reign.

 

[rosecore]

Ewww. I just went on some Bedroom Tax Facebook group. Quite a noticeable EDL presence.

 

[treelover]

Yes, and very robust challenges from others, the sites don't need an invasion of HNH, etc, not saying that is what you are suggesting..

 

[butchersapron]

25 grand to hire the venue for this only and last hope for the left.

Signatories to the Guardian letter in support:
Ken Loach (20 grand lost on assange ffs)
Roger Lloyd-Pack
Iain Banks
Tariq Ali
John Hendy QC
4 MPs
Load of union gen secs on a great wedge
Tony Benn


And they couldn't come up with 25 grand? At least a few on there are millionaires.

 

[rosecore]

Yes, and very robust challenges from others, the sites don't need an invasion of HNH, etc, not saying that is what you are suggesting..

Better moderation, that's all.

 

[treelover]

some of them lost money on the Assange bail guarantee

 

[butchersapron]

some of them lost money on the Assange bail guarantee

Loach lost 20 grand- as i said on the post. Do you not think they could come up with 25 grand between them? Banks spends that money on porsches, Ali is millionaire from one of the wealthiest families in india/Pakistan and so on.

 

[treelover]

Loach lost 20 grand- as i said on the post. Do you not think they could come up with 25 grand between them? Banks spends that money on porsches, Ali is millionaire from one of the wealthiest families in India and so on.

Wow, didn't know that

fair enough

 

[ViolentPanda]

How anybody like Jones who is a card carrying member of the Labour party can waffle on about socialism beats me.

How come none of the CLP's have issued a an ultimatum to Central Office to have Straw, Blair, Millburn et al,. to be expelled from the Party?

Because since (IIRC) '01, the CLPs have had no fucking power. Blair basically made sure that the CLPs pretty much lost all their powers, so he could turn conference into a circus where he didn't have to worry about getting heckled or barracked by people who thought he was full of shit.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Signatories to the Guardian letter in support:
Ken Loach (20 grand lost on assange ffs)
Roger Lloyd-Pack
Iain Banks
Tariq Ali
John Hendy QC
4 MPs
Load of union gen secs on a great wedge
Tony Benn


And they couldn't come up with 25 grand? At least a few on there are millionaires.

If Tariq still drinks as heavily as he used to, that's about a years' worth of GlenMorangie 12 for him. Not agreat price to pay considering how much he inherited, and the entirely comfortable living he makes from his journalism, books and talks.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Wow, didn't know that

fair enough

You must have missed a whole decade of pisstaking of Mr. Ali during the '90s, then!

 

[Zabo]

Cheers Panda.

 

[The39thStep]

Owen Jones no platformed-

Owen Jones @OwenJones84
@DrEoinCl Can you explain why you demanded Manchester bedroom tax protest not have me on platform and have withdrawn all support from it?
12:09 PM - 24 Mar 13

 

[butchersapron]

Look up me steps, look up.

So what we have is eoin saying yes invite own that would be great (conversation published) and owen saying that eoin said that he said the opposite (not published) and then speaking for and applying pressure to a single member of an 18 person body to say that what he, the non-attending owen wanted her to say and then taking personal ownership of both the action and deciding that the peoples assembly will instead arrange it for rmanchester. Can'r much difference between labour left and the labour left here. I wonder what articul8 thinks?

 

[articul8]

I thought no-one cared about Eoin?

 

[junglevip]

He was on the radio 5 phone in this morning and he was quite good. Apparently its all the fault of immigrants and nothing to do with thatchers de-industrialization policiy, asset srtipping the country or banking fraud

 

[frogwoman]

Doesn't sound like something owen would say.

 

[butchersapron]

I thought no-one cared about Eoin?

Owen and you clearly do. To the point of obsession i would say.

 

[junglevip]

Doesn't sound like something owen would say.

The callers believe its the fault of immigrants. Funnily enough there was not a single mention of asylum seekers eating swan

 

[Delroy Booth]

So would people prefer that Owen Jones not be on TV/radio so much? If so, why? What should replace him?

the IWCA?

Anyway, beware the dangers of Digital Bennism. Wooooo!

http://www.progressonline.org.uk/20...of-the-digital-bennites/#.UVH0Jpgd-fh.twitter

 

[DotCommunist]

the IWSA more like

 

[J Ed]

Worth examining that whole exchange:

https://twitter.com/OwenJones84/status/315124120943747073

asking anything about structure becomes: "why not ask the political questions instead of this nit-picking then?"

Maybe I just don't understand how things are in London but I don't really get his justification, are there no alternative venues that would have been sympathetic enough not to charge this much? Do they not understand the irony of charging this much for a meeting to start an anti-austerity movement? Was the lure of prestige and historical significance of Westminster enough for them to overlook that irony?

 

[sihhi]

Maybe I just don't understand how things are in London but I don't really get his justification, are there no alternative venues that would have been sympathetic enough not to charge this much? Do they not understand the irony of charging this much for a meeting to start an anti-austerity movement? Was the lure of prestige and historical significance of Westminster enough for them to overlook that irony?

Yes, they want to be close to Westminster and no they don't particularly care about missing out people who can't afford the entry fee or those from the outer districts without Travelcards from attending.

 

[Mr.Bishie]

The more I hear Owen's name, the more I want to throw stones at him is.

 

[smokedout]

Yes, they want to be close to Westminster and no they don't particularly care about missing out people who can't afford the entry fee or those from the outer districts without Travelcards from attending.

or didn't want them to, no riff raff

 

[sihhi]

The more I hear Owen's name, the more I want to throw stones at him is.

Maybe overdoing it LOL!

But look at the purpose of the People's Assembly in this exchange - his newspaper columns are endless variations of 'Tories are bad' so the actual politics comes out in twitter

Owen Jones says "Ultimate vindication - the People's Assembly attacked by the Spectator http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/freddy...ssembly-is-sound-and-fury-signifying-nothing/ … Brendan O'Neill attacked it yesterday too #win"

Someone asks "‏@OwenJones84 perhaps its a ploy to create a new lft party and split the labour vote? #thelongame"

Owen Jones responds "@JustinianSecond Nope, it definitely isn't."

Whatever else it is, it definitely will not include creating a new political force that will in any way diminish Labour votes.

The Guardian's Martin Rowson bigs it up
"@OwenJones84 You're on a roll, Owen! How do I join up?"

 

[Mr.Bishie]

Best tweet ever - "the people's assembly should be shot from a canon, into a brick wall'

 

[Firky]

There are still some decent people in the L/P, such as Karen mentioned above, but yes, they were largely invisible on protests, etc, during the Blair reign.

Ian Lavery sounds OK - then you look at his record and he's largely loyal to his party. They're all shit when you scratch the surface.

Best tweet ever - "the people's assembly should be shot from a canon, into a brick wall'

 

[DotCommunist]

I really don't get Owen. His 'Chavs' book shows a semi solid understanding of the attacks the working class have faced over the last thirty years. His heart is clearly in the right place. But he still recons vote Labour. Not just vote labour but work within it to change its direction!

that isn't doable anymore. If it ever even was. It's not even 'with no illusions' from matchstick owen, its genuine 'this is the hope of the left' stuff. How can someone who offered cogent if slightly obvious analysis of the state of play be so utterly lind to the collaborationist role played by a party that ceased to be the trade union political wing nearl 40 years ago? He's not a thick cunt so why is he still on this fucking wagon