This is absolutely not exclusive to The Labour Party, and I include all people in any ‘left-leaning’ organisation…the shocking treatment of ‘left-leaning’ people by The Establishment, media & commentariat is on a massive, hypocritical industrial scale. To use an example close to home for me, this poison has resulted in BAME, LGBTQ+ and/or female comrades being targeted with impunity simply for supporting the ACTUAL AIMS of The Labour Party. For daring to be Socialist/Centre-Left/Democratic Socialists. If you share those politics, as we see from the reports/quotes on leaked report, often the VERY same people denouncing the party for having an endemic problem with anti-Semitism, were those seemingly, consciously or through incompetence, blocking investigations into anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim, anti-BAME racism. Using potential victims of abuse as pawns to try & frame Jeremy Corbyn & Socialist/Centre-Left/Democratic Socialist members.
Michael Rosen, who we again send our love & solidarity to as he is currently not in the best of health, has received tirades of abuse, bullying, racism-often from other Jewish people-for having the audacity to acknowledge racism & call it out where it exists, but for passionately defending anti-racists and happening to be a Socialist. The wonderful Andrew Feinstein is another example of this; a man who lost relatives during the Holocaust & has lectured on that shameful part of human history. Now we see our black MPs and members, as well as our Muslim members, suffer horrific abuse. Abuse not called out, often at all, by the same media, Establishment & commentariat. These people have no interest at all in tackling racism and abuse UNLESS they can frame Socialist/Centre-Left/Democratic Socialists. They are enablers of racism. They are massive hypocrites. They are dangerous influencers completely devoid of any capability of humility or self-awareness. Check out the alleged motion passed by some GMB Union members against Jenny Formby. I mean, the level of arrogance…it is breathtaking. It really is. When it is discussed by the aforementioned journalists & commentariat, they spend approx 90% of their articles STILL attacking the Socialist/Centre-Left/Democratic Socialists!!! They literally have no shame. Indeed, one such person said NOTHING when their mate, political editor of The S*n, published information and potential locations of left wing colleagues, given to him by actual Neo-Nazis!…then appeared with him on BBC Politics Live just a few days later. Then this person interviewed Keir Starmer and suggested he should be doing interviews with The S*n?! Of course said political editor remains a regular guest on BBC, SKY etc programmes, as do other awful hypocritical racists. Never called out.
Seeing so many high-profile hypocrites continue down this path is dangerous. Because there is no equivalent platform allowed for the counter-argument, which in many cases is factual and not ‘just’ an opinion. I try not to be a hypocrite myself (though being human, I am sure I fail at this too at times); I am not saying Socialist/Centre-Left/Democratic Socialists are never racist or abusive. That would be absurd. But while obviously any racism, bullying or abuse is too much, it is nowhere near the levels on platforms offered by much of our media to the aforementioned hypocrites. I am also perplexed, worried & genuinely shocked that all those alleged in the leaked Labour report to have committed awful potential misdemeanours, have seemingly STILL not been suspended pending investigation. WHY NOT?! I know what ALL ‘sides’ will be thinking…if the expose was on Socialist/Centre-Left/Democratic Socialists members/officials/elected representatives, those people would probably already have been suspended pending investigation.
There is no compromise with this kind of thing. There is no middle ground. You are either serious & consistent, or you risk alienating entire communities of people, your entire membership, voter base & potential voters. To seemingly try and protect (I desperately hope I am wrong, and will be delighted if I am) a minority who have a majority platform? Or mates? Or those whose politics are more closely aligned? Please, prove me wrong. Or explain the inconsistencies, rather than prioritising exposing those who brought these alleged atrocities to our attention. But, again, this is absolutely not just about Labour. It happens in all other political parties in one form or another. I mean, our current Prime Minister gets a free pass on incredibly anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, anti-Black, anti-BAME language-often by EXACTLY the same people who call Jeremy Corbyn a racist. The LEAST racist person I have ever had the privilege to meet. Although Socialist/Centre-Left/Democratic Socialists people who do not identify as BAME and/or LGBTQ+ also suffer horrific levels of hypocritical, totally unjustified bullying & abuse too. Though as someone who identifies as being part of such a group, I personally, speaking only for myself, would never compare my situation to those in BAME, LGBTQ+ & minority groups.
This poisonous, dangerous hypocrisy & behaviour must end. Nor should anyone ever feel they cannot call it out & expose such hypocritical, abusive behaviour. They definitely shouldn’t be disciplined for it without a very, very, very good, transparent explanation. Solidarity with all.
Adam Samuels
