So, my issue with the article, is that I don't think it's based in reality. They have a website to fill, some advertising to sell and they need articles shared. That's not just a guardian thing of course, but I do think it means that many (now primarily online) articles are less balanced than they may be; they'll come up with a rather jazzy headline and construct a not entirely truthful reality around that.
In this case, do we have some protesters being oppressed? I'm sure there's examples of it. Do left-wingers get abused online? Of course some do. Are left-wing protesters smeared as an angry mob? I don't actually think they are, but no doubt some people will do so, citing some protests or online behaviour etc.
But just like an article that talks about crime and illustrated it only with crimes committed by (for example) immigrants and tries to say that there is a link between the two is disengenuous, so too is this. article. Every example given may be true, but if you fail to mention that it happens across the spectrum then the analysis is fundamentally flawed, just like ignoring crimes committed by 'non immigrants' means you would have a false interpretation of the links between immigration and crime.
In this particular article, I'm not even sure how accurate the examples are.
It starts with some stuff about Tony Benn from 40 years ago, saying prominent British socialists have always received death threats. Unfortunately I suspect that is true, but haven't all MPs? I'm pretty sure there were attempts on many MPs lives in the 80s, the most famous being the Brighton bomb.
It then talks about the Tory doners awful comments. But it fails to reference that the recent shadow chancellor proclaimed in a speech that an MP should be lynched. Lynched! Again, when you look in the whole, then the headline and thrust of the argument gets weaker.
It talks about MPs being physically assaulted, citing egg throwing etc. Now I don't think that's on. I remember calling it out when Farage and others had milkshake poured on them (at a time of prominent acid attacks btw). Let's see how the guardian talked about that:
When it's Corbyn and an egg:
"In 2019, Jeremy Corbyn had an egg smashed on his head by a Brexit supporter. Such incidents have generally been treated by the media as minor, almost meaningless. Yet they form part of an ominous pattern"
When it's Farage and milkshake:
"This Milkshake Spring isn’t political violence – it’s political theatre"
https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...tommy-robinson
I could conclude the Left have a monopoly on hypocrisy, but I won't, as I know it's not like that, just as I suspect the author here knows the reality is quite different to what he's presented.
Originally Posted by JamesWales
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