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Richard Littlejohn charms the world again

Started by 23 Daves, December 20, 2006, 02:19:37 PM

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Mister Cairo

QuoteWell I do if I agree with him, surely? Why couldn't these girls have got a job stacking shelves in Tescos like everybody else?

For one thing not every Tesco's has a plethora of jobs waiting to be filled, there is high demand and many of them do requirer some skill. And I can't imagine Tesco wanting to take on drug addicts or people desperate for money to pay to loan person back. It's not like the tills have guards on to stop workers dipping in. when I worked at Sainsburys Kidlington (massive place, insanity) there was a poster in the lunchroom with an unidentified shop worker dipping into a till telling us not to steal.

Felatio Imperative

Quote from: "Wilbur"
QuoteI'm a fighter not a lover.

As far as I an see you are a right wing twat. I just trawled through "Wasting police time" remember to remind me never to read a book on your advice again.

It was a waste of an hour and is a diatribe of  Tory rubbish,   how  it even got published is a mystery.


I didn't force you to buy it. You made it very clear that you were ordering it on the strength of the recommendations on amazon.
It was written by a serving policeman, based on his own experiences, so how you equate it with 'Tory rubbish' only your own mind can tell you. You no doubt prefer to hear the 'truth' from Labour ministers.

Glebe

It's like he's saying "Their deaths were a tragedy, but...", like they were asking to be murdered. And the awful 'missionary position' pun shows how seriously he takes it.

You couldn't make Richard Littlejohn up.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Yeah, his articles are usually about 'settling the score', meaning you know what stance he's going to take on virtually every issue, which as a reporter is about the worst possible thing to do. What's tasteless is he feels he needs to settle the score on an issue like this.

"Oh by the way, there's cunts like me who hate prostitutes almost as much as the guy who strangled them. Just thought I'd let you know. And Gay Blairs Britain. Bye."

Glebe


Brutus Beefcake

The guy's unbelievable.  Here's a few choice quotes from his wikipedia entry:

QuoteNick Griffin, leader of the far-right British National Party, describes Littlejohn as his favourite journalist although Littlejohn distances himself, describing the party as "knuckle-scraping scum".

QuoteUnlike some other right-wing commentators, Littlejohn is against the restoration of capital punishment in the UK. He is however in favour of deporting people to countries where they will be tortured or executed. He has described the Human Rights Act as "evil", regarding it as a charter for criminals and terrorists. He frequently refers to Cherie Blair as "the Wicked Witch", due to the high level of human rights cases she takes on as a QC.

Quote("Does anyone really give a monkey's about what happens in Rwanda? If the Mbongo tribe wants to wipe out the Mbingo tribe then as far as I am concerned that is entirely a matter for them"

QuoteIn the 12 months to August 2003, [Guardian journalist Marina] Hyde noted that Littlejohn had referred “24 times to gays, 17 to homosexuals, 15 to cottaging, seven to rent boys, six to lesbians, six times to being 'homophobic' and four times to 'homophobia' (note Richard's scornful inverted commas), twice to poofery and once to buggery. That's a mere 82 mentions in 90-odd columns.”

During the following 12 months, he “referred 42 times to gays, 16 times to lesbians, 15 to homosexuals, eight to bisexuals, twice to 'homophobia' and six to being 'homophobic' (note his scornful inverted commas), five times to cottaging, four to 'gay sex in public toilets', three to poofs, twice to lesbianism, and once each to buggery, dykery, and poofery. This amounts to 104 references in 90-odd columns.”

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Marina? Someone should get that Guardian journalist a naval base. Great shooting.

Still Not George

Although, poor woman - imagine having to read that much Littlejohn.

Timmy O'Toole

The word "dykery" is a new one to me. Good work Richard!

chand

Today he plays it safe with his 43287th WWII analogy, in a 'satirical' article entiled 'If BA had run the Battle Of Britain, old Adolf would have walked it', an article which basically goes on to moan about health and safety fascists who are too gay to let the odd plane crash in the fog or something.

Mister Cairo

QuoteTo Hell In A Handcart (2001, HarperCollins, ISBN 0-00-710613-0) - named after another of his catchphrases, this is Littlejohn's first and only novel, based loosely on the Tony Martin case. The book was lambasted by liberal critics for its portrayal of asylum seekers, notably by The Independent's David Aaronovitch who described it as "a 400-page recruiting pamphlet for the BNP". However, it received positive reviews from conservative writers such as Frederick Forsyth and Andrew Roberts.

Anyone read this? I did for some reason when I was 14. What scares me is I actually believed parts of it, not yet having taken an A Level in Media Studies which made me realise that not all people who write for newspapers are nice. This meant that from the age of 14-16 I was a nasty right-wing little shit, before I started reading about life beyond my own experiences and listened to my more liberal friends.
It's all about gay defence lawyers being wanked off by jobs and includes a scene where a high-ranking copper pleasures herself with her trunchon. A few of the incidents are from Littlejohn's own life, and the main plot revolves around a ex-police officer shooting an asylum seeker who tried to rape his daughter (of the copper) and then broke into his house and killed his dog. He is then feted as a hero.

Interview with Littlejohn:
http://www.davidrowan.com/2003/01/times-interview-richard-littlejohn.html

Quote"I can tell you what they think on everything," he says, "and it's often contradictory. Smoking tobacco - evil; smoking cannabis - wonderful. Killing people - evil; killing foetuses - a woman's right to choose. Irish nationalism - great; English nationalism - wicked, fascistic."

Interesting...I'm in two minds about that quote. Are those views hypocritical?

Labian Quest

Quote from: "Mister Cairo"
Quote"I can tell you what they think on everything," he says, "and it's often contradictory. Smoking tobacco - evil; smoking cannabis - wonderful. Killing people - evil; killing foetuses - a woman's right to choose. Irish nationalism - great; English nationalism - wicked, fascistic."

Interesting...I'm in two minds about that quote. Are those views hypocritical?

An awful lot of right/left wing political issues can broadly be reduced down to an underdog/'overdog' relationship between countries/groups of people etc and, for a lot of people, deciding which group you sympathise with and identify the most with often has a lot to do with what you feel your own place in the pecking order is.

23 Daves

Quote from: "Mister Cairo"[
Quote"I can tell you what they think on everything," he says, "and it's often contradictory. Smoking tobacco - evil; smoking cannabis - wonderful. Killing people - evil; killing foetuses - a woman's right to choose. Irish nationalism - great; English nationalism - wicked, fascistic."

Interesting...I'm in two minds about that quote. Are those views hypocritical?

I agree that the "smoking tobacco" example he cites is hypocritical, though the abortion one is clearly a bit more complicated and needs an entire thread in its own right (and has had one on here, I'm sure of it).

He's being a bit pathetic saying that all left-wing people want to ban tobacco or are pro-Irish nationalism, though - it's not true, is it?  There are plenty of right wing people who also want to ban cigarette smoke in public places, it's not necessarily a left wing-right wing issue.  Similarly, there are plenty of lefties who are actually dewy-eyed patriots when they want to be.  The folk circuit is riddled with them (see Chris T-T with his "English Earth" track, and countless others besides).

In any case, the nationalism question is about what you're representing when you fly the flag or get obsessed with your national identity.  If you're celebrating red post boxes, fish and chips, the London Underground transit system, English comedy, tea and custard tarts, then I would say carry on.  If you're celebrating the right to announce that this is the greatest nation on Earth and things were much better when we ruled over Johnny Foreigner, and we should probably go out and kick an immigrant's head in because they're digusting and ugly, there's another matter.  Littlejohn appears to be of the latter viewpoint, though I suspect he'd pay somebody to do the beating up for him.  That or encourage his readers to by dehumanising the victims first.

Timmy O'Toole

QuoteMinisters open the door to millions of immigrants from all over the world and then express astonishment that the Underground is overcrowded.

Dusty Gozongas

Quote from: "Mister Cairo"What scares me is I actually believed parts of it, not yet having taken an A Level in Media Studies which made me realise that not all people who write for newspapers are nice.

Did a course in Media Studies also educate you on such things as partisanship? Littlejohn's rabidity is mirrored in equal measure on the left.
Nice as some people of letters may appear at first glance.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

I don't notice the parallel voices of the left voicing and encouraging as hateful views as his. They might be as crap as Littlejohn or Hitchens journalistically, I suppose.

I'd argue the voice of the left isn't heard in 'equal' measure in the press- only 3 big left-wing newspapers- one of which seems to have given up trying politics, and the other two that are at best hand-wringy about ethical responsibilites and the pros and cons of capitalism and right-wing government. Compare that to The Sun, The Star, The Mail, The Times, The Express, The Telegraph. What messes up the issue is that there aren't really two sides a right-wing and a left-wing ideologically in the papers- more a row of people who say what they think and a side-bench who criticise them.

Mister Cairo

Quote from: "arqarqa"
Quote from: "Mister Cairo"What scares me is I actually believed parts of it, not yet having taken an A Level in Media Studies which made me realise that not all people who write for newspapers are nice.

Did a course in Media Studies also educate you on such things as partisanship? Littlejohn's rabidity is mirrored in equal measure on the left.
Nice as some people of letters may appear at first glance.

Not quite sure of your point, seeing that I never mentioned the left in my original post, although I haven't seen any left-wing columnists express that the deaths of streetwalkers was a good thing. Is your point that we shouldn't attack Littlejohn because of left-wing columnists who write similar drivel?

And yes the course did "educate me" on partisanship.

Dusty Gozongas

Quote from: "Mister Cairo"

Not quite sure of your point, seeing that I never mentioned the left in my original post, although I haven't seen any left-wing columnists express that the deaths of streetwalkers was a good thing.

Your quote in the original post did mention David Aaronovitch's assertion that Littlejohn's book is  "a 400-page recruiting pamphlet for the BNP" however. My point is that both Left and Right leaning journalists are equally capable of making partisan statements without providing a detailed argument on how they come to such an opinion.

Quote from: "Mister Cairo"Is your point that we shouldn't attack Littlejohn because of left-wing columnists who write similar drivel?

Not really. Littlejohn is horrible and deserves all the flak he gets. The point is that the attacks should not be made solely, as often happens, at people in "the other camp", that's all. Bias and small-mindedness are not traits specific to the Right.

rudi

What I most resent about Littlejohn types is their assertion that, if I disagree with their views (and I do to a huge extent) then I must therefore lie in the polar opposite entrenched, small-minded camp of the Left that exists in his foetid little mind.

Heaven forfend there could be colours other than black and white, eh...?

"You don't think homosexuals should be castrated? What are you? Some kind of free-love peadophlie?"

Oh fuck off...

Brutus Beefcake

Quote from: "Mister Cairo"Not quite sure of your point, seeing that I never mentioned the left in my original post, although I haven't seen any left-wing columnists express that the deaths of streetwalkers was a good thing. Is your point that we shouldn't attack Littlejohn because of left-wing columnists who write similar drivel?

There was that bint blaming men and capitalism for forcing the girls on to the streets in the first place.

Clinton Morgan

Thought I'd bump this thread due to the programme last night called 'The War on Britain's Jews' which I admit I only saw about ten minutes of near the end. In terms of subject matter I'm glad that this is being brought to light. I've noticed quite a few people whisper "the Jews" in casual conversation and sometimes openingly decry "their whinging" about the holocaust when "they" kicked the Palestinians out of their homes "or something". Bit by bit there are people who are feeling it is okay to be anti-semitic. People will always look for an excuse to justify their bigotry. Think of A.I.D.S. and homophobia.

On the other hand I think, "Hold on! It's Richard Littlejohn. Isn't he the one who wrote that Tony Martin had every right to be concerned because, 'They were gypsies'? Pot, kettle and black."

Shoulders?-Stomach!

The Guardian and The Observer seem to be at odds with each other on the merits of this program. The Guardian thinks he's pulled out out of the bag, The Observer think he's a slimy calculating cunt who's wildly overstating left-wing anti-semetism, and in the program, effectively lies about some of the anti-semetic acts, making out they were done by the left when in fact they were done by Muslims.



Mr. Analytical

I was always fond of that picture of the anti-war demonstration that featured some cunt holding a placard with "We are all Hesballah" on it.  Yes... because opposing an illegal way in Iraq does completely entail agreement with the people who want to drive Israel into the sea.

I do find it remarkable and distasteful the degree to which anti-war people have gotten into bed with rabidly anti-semitic islamist types.  While it's something of a cliche to say that criticising israel is actually code for writing about "those bloody jews", I actually suspect that there's some truth in it.

TC Raymond

I didn't see the programme but let me inform you of my own brush with anti-semitism.

My parents are of Italian and Jewish extraction. Apart from a few childish jibes about my circumcised penis at middle school, I managed to get through my school years relatively unscathed by anti-semitic remarks. Then I got to art college in 1990 and I had some trouble with, and this isn't me trying to stir the shit, just reporting the facts as they happened, a black guy in my class. He twigged that I was Jewish and referred to me on a regular basis as "Judas" and "the Christ killer" and made hissing noises whenever he passed me, presumably in reference to the gas chambers.

I didn't find this unduly offensive at first, but after a few days of this nonsense it became a bit tedious and I reported him to the head of the department. "You're accusing a black student of racism, do you realise how serious that is?", said the middle-aged, apparently sensible man on the other side of the desk. Before I could say anything, he ploughed on. "Are you saying he shouldn't have freedom of speech? Is that it? You realise you could be expelled for trying to stir up bad feelings"...
Realising on the spot that I was faced not with a human being but with an unshakeable 'attitude' that erred on the side of political correctness (I can feel myself turning into Littlejohn as I type this), I left the room, collected my belongings and walked out of art college after three weeks, never to return. It wasn't just the anti-Semitism and the loony attitude of the head of department that fazed me, however, but it WAS a contributing factor.

A couple of years later I dated a mixed-race girl and her father, a West Indian, told her to stop seeing me because "he's a Jew, and Jews are no good. They're bad people and that's that". Her mother, who was Greek (I think), really liked me and was sad when her husband ordered her daughter to break it off.

George Oscar Bluth II

Did the program mention the boycotts of Israel by unions? NUJ, some lecturers union and a few others have done. The NUJ one in particular is bizarre. Surely a journalists union should be neutral?

But when you consider all the terrible things that other countries do, it seems strange that Israel is always in the firing line. Wonder why that could be...

chand

Quote from: Clinton Morgan on July 10, 2007, 01:20:46 PMOn the other hand I think, "Hold on! It's Richard Littlejohn. Isn't he the one who wrote that Tony Martin had every right to be concerned because, 'They were gypsies'? Pot, kettle and black."

Well, quite. I find it laughable that the man whose view of the genocide in Rwanda was famously to say "Does anyone really give a monkey's about what happens in Rwanda? If the Mbongo tribe wants to wipe out the Mbingo tribe then as far as I am concerned that is entirely a matter for them" and described Palestinians as "the pikeys of the Middle East" was suddenly mortally offended by Livingstone's concentration camp guard remarks. He wasn't, of course, he merely saw an opportunity to bash the left. If it had been someone making un-PC remarks about asylum seekers he'd have mocked anyone who got offended as hand-wringing PC thought police. He's trying to point out hypocrisy, but he has tok much of his own, and it's not like the left didn't take Livingstone to task on his remarks. He can say what he wants about 'Guardianistas', but I'd wager that the Guardian printed as much condemnation of Red Ken for that as anyone. I don't doubt that on occasions the left's tendency to sympathise with the perceived underdogs of the Palestinians against the perceived oppression of Israel can be too strong and that it might spill over into borderline anti-semitism, by the end of the programme Littlejohn was trying to imply that it was sandal-wearing leftists from Islington who are going around smashing up Jewish graves. I think he dramatically overstated the left's supposed role in all this, and it made the whole show feel tainted by his personal bugbears.

duckorange

Quote from: George Oscar Bluth II on July 10, 2007, 02:21:17 PM
Did the program mention the boycotts of Israel by unions? NUJ, some lecturers union and a few others have done. The NUJ one in particular is bizarre. Surely a journalists union should be neutral?

Believe me, there are many NUJ members who do not support this boycott. How can an NUJ card holding BBC reporter cover Israel with this hanging over them?

Mr. Analytical

Quote from: duckorange on July 10, 2007, 02:27:27 PM
Believe me, there are many NUJ members who do not support this boycott. How can an NUJ card holding BBC reporter cover Israel with this hanging over them?

  By toeing the union line if recent inquiries into the BBC's middle-east coverage are anything to go by.

  TCR - You silly sod!  if you were going to walk out of art school anyway you should have made a formal complaint.  If I'd been in that situation I would have gone over the bloke's head, made a complaint AND made a further complaint about the head of department trying to intimidate me into silence.

Famous Mortimer

He started off with a decent bit about Nick Griffin and the BNP being a right bunch of cunts, but then really just used that as an opportunity to stick the boot to the Left.

Rather than ask anyone from the Stop the War Coalition to defend themselves, which any of the main figures would have done admirably, he chose to show the same wildly unrepresentative clip of someone holding up a pro-Hezbollah banner twice and only interviewing people who agreed with him.

I'm a socialist, I was on that demo and I'm not anti-Semitic in the slightest. Entirely predictably, Littlejohn followed the Zionist party line which is any attack on Israel, their widespread killing of Palestinians and the hundreds of UN resolutions they've broken is an attack on the Jewish faith. I'm not saying the Palestinians are whiter-than-white, but considering on one side is the billions of dollars of US military aid, and on the other are the Palestinians (and Hezbollah, in Lebanon) who have pretty much nothing, all their money controlled by Israel, then it's not difficult for me to decide which side I'm on.

Mr. Analytical