1mo ago

Labour suspends Diane Abbott for second time over racism comments

www.theguardian.com

15 comments

For those skimming headlines: these are the same comments that she was previously suspended for before the election, and which her retraction of was a key part of her even being allowed to run as a Labour candidate. She’s literally gone “that stuff I was kicked out for and had to grovel for forgiveness for? Actually I don’t apologise”.
I’d start to question her faculties but she’s always been a disaster.
- Playing devil's advocate: is she wrong? I've seen plenty of racism based upon colour. Every day almost.
  Most supposed anti-Semitism I see is anti-Zionism that the media purposely confuses for their agenda.
  Having lived in multiple communities where gypsies and travellers are common, some of which are good friends, the hatred or dislike they experience is much lesser, and often is based on actual events such as stealing or providing services that are sub-par.
  
  Let’s look at her actual words, shall we, satan?
  Tomiwa Owolade claims that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all suffer from “racism” (“Racism in Britain is not a black and white issue. It’s far more complicated”, Comment). They undoubtedly experience prejudice. This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable.
  It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism. In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus. In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote. And at the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships.
  She talks about sitting at the back of the bus. Rosa Parks took a stand in 1943. Concurrent to this event, Jewish people, of the Jewish race, were being exterminated in the holocaust. If Diane Abbott is more interested in arguing for a dictionary definition of racism that includes the suffering inflicted on black people but excludes the holocaust, than she is in trying to understand why this would be incredibly offensive to the Jewish community, she can get in the bin.
  And if you’re more interested in watering down accusations of antisemitism to mere “anti-Zionism” then you too are more interested in playing with dictionary definitions than you are in calling out actual racism when it actually happens and you can do likewise.
  Fortunately you’re just playing devil’s advocate, eh?
This is just the latest in a long list of ridiculous things she has said to the press, she doesn’t like the current Labour leadership and is throwing her toys out every chance she gets.
I actually agree with her on the leadership being crap, but her egotistical hissy-fitting doesn’t help anyone, she should have been booted long ago.
[Speaking of Jews, travelers, and other white ethnic groups] They undoubtedly experience prejudice. This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable. It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism.
Says bigotry against some ethnic groups doesn't count as racism because they're white, is suspended, apologises, is let back into the party, now says her apology was fake and she stands by what she said, is suspended again.
I'm sorry, but this feels like she's purposely getting herself suspended again in order to get some headlines before moving party. It's a political stunt.
- She’s been consistently this rancid over decades though.

15 comments