The Politics Thread

[Worthy4England]

Posting pictures of yourself standing next to someone and sharing a political platform are hardly the same thing and it doesn't matter if the Tories are throwing stones in the proverbial greenhouse, all that really matters to them is that they get enough mud to stick to Khan, if I might slightly mix metaphors.

That would be the same Zac Goldsmith who used to roll-out the muslim cricketer, Imran Khan, to try and grab muslim votes in Richmond, coz he was married to his sister? And that'd be the same Imran Khan who was supportive of jihad in Afghanistan, when foreign forces including the UK were there? Opportunistic wanker and a reprehensible piece of dog turd.

[Worthy4England]

One things for sure

You will never get a referendum asking if you wish to be part of an Islamic State.

I'm fine with that. I don't want one.

[thebish]

So in effect, Khan has legitimately been questioned as to why he chose to share a platform with a radical, IS supporting cleric? Not just once, but on 9 occassions? Sounds reasonable to me.

what I was talking about was Cameron's shameless use of his office to join in with Zac Goldsmith's utterly stinky smear-campaign against Khan... Goldsmith is slinging mud to try to make some kind of association in the public mind that Khan - largely because he is a muslim - is connected to terrorism or supportive of terrorism. NOBODY believes that Khan is connected to or supportive of terrorism - yet this smear campaign persists... and the PM demeaned his office by using a question about forcing schools to become academies to join in the smearing...

it's low, low politics and the PM should be above it IMO...

what kind of "evidence" are you looking for me to provide?

[Bijou Bob]

And you expect politicians to confirm to a code of ethics and human decency why??

[Bruce Rioja]

what I was talking about was Cameron's shameless use of his office to join in with Zac Goldsmith's utterly stinky smear-campaign against Khan...

So when Cameron makes a perfectly reasonable assertion he's abusing his position is he, really?

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

what I was talking about was Cameron's shameless use of his office to join in with Zac Goldsmith's utterly stinky smear-campaign against Khan...

So when Cameron makes a perfectly reasonable assertion he's abusing his position is he, really?

I've not seen it, so genuine question...

What the feck has Khan got to do with the government forcing schools to become academies?

Sounds like slinging mud to try and cover the fact he doesn't want to answer a reasonable question. Or am I missing some context here?

[thebish]

And you expect politicians to confirm to a code of ethics and human decency why??

I reserve the right to point it out when they act like tossers! You appear to agree they have acted like tossers - I don't get what your actual objection is to what i said?? (other than your usual knee-jerk defend-the-tory response,. that is!)

and - yes - I DO expect politicians to conform to a code of ethics and decency. don't you? (I'm not surprised when some don't - but I still expect them to. I think we should all expect them to - and hold them to account when they don't.)

[thebish]

what I was talking about was Cameron's shameless use of his office to join in with Zac Goldsmith's utterly stinky smear-campaign against Khan...

So when Cameron makes a perfectly reasonable assertion he's abusing his position is he, really?

no - but when he shamelessly joins in a scurrilous smear campaign against a London Mayoral candidate whilst he is supposed to be answering a question about schools being forced to become academies... then he is.

[Bruce Rioja]

what I was talking about was Cameron's shameless use of his office to join in with Zac Goldsmith's utterly stinky smear-campaign against Khan...

So when Cameron makes a perfectly reasonable assertion he's abusing his position is he, really?

no - but when he shamelessly joins in a scurrilous smear campaign against a London Mayoral candidate whilst he is supposed to be answering a question about schools being forced to become academies... then he is.

Yes, he's the first politician to change a subject matter EVER. Someone send for Albert Pierrepoint.

[thebish]

I happen to think that the whole political industry of SMEAR-BY-ASSOCIATION is weak and low and despicable... judge politicians on what they have actually said/done - not with vague smear-by-association..

Zac Goldsmith has smear-by-association as the central plank of his Mayoral campaign - what he seeks to do is engineer a situation whereby the words Khan/muslim/terrorist/extremist all appear in the same paragraph or sentence - or (better) - a headline in a London Newspaper..

it's DOG-WHISTLE politics.

yes, it's effective (that's why he does it) - no, Goldsmith is not the first to do it (though he has done it more brazenly than most) - no, not all politicians do it

Sadiq Khan is NOT a terrorist sympathiser and NEITHER is he a extremist muslim and NEITHER does he support ISIL... Goldsmith knows this, Cameron knows this.

for Cameron to use his office to join in with Goldsmith's smear-by-association dog-whistle campaign is - in my opinion - something to be derided.

[Bruce Rioja]

I happen to think that the whole political industry of SMEAR-BY-ASSOCIATION is weak and low and despicable... judge politicians on what they have actually said/done - not with vague smear-by-association.

Oh I absolutely agree, however,

Sadiq Khan is NOT a terrorist sympathiser and NEITHER is he a extremist muslim and NEITHER does he support ISIL...

If you choose to walk in the rain then you can expect to get wet.

This morning I've had a leaflet through from an independent candidate for the local elections. He states his achievements in the headlines of his pamphlet, they being that he's married with three children and nine grandchildren. Hand me the voting forms NOW!!!!

We then get down to the nub of it, or rather the bee in his bonnet. He's unhappy with the the local bus service provided by First Bus (despite there being one every 20 minutes or so).

The entire back side of his sheet is given over to slating Cameron, his family financial affairs and the Tory government. Right oh, what about Cliff Morris and the plight of our moribund town then? Cock!

[thebish]

I happen to think that the whole political industry of SMEAR-BY-ASSOCIATION is weak and low and despicable... judge politicians on what they have actually said/done - not with vague smear-by-association.

Oh I absolutely agree, however,

Sadiq Khan is NOT a terrorist sympathiser and NEITHER is he a extremist muslim and NEITHER does he support ISIL...

If you choose to walk in the rain then you can expect to get wet.

well - nice bon-mot as that is (I might use that one day - cheers! ) - it's not really what the issue is... (not for me, anyway)

However - you now seem to be agreeing with me about the issue in question - that Cameron was indeed being weak and low and despicable in joining in with Goldsmith's smear-by-association... (which is what my original post said!)

as you and I agree - Khan should not be judged by smear-association, but by what he has actually said and done. booooooo to Cameron and Goldsmith!

[Bruce Rioja]

If that's how you choose to read my words then that's your business.

[thebish]

If that's how you choose to read my words then that's your business.

aye - that's how I read your assertion that you ABSOLUTELY AGREE that the whole political industry of SMEAR-BY-ASSOCIATION is weak and low and despicable... judge politicians on what they have actually said/done - not with vague smear-by-association.

harmony breaks out!

[Bruce Rioja]

If that's how you choose to read my words then that's your business.

aye - that's how I read your assertion that you ABSOLUTELY AGREE that the whole political industry of SMEAR-BY-ASSOCIATION is weak and low and despicable... judge politicians on what they have actually said/done - not with vague smear-by-association.

harmony breaks out!

Indeed

But I didn't say anywhere that "Cameron was indeed being weak and low and despicable".

[thebish]

If that's how you choose to read my words then that's your business.

aye - that's how I read your assertion that you ABSOLUTELY AGREE that the whole political industry of SMEAR-BY-ASSOCIATION is weak and low and despicable... judge politicians on what they have actually said/done - not with vague smear-by-association.

harmony breaks out!

Indeed

But I didn't say anywhere that "Cameron was indeed being weak and low and despicable".

oh I thought harmony had broken out!

You're surely not suggesting that PMQs was an elaborate cinematic hoax - like the moon landing - and it never happened - or summat??

[Bruce Rioja]

If that's how you choose to read my words then that's your business.

aye - that's how I read your assertion that you ABSOLUTELY AGREE that the whole political industry of SMEAR-BY-ASSOCIATION is weak and low and despicable... judge politicians on what they have actually said/done - not with vague smear-by-association.

harmony breaks out!

Indeed

But I didn't say anywhere that "Cameron was indeed being weak and low and despicable".

oh I thought harmony had broken out!

You're surely not suggesting that PMQs was an elaborate cinematic hoax - like the moon landing - and it never happened - or summat??

Haha. Dunno I was away last week - the only bit of PMQs I got to see was the tiny bit that the Beeb showed on the World News. They didn't show the overall context, just Cameron's remarks.

[thebish]

you saw Cameron's remarks - but you don't think he was joining in with Goldsmith's smear-by-association campaign?

[Bruce Rioja]

you saw Cameron's remarks - but you don't think he was joining in with Goldsmith's smear-by-association campaign?

I haven't said whether he is or he isn't. I know nothing of Goldsmith's so-called smear campaign as, and as I pointed out, BBC WN chose only to show Cameron's comments, in no context whatsoever.

[thebish]

you saw Cameron's remarks - but you don't think he was joining in with Goldsmith's smear-by-association campaign?

I haven't said whether he is or he isn't. I know nothing of Goldsmith's so-called smear campaign as, and as I pointed out, BBC WN chose only to show Cameron's comments, in no context whatsoever.

oh - sorry - I thought it was common knowledge!!