Whatever you think of George Galloway, the main parties should take heed. This is the public putting a rocket up your bum. It’s no use dismissing this arrogantly as the victory of “communalism”, “oh it was just the Muslim vote”, and all the other whining I’ve seen and heard since he won his astonishing 36 per cent swing in last night’s Bradford West by-election for the Respect party. The voters have noted that the Tories are emboldened in their attacks on every aspect of life for anybody who isn’t a top earner while the creepy Lib Dems facilitate their pillage and Labour flails pathetically.
Yes, he has a monstrous ego. Yes, he sues at the drop of a mention of his affiliations or parts of his past. Yes, he wore a cock-hugging leotard, aired his sinister submissive side when he role-played a cat with Rula Lenska on Big Brother and was a beastly bully to the two young contestants on the show. All that is true.
But he defends the Palestinians articulately and with gusto — his performances in the US and against the awful Sky newsreader were impressive. And he is now saying what most of us are saying. While Labour can barely muster the energy to pretend they care about the damage being done to British society, Galloway provides a voice, an analysis and a willingness to fight this corner where no others will.
If Labour doesn’t like Galloway then the solution is easy. Start doing your job so Galloway doesn’t have to.
UPDATE: In one predominantly white middle-class ward, 900 votes went to Respect while only 40 went to Labour.
Sunday 8th April 2012 — Patrick Coburn in the Independent:
The Economist, after recording that Mr Galloway is “a hate figure for the British establishment”, claims he won his seat “mostly by touting his opposition to the war in Afghanistan.” (Note the use of the loaded word “touting”.) But what should be more relevant to current British politics than the Afghan war where 407 British soldiers have been killed and a small British army of 9,500 is still fighting? It is a conflict in which men and women have died and are dying in vain: their intervention has achieved nothing; the Taliban are not being defeated and this should long have been self-evident.
Anna’s food blog here:
http://annacheneats.blogspot.com/
Wise words. Exactly my view.
Anna,
Ni hao, we Chinese should be wary with siding with these Palestinian people. Remember they are muslims first, once the Zionists have been dealt with, who will they move onto next? Remember the Urumuchi riots of 2009? I have had to defend the Chinese position regard XingJiang or "East Turkestan" and against these bearded loonies.
Also this is what some of the Left think of us.
http://gossiptory.com/2012/02/manchester-young-labour-racism/
Zhai Jian
Sannyasin
"We" Chinese are not monolithic and come in all shapes and types, many of us having the capacity of solidarity with oppressed peoples. "These" Palestinian people did not make up the electorate who voted for Galloway.
"… muslims first, once the Zionists have been dealt with …" ? I have no idea what point you are trying to make but the racist tone is hard to miss.
I know about anti-Chinese racism. I have been challenging this all my life, also being involved in various campaigns. May I ask where were you?
Hello again,
I have been combatting racism both against and from the Chinese community. It is not necessary to be in politicised group to do this.
My point is that this fixation with Israel and in particular Israeli Jews can happen to anyone. Do you think the Muslim Brotherhood chappies will relax once Israel is wiped off the face of the earth or will move onto another part of the world to add to their Ummah.
I too wish the chinese dispora can be politicised like the Muslim world, some of my friends are Malaysian and Indonesian Chinese and the position of Chinese "Kufr's" in those countries are is times worse than the situation of the Palistinians.
Charity starts at home as they say.
Zhai Jian
HI Sannyassin HK, charity may start at home — it certainly doesn't stay there.
No-one said you had to be in a "politicised group" to combat racism so that's a bit of a non sequitur.
Galloway won in Bradford West because people are fed up with the three main parties. In one white middle-class ward, 900 votes went to Galloway while only 40 went to Labour.
Hello again,
If you look at the results, George won because of tactical voting by Tories and LD's as well as from the muslim community. I have recently come to your blog and although you mention inequalities suffered by the Palistinians. I noticed that you ignore that Chinese in Malaysia and Indonesia suffer racism that is worse than that suffered by the Palistinians in I/P. Maybe it is because overseas Chinese do not fit the Marxist "narrative".
SHK, I AM overseas Chinese, and have written and broadcast about overseas Chinese and racism against them.
No Palestinian ever called me Coolie.
I know very little about the subject of Chinese in Malaysia and Indonesia, too little to have an informed opinion except to sympathise. This is entirely off-topic from the thread. If you are going to write stupid things, kindly troll elsewhere.
hello again
Might be off topic, but not stupid. No Palestinian has ever called me a coolie either, but then again no Israeli Jew has ever lectured me on the need for China to get out of XingJiang. I work in software so I have met many Israel Jews, Arabs and Christians.
Back to St George, I wish the people of Bradford West luck in having him as the local MP.
Zhai Jian