Tuesday 10 April 2012

a few corrections

Adrian Windisch (nice bloke, shame about the politics) has had this to say, fisking mine as usual:

Now theres a phrase ("one of us") that can have dfferent meanings. If you are a Tory, LD (or Jane Griffiths) it has racist overtones.  I did not say the phrase itself was racist.  I said that used in the context it was it was a dog-whistle to racists - and also that the stated view of Mr Howarth of Public Impact Limited the Church ward electorate is indeed racist.  I have heard him and Mr Salter say so.

Reading Labour are defining it as "a resident, a family, someone being effected by the harsh cuts brought about by national government, a worker, a parent, a Labour member." That's what they say now, when challenged on their racist dog-whistle.
When I see someone being attacked I like to look at the facts for myself. Who has been attacked? In the last few years I even defended my General Election rival LD Daisy Benson .
I said at the time. 'In the past Reading Labour have said the Greens were linked with terrorists or another year they said we had links with the bnp. Again these attacks were so ridiculous that they did more damage to Labour, calling into question everything they said.' And following this Jane tries to link me to the Latvian Green Party, she seems a bit focused on WW2. "In Latvia they were overtly racist in government, promoting the expulsion of all Jews from Latvia." They were, and this was earlier this century, not at the time of WW2 - the rest of the Green movement did not disown them. If true this would make them the opposite of every Green Party I have heard of, and they should be removed from any link to the rest of us.
So yesterday I pointed out how the phrase 'born and bred' is not uncommon. Jane Griffiths says that two of my examples are 'black', which she thinks makes me wrong. I didn't say the examples were "black", that would have been meaningless.  I said the phrase was used, in two of the four examples given, as code for race.Actually that makes my case, it isn't a white supremecist code word if its in common usage by non white candidates.
Tory Cllr Isobell says Labour's behaviour was 'arrogant' and 'unjust'. Jane claims that Isobel says 'She also directly criticises Green Party chairperson Adrian Windisch for attempting to defend Labour, saying he has been taken for a fool.' Jane says 'She's right.' Actually Isobel says 'Unlike Adrian, they are not fooled.' Yes.  Read it again.  "Unlike...not fooled" means "was fooled".  English, dontcha know. So much for accuracy then. And this sort of 'untruth' gets repeated.
LD Orangepan says 'She is supported by Green Party stalwart (and former Battle ward resident)' Adrian Windisch. But when repeating this Jane says '(and Battle ward resident)'. I moved to Earley a couple of years ago. Perhaps Orangepan updated this when he realised his error and just didnt say he had done this That I think is what happened.  Actually Adrian I don't care where you live. Poor journalism in either case.



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