May 2015 UK General Election Campaign.

[The Brain]

Using the word backstabber is just as a bad as shooting up synagogues. Damn rampant anti-Semitism. 

[Tamas]

Is the stab in the back attack on Ed Miliband anti-Semitic?
Michael Fallon's broadside at Ed Miliband yesterday has sparked accusations of anti-Semitism. But the reality is more mundane - and better news for Labour, too
BY STEPHEN BUSH PUBLISHED 10 APRIL, 2015 - 08:00

A weak, ruthless, surrender-minded, sex god? Photo:Getty


Michael Fallon's attack on Ed Miliband yesterday has raised eyebrows  - the Labour leader, we are told is too weak to keep Trident while also being a fiendish backstabber who betrayed his own brother.

It's that latter accusation that has got the Defence Secretary in hot water, with some commentators suggesting it echoes the "stab in the back" myth that was popular in far-right circles in inter-war Germany. Various internal enemies - Communists, Jews, and the politicians of the Weimar Republic -were held to have secretly undermined the German war effort in the First World War to further their own ends.

But was it a deliberate slur? Frankly, as dog whistles go, it seems unlikely that anyone in CCHQ thinks there's any mileage in targeting the historically well-informed and anti-Semitic voting bloc. It's somewhat grating, too, to see people who were willing to share a platform with Ken Livingstone in 2012 suddenly developing bat-like hearing as far as  anti-Semitic code words as concerned.   Certainly there is a cross-party problem with the lazy evocation of North London in British politics, although that's as much an attack on Emily Thornberry and Tony Blair as it is on Miliband.

I am confused.  How could anyone think "back stabber" is anti-Semitic?  I mean, I suppose that some Germans have used the term, but so have a lot of Jews.  Are all of those Jews anti-Semitic too?

Its the classic case of projecting. If you secretly think Jews are backstabber bastards, and hear a Jew called a backstabber bastard, you will think he is called that because he is a Jew.

[Sheilbh]

I am confused.  How could anyone think "back stabber" is anti-Semitic?  I mean, I suppose that some Germans have used the term, but so have a lot of Jews.  Are all of those Jews anti-Semitic too?

It's more particularly the accusation that he'd 'stab the country in the back' which attracted those accusations. I think they see it as part of a continued slur on Miliband not being loyal enough - see the Daily Mail article on his father, 'The Man Who Hated Britain' - but I do think the accusations are over-egged.

Like in 2005 when Labour attacked Tory promises to cut taxes by £20 billion and not cut public spending. They had a posters with some slogan and the Tory leader and shadow chancellor photoshopped onto flying pigs. They're both Jewish and some said it was anti-semitic. I really don't think anyone had thought that when brainstorming poster ideas.

[Richard Hakluyt]

We have had many prominent Jewish politicians in the UK and they have always been viciously attacked and sneered at, just like any other British politician. If those attacks somehow became unacceptable I fear that it would probably be due to a rise in genuine anti-semitism.

The "stab in the back" attack has failed miserably of course. Ed is the sort of chap who cannot tie his own shoelaces but also beat his brother to the leadership with awesome machiavellian cunning. Best not to tell Robby the robot that tale, could lead to adverse consequences.

[Sheilbh]

Apparently Labour's manifesto launch is going well. Given that their last one involved a literal car crash, that's probably not saying much.

[crazy canuck]

It is such a no win situation. Eating a hotdog like a normal person will live on the internet forever with a thousand spoofs.

Yeah. I do feel sorry for these politicians. It's like they're caught in between the generation of rigorously controlled spin and messaging and the politicians of the future who will have thousands of horrifyingly embarrassing photos on Facebook and deeply idiotic tweets (assuming we don't only elect sociopaths who've only ever wanted to be PM).

I don't know about that.  I think my sons' generation is a lot more savvy about controlling their online data.  They have had the advantage of seeing the big mistakes of the generations that preceded them.

[Valmy]

Apparently Labour's manifesto launch is going well. Given that their last one involved a literal car crash, that's probably not saying much.

Did it involve a pink van?

[Josquius]

I didn't even realise Miliband was Jewish. I knew his dad was but didn't know the sons were.
I doubt that is the slightest bit of an issue to even 1% of the population.
And most of those will be Jews.


Cameron visits the (posh) part of the north east:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFLx9VoV1EQ

[Sheilbh]

God help anyone who cares about defence or foreign policy (except Europe) in this election

[Valmy]

God help anyone who cares about defence or foreign policy (except Europe) in this election

Are you telling me pretty soon France will be the only ones left with a functional military?

Finally Napoleon's vision can be achieved.

[Sheilbh]

France already is. They're patrolling UK waters against the Russians

[Valmy]

If only Zoupa was around to discuss the possibilities.

Having said that I am not sure 21st century France is really the solid bedrock you want to rest European security on.

[Agelastus]

God help anyone who cares about defence or foreign policy (except Europe) in this election

Agreed.

[Josquius]

God help anyone who cares about defence or foreign policy (except Europe) in this election

I don't.
The less said about it the better really. Trident is to the far left what immigrants are to the far right. A cheap trick to score points with your base whilst more important matters go unnoticed.

[The Larch]

I read something about UKIP wanting to bring back soldiers from abroad and the UK being unecessarily hostile to Russia over Ukraine. I'm sure that it'd go down great over here.