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Boris Johnson has called for resignations at The Guardian!

"Boris Johnson has called for resignations at The Guardian following criticism of a cartoon it published featuring the former BBC chair Richard Sharp. The newspaper took down the controversial image on Saturday after critics said it included a series of antisemitic tropes.The former Tory prime minister, who was also depicted in the cartoon – sitting naked atop a pile of excrement and holding two large sacks of money – told The Mail on Sunday: “Frankly, whoever commissioned and printed this has made a far worse mistake than Richard Sharp. They should take his lead.”"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-richard-sharp-cartoon-guardian-b2329734.htmlIs it just me or does anybody else think that everything is getting even crazier?

David Ainsworth ● 1009d24 Comments

"Unfortunately if silenced you are prevented to pointing them out to their pious and righteous Comments team."Indeed. I have just watched what happened when someone posted a quite respectful posting chiding the Guardian comments monitors because he believed that basically they rigged the debate. He found that The Telegraph was more acceptant of postings which ran counter to its viewpoint than was The Guardian. So another reader replied to him complaining that he gave no examples of his deleted postings for others to judge his comments. This poster must not have thought that complaint through - how could the other poster successfully re-post them?! Anyhow, The Guardian solved that one in its evenhanded manner. It memory-holed that little debate completely. With hardly a ripple.

David Ainsworth ● 1002d

So you claim to have recognised these two as antisemitic tropes before being prompted? Pants on fire. Typical troll - ie someone who pretends to something which they are not in reality stupid enough to believe in an attempt to wind other people up.

Michael Winstanley ● 1004d

The cartoon was about Boris Johnson and his corrupting effect. Rowson cartoons feature grotesques. This cartoon is an "image of Johnson sitting naked on top of his pile of sh!t, while the shamed Sharp shuffles off out of office". I assume that you are familiar with what Rowson does. "I think I learned what I know of antisemitic tropes by reading about WWII, a little of German history and to my chagrin articles in the Guardian criticising Israel."You don't mention noticing any antisemitic tropes when reading the Daily Mail nor a Boris Johnson novel.Anyway, can you share some links to these Guardian articles, please.

David Ainsworth ● 1004d

"Just think of the self-righteous indignation and clamour for retribution if another medium had said the same about Muslims !"If another medium had SAID the same about Muslims? To what Guardian text are you referring?"We all know apologies mean nothing these days."So you are saying that the Guardian is an antisemitic rag and has been caught out in some way?By the way, for info:-With thanks to the Jerusalem Post:-"Raab was raised in the Church of England before marrying a Brazilian Catholic woman, according to ITV. He studied to become a lawyer at Cambridge and joined the Foreign Secretary in 2000.Raab, 46, does not identify himself as Jewish. Though multiple media outlets in the United Kingdom have noted that his father was Jewish, Raab rarely acknowledges this part of his background."

David Ainsworth ● 1004d

'Would an editor of a newspaper with an antisemitic tendency apologise within hours of publishing? What would be the point of that'?Perhaps might have been more convincing if she and the Opinion editorial team had resigned when caught (figuratively !) with their trousers down !Just think of the self-righteous indignation and clamour for retribution if another medium had said the same about Muslims ! We all know apologies mean nothing these days.The only person who has chosen to fall on his sword as well as apologising was Raab (Jewish !) over allegations of bullying ADULT senior Civil Servants.

John Hawkes ● 1005d

'Stop being a tw*t - or even stop being a right wing troll'."Language Timothy" (for those old enough to appreciate BBC comedy at a time when humour was its intention and before Ian Hislop and other 'progressive' comedians would get rapturous laughter by just saying 'Boris Johnson').And what is a right wing troll ?Am I wrong to think it is someone who has the temerity to hold views that differ from yours, exercises a right to promote them and challenge yours ?I think I learned what I know of antisemitic tropes by reading about WWII, a little of German history and to my chagrin articles in the Guardian criticising Israel.

John Hawkes ● 1005d

Stop being a tw*t - or even stop being a right wing troll. It is only through reading about the mistakes of others that I have learned that "puppetmaster", "octopus" and "squid", for example, are antisemitic tropes. Do you claim to have known all that beforehand? How?

Michael Winstanley ● 1005d

"I maintain quite a collection of examples."Share them. Please.Anyhow, I do now and then manage to get one back on them with something opaque and snide. Of course, the worst thing is when they close down the comments on a particular article just moments before you have finished honing a real zinger and are ready to post it. Maybe they know somehow?

David Ainsworth ● 1005d

There are other important columnists in the Guardian:-A rolling sequence of Guardian article headlines up to the June 2017 election:-https://tinyurl.com/bdh8ypaj

David Ainsworth ● 1005d

"Oh, if the Guardian does not have an antisemitic tendency why did its editor apologise for publishing the cartoon on her own behalf and on behalf of the numerous other levels of editorial management that deemed it fit to publish."Would an editor of a newspaper with an antisemitic tendency apologise within hours of publishing? What would be the point of that?

David Ainsworth ● 1005d

'In my BTL experience, the Guardian does have staff who are very sensitive to antisemitism'.In my experience the Guardian has staff who are very sensitive to BTL postings that do not conform with the paper's collective view.I know because I have been silenced by them over comments that lucky for me are deemed quite acceptable by PutneySW15 even if not necessarily accepted by every reader ! On the other hand if you attack the likes of Rabb, Truss, Johnson and Sunak BTL you can use the most offensive terms and the vilest of language.I maintain quite a collection of examples.Unfortunately if silenced you are prevented to pointing them out to their pious and righteous Comments team.Catch 22 !

John Hawkes ● 1005d

'There are clearly antisemitic tropes in the cartoon, but it is as I indicated in an earlier post, unless you are aware of them you would not know.'Mr WinstanleyDo you have to be an antisemite to recognise them ?And strange you are still bringing up Johnson's antics - presumably 'Partygate'.I hope you are not equating the systematic murder of 6 million Jews with a glass of prosecco ?

John Hawkes ● 1005d

'"The Guardian was critical of Corbyn" just about every day that he was Labour Party leader. (OK, mild exaggeration)'.Mr AinsworthBy the Guardian do you mean its key columnists such as Owen Jones, Zoe Williams, Nesrine Malik ?

John Hawkes ● 1005d

Mr Hodges'The Guardian was critical of Corbyn when he endorsed an artist who produced an antisemitic mural'In this is just not true.Read the article whose link you have provided.There is no indication of what the views of the Guardian are over this matter.Perhaps a good thing for a newspaper one might think !Oh, if the Guardian does not have an antisemitic tendency why did its editor apologise for publishing the cartoon on her own behalf and on behalf of the numerous other levels of editorial management that deemed it fit to publish.

John Hawkes ● 1005d

"the Guardian should have someone on staff to point them out"In my BTL experience, the Guardian does have staff who are very sensitive to antisemitism.Octopus:-https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:English_imperialism_octopus.jpgandhttps://www.bl.uk/learning/images/ideas/large1628.html"just as Boris Johnson should have had someone on staff to point out every time he was clearly lying and/or breaking the law."And for his antisemitism. Although it did not seem to cost Johnson votes in 2019.

David Ainsworth ● 1007d

There are clearly antisemitic tropes in the cartoon, but it is as I indicated in an earlier post, unless you are aware of them you would not know. Puppetmaster and octopus/squid are no-no's; the Guardian should have someone on staff to point them out, just as Boris Johnson should have had someone on staff to point out every time he was clearly lying and/or breaking the law.

Michael Winstanley ● 1007d

"The Guardian was critical of Corbyn" just about every day that he was Labour Party leader. (OK, mild exaggeration).

David Ainsworth ● 1007d

The Guardian was critical of Corbyn when he endorsed an artist who produced an antisemitic muralhttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/mar/23/corbyn-criticised-after-backing-artist-behind-antisemitic-mural

Sean Hodges ● 1007d

A surprisingly supportive article from "The Spectator" (quite long).https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/in-defence-of-martin-rowson/#comments-container"To run satire means you are likely to be the target of outrage squads who deploy various misrepresentation techniques."

David Ainsworth ● 1007d

Agree, Michael. Suspect Johnson is more concerned about the depiction of himself than any concern about antisemitism?

Jane Carter ● 1009d

Thanks, Ivonne. If I'd have seen this before reading the news items I wouldn't have spotted any antisemitism, primarily because I wasn't aware Mr Sharp was Jewish. It just seems a depiction of corruption in British politics?

Michael Ixer ● 1009d

Hello Mike I,You can Google the Guardian's cartoon of Richard Sharp and it is still on the internet. It is shown in a Sky News article of 29 April 2023.The cartoon is a depressing one and I cannot see where the antisemitism is depicted.  Perhaps I disliked the cartoon so much, not for the subject matter but mainly the cartoon itself  that attention to details was not given a chance?

Ivonne Holliday ● 1009d

Would the Guardian call for resignations if it was the other way round?There is so much racism and double standards it is difficult for the ordinary bod to keep up with.The problem is IMO if the state and the establishment sanction racism against say against the Russian or Chinese then unfortunately it more acceptable to do the same to other minorities.Racism is not acceptable whatever their governments do.Unfortunately we are now in the situation when a Tory Minister has to call out an Labour's MP's prejudice, yet it appears the Labour MP get honoured.Unfortunately this is not a one party good one party bad scenario!

Ed Robinson ● 1009d

Perhaps Johnson is in no position to judge after his Islamophobic comments comparing Muslim women to letterboxes? I haven't seen the Guardian cartoon in question as it was withdrawn almost immediately from their website. From what I've heard it was just playing on the fact that Sunak worked for Sharp at Goldman Sachs?

Michael Ixer ● 1009d