The bloke is a tit and epitomises all that's wrong with New Labour!
Changing the phasing on traffic lights to make traffic heavier, bring in the congestion charge, changing the phasing back to the way it was before and hey presto! No more traffic jams ! And obviously that's purely down to the congestion charge!
All I was getting at was that if anyone else said what Livingstone said he would be up in arms about it. But because he said it it is ok.
Rothko obviously loves Livingstone as he always defends him on this and that is his right, I just think it is double standards.
He basically likened some journo ( I think he was a journo) to a Concentration camp guard and the bloke he said it too is Jewish and has refused to apologise.
I won't deny you could be right about the double standards.
It's borderline, but I don't think Ken has done anything that he needs to apologise here for.
That said, even if he couldn't bring himself to apologise to the reporter hounding him, perhaps it would have been good of him if he had at least apologised for anyone who might have found his remarks insensitive.
[cite] CharltonDan:[/cite]The bloke is a tit and epitomises all that's wrong with New Labour!
Changing the phasing on traffic lights to make traffic heavier, bring in the congestion charge, changing the phasing back to the way it was before and hey presto! No more traffic jams ! And obviously that's purely down to the congestion charge!
Dan, you've obviously been stuck at the New Eltham traffic lights when they only let two cars through at a time....Grrr
He basically likened some journo ( I think he was a journo) to a Concentration camp guard and the bloke he said it too is Jewish and has refused to apologise.
That hack was pestering him long after he said he didn't want to give him an interview, I think if he is the type of person who'se going to get offended by a comment then he's obviously in the wrong job as a doorstopping hack. Moreover don't you think it hypocritical that the journalist was working for the Daily Mail group who've never been pro-immigration or foreigner and suddenly they are crying foul? Even in the 1930s they were fully supportaive of Oswald Mosley and since then they've never shied away from being anti-foreigner. In my opinion the hack is feigning shock for another cheap go at Labour.
As for what Livingstone has done to London, Afka you must be on crack, I'll remind you that it was Thatcher and the Tory party who abolished the GLC and took away a raft of democracy and control over London, instead of having one layer of government to oversee the governing of London and planning we had every individual borough doing their own thing with no co-ordination or overseeing control, a great move that was.
Yes but Livingstone has not got the planning powers back yet. Just transport really, and grudgingly is doing OK at that given the mess that the whole city is in.
Yeah I agree that the journo was wrong to hound him BUT If the Mayor of London can't hack a Journo asking him questions then maybe he shouldn't be in the job.
I stand by what I say if anyone was to "for instance" SAY something to an Asian like "you look like a saddam hussein henchman" LIVINGSTONE would be up in arms.
"I stand by what I say if anyone was to "for instance" SAY something to an Asian like "you look like a saddam hussein henchman" LIVINGSTONE would be up in arms."
Ah, if in doubt resort to the good old straw man argument...invent something that KL didn't in this instance say and then knock it down...
Livingstone has been a prime mover in advocating political correctness which in some cases acts as a curb on free speech. He therefore must expect to be hung by his own petard when he himself lapses.
Before all the socialist apologists come on and resort to the usual personal insults, e.g racist etc because one has dared, in a free society, to question the prevailing orthodoxy let me unequivocally state that political correctness is not all bad. It has helped in some cases to restore good solid virtues of respect, politeness and courtesy to others. No longer do we see as often disgusting sights like bananas being thrown at black players. I saw CHARLTON fans do this at Selhurst to Carlton Fairweather. Also many of the appalling insulting names for black people have reduced in frequency of usage.
I am rambling now. In conclusion Livingstone helped set the standards. He therefore should be subject to those standards.
"Livingstone has been a prime mover in advocating political correctness which in some cases acts as a curb on free speech."
Hmmm...care to give an example of where/how "political correctness" has impeded your rights to free speech?
Maybe you are complaining that you just can't get away with those casual but nasty little racist stereotypes and slurs that used to be so commonplace? The real issue with "political correctness", is that each and every person should be judged on their individual merits and not as a group or a race, that is how you would expect to be treated and by that standard you should apply it to others. The sad thing is that we need "political correctness" because of the knuckle draggers in society who think that throwing bananas at black footballers or using those racist slurs is somehow deemed acceptable, so if being "politically correct" means that we have less of that sort of behaviour or speech then I'm all for it.
[cite] BlackForestReds:[/cite]"Livingstone has been a prime mover in advocating political correctness which in some cases acts as a curb on free speech."
Hmmm...care to give an example of where/how "political correctness" has impeded your rights to free speech?
Maybe you are complaining that you just can't get away with those casual but nasty little racist stereotypes and slurs that used to be so commonplace? The real issue with "political correctness", is that each and every person should be judged on their individual merits and not as a group or a race, that is how you would expect to be treated and by that standard you should apply it to others. The sad thing is that we need "political correctness" because of the knuckle draggers in society who think that throwing bananas at black footballers or using those racist slurs is somehow deemed acceptable, so if being "politically correct" means that we have less of that sort of behaviour or speech then I'm all for it.
BFR - Would you consider the comparison of a Jewish person to a German concentration camp guard as being politically correct / a racial slur?
Also I'm sure were are all happy for any person, whether black, white etc, to be judged on their merits rather than the colour of their skin, but its going the other way now where if you work in the public sector, police etc there are quotas of "minority" staff that you have to meet. Surly this is discrimination as you may interview 3 people of whom the 2 whites were the best qualified and had the most experience, but the Indian person ends up getting the job based purely on the colour of their skin? Wheres the sense of fairness in that?
Comments
I knew that would get a response by you.
Yeah and if he loses the court case he should be sacked.
Everyone knows full well he would scream blue murder if someone else said it.
Changing the phasing on traffic lights to make traffic heavier, bring in the congestion charge, changing the phasing back to the way it was before and hey presto! No more traffic jams ! And obviously that's purely down to the congestion charge!
LOL!
What's this about backhanders anyway?
All I was getting at was that if anyone else said what Livingstone said he would be up in arms about it. But because he said it it is ok.
Rothko obviously loves Livingstone as he always defends him on this and that is his right, I just think it is double standards.
He basically likened some journo ( I think he was a journo) to a Concentration camp guard and the bloke he said it too is Jewish and has refused to apologise.
It's borderline, but I don't think Ken has done anything that he needs to apologise here for.
That said, even if he couldn't bring himself to apologise to the reporter hounding him, perhaps it would have been good of him if he had at least apologised for anyone who might have found his remarks insensitive.
Dan, you've obviously been stuck at the New Eltham traffic lights when they only let two cars through at a time....Grrr
That hack was pestering him long after he said he didn't want to give him an interview, I think if he is the type of person who'se going to get offended by a comment then he's obviously in the wrong job as a doorstopping hack. Moreover don't you think it hypocritical that the journalist was working for the Daily Mail group who've never been pro-immigration or foreigner and suddenly they are crying foul? Even in the 1930s they were fully supportaive of Oswald Mosley and since then they've never shied away from being anti-foreigner. In my opinion the hack is feigning shock for another cheap go at Labour.
As for what Livingstone has done to London, Afka you must be on crack, I'll remind you that it was Thatcher and the Tory party who abolished the GLC and took away a raft of democracy and control over London, instead of having one layer of government to oversee the governing of London and planning we had every individual borough doing their own thing with no co-ordination or overseeing control, a great move that was.
Totally agree with you!
Wish the outer London boroughs would sod off sometimes, want all the benefits of being in London, yet moan all the time about it.
I stand by what I say if anyone was to "for instance" SAY something to an Asian like "you look like a saddam hussein henchman" LIVINGSTONE would be up in arms.
Ah, if in doubt resort to the good old straw man argument...invent something that KL didn't in this instance say and then knock it down...
Before all the socialist apologists come on and resort to the usual personal insults, e.g racist etc because one has dared, in a free society, to question the prevailing orthodoxy let me unequivocally state that political correctness is not all bad. It has helped in some cases to restore good solid virtues of respect, politeness and courtesy to others. No longer do we see as often disgusting sights like bananas being thrown at black players. I saw CHARLTON fans do this at Selhurst to Carlton Fairweather. Also many of the appalling insulting names for black people have reduced in frequency of usage.
I am rambling now. In conclusion Livingstone helped set the standards. He therefore should be subject to those standards.
Hmmm...care to give an example of where/how "political correctness" has impeded your rights to free speech?
Maybe you are complaining that you just can't get away with those casual but nasty little racist stereotypes and slurs that used to be so commonplace? The real issue with "political correctness", is that each and every person should be judged on their individual merits and not as a group or a race, that is how you would expect to be treated and by that standard you should apply it to others. The sad thing is that we need "political correctness" because of the knuckle draggers in society who think that throwing bananas at black footballers or using those racist slurs is somehow deemed acceptable, so if being "politically correct" means that we have less of that sort of behaviour or speech then I'm all for it.
BFR - Would you consider the comparison of a Jewish person to a German concentration camp guard as being politically correct / a racial slur?
Also I'm sure were are all happy for any person, whether black, white etc, to be judged on their merits rather than the colour of their skin, but its going the other way now where if you work in the public sector, police etc there are quotas of "minority" staff that you have to meet. Surly this is discrimination as you may interview 3 people of whom the 2 whites were the best qualified and had the most experience, but the Indian person ends up getting the job based purely on the colour of their skin? Wheres the sense of fairness in that?