George Galloway.

SamHarris · 15-08-2011 10:10pm #1

So I was reading some pieces on Al Jazeera earlier and came across this particular gem. As I read it I was shocked by the tone - even for al Jazeera it was anti-Western in the extreme, too the point of supporting directly any group or country, based purely on its stance to the West (again not uncommon on al Jazeera but certainly taken to a new level here).

When I got to the end of the article I was stunned (though perhaps not as surprised as Id like to be given the mans track record) to see an elected member of a Western democracy be so staunch in his support for both Saddam and Syria.

What does everyone else think of him? Does he get enough attention for his views? Should he be called to task more, or supported more in your opinion? Is there any similiar characters in Western democracies that you are aware of? Perhaps Richard Boyd Barret.

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/08/20118159535828664.html the article in question.

mikemac · 15-08-2011 10:22pm

SamHarris wrote: »

What does everyone else think of him? D

I can't take him seriously

He can write an articulate piece with strong opinions yet I saw the thread title and remembered him on Big Brother pretending to be a cat

Turned himself into a laughing stock and a joke

Edit, just to check he was an MP at the time
Even Bertie waited until he was out of office before embarrassing himself with NOTW

LeixlipRed · 15-08-2011 10:30pm

SamHarris wrote: »

Perhaps Richard Boyd Barret.

Eh, what? RBB is neither a supporter of Saddam or Syria. What are you going on about?

Chuck Stone · 15-08-2011 10:49pm

Seems okay to me.

SamHarris · 15-08-2011 11:16pm

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Eh, what? RBB is neither a supporter of Saddam or Syria. What are you going on about?

Your right he is not as extreme as George at all, however he was chair of an organistation that invited a Hezzbollah speaker, and has a similiar extreme view on the West. Though, again, not to the same level at all and I doubt Barret would embarass himself to the same extent by actively saying it was / is "possible to judge Syria by the nature of its enemies" rather than how they treat their own citizens and others.

SamHarris · 15-08-2011 11:36pm

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Seems okay to me.

You honeslty dont see the problem with an elected representative of a Western nation describing his own county and others as " The enemies of the Palestinians and of all the Arabs "? That is an explicitly racial call to arms from a representative of another nation.

Similarly, whatever your feelings on the Iraq war, describing the men killing British soldiers in Iraq as "freedom fighters", when in his postition is at best dismissive of the feelings of those families effected, at worst it is a direct endorsement of the killing of those he is voted in to help lead. I certainly do not beleive he should be curtailed in any way, but how is this level of extremism conducive to any debate on the matter?

Regardless, it was not a question about the article per se but about the man and his actions/ opinions.

Dirk Gently · 16-08-2011 8:24am

SamHarris wrote: »

to see an elected member of a Western democracy be so staunch in his support for both Saddam and Syria.

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/08/20118159535828664.html the article in question.

In fairness that piece is hardly staunch support of the syrian regime, in fact it looks like an attack on the Syrian ruling party to me. While he was against the wars in Iraq I don't remember him being a staunch supporter of Saddam either.

KeithAFC · 16-08-2011 9:08am

I don't remember him being a staunch supporter of Saddam either.

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

The guy is a dick head.

LeixlipRed · 16-08-2011 11:45am

SamHarris wrote: »

Your right he is not as extreme as George at all, however he was chair of an organistation that invited a Hezzbollah speaker, and has a similiar extreme view on the West. Though, again, not to the same level at all and I doubt Barret would embarass himself to the same extent by actively saying it was / is "possible to judge Syria by the nature of its enemies" rather than how they treat their own citizens and others.

RBB is a socialist, he stands for the rights of all oppressed peoples against the oppressors. Hence in the case of Syria he stands firmly against the regime. Just like he's opposed to the oppression of Palestine. You're implying that opposition to imperialism is implicit support for some dictatorial regime. Socialists would generally believe that in situations like Libya, Iraq, Syria, etc, that western intervention is unwarranted and for selfish reasons and the only people who can overthrow these regimes are the peoples of those countries.

Broxi_Bear_Eire · 16-08-2011 1:55pm

Galloway is nothing but a small minded bigot who's views seem somewhat ludicrous at times plus how can a man who dressed up as a cat be taken seriously

Coillte_Bhoy · 16-08-2011 7:21pm

Broxi_Bear_Eire wrote: »

Galloway is nothing but a small minded bigot who's views seem somewhat ludicrous at times plus how can a man who dressed up as a cat be taken seriously

Why is he a bigot? Not surprised you dont like him, considering your club, but why are you calling him a bigot??

Coillte_Bhoy · 16-08-2011 7:24pm

Broxi_Bear_Eire wrote: »

Galloway is nothing but a small minded bigot who's views seem somewhat ludicrous at times plus how can a man who dressed up as a cat be taken seriously

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

here we are, fairly gives it your lot:)

Broxi_Bear_Eire · 16-08-2011 7:31pm

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

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

here we are, fairly gives it your lot:)

He also said he had been attacked by Rangers fans in Glasgow airport when cctv proved it didn't happen
No time for the man at all. He was also my MP when I was younger and the guy was and still is more interested in promoting himself than helping his constituents Though he doesn't have any just now does he

KeithAFC · 16-08-2011 7:37pm

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

Why is he a bigot? Not surprised you dont like him, considering your club, but why are you calling him a bigot??

Oh god almighty. :rolleyes:

mike65 · 16-08-2011 7:43pm

The guy is a preening self publicist who proved a rather negligent MP for some east London constituency preferring to pretend to be a cat on celebrity Big Brother. I'm not going put up the vid.

Coillte_Bhoy · 16-08-2011 8:08pm

KeithAFC wrote: »

Oh god almighty. :rolleyes:

Well thats the kind of an answer i'd expect from you anyway.

Coillte_Bhoy · 16-08-2011 8:10pm

Broxi_Bear_Eire wrote: »

He also said he had been attacked by Rangers fans in Glasgow airport when cctv proved it didn't happen
No time for the man at all. He was also my MP when I was younger and the guy was and still is more interested in promoting himself than helping his constituents Though he doesn't have any just now does he

Didnt know about the airport thing. fair enough, you obv know him and dont like him but seriously why is he a bigot??? Seems to be an insult thrown around in Scotland far too easily and i include some Celtic fans in that as well.

Broxi_Bear_Eire · 16-08-2011 8:19pm

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

Didnt know about the airport thing. fair enough, you obv know him and dont like him but seriously why is he a bigot??? Seems to be an insult thrown around in Scotland far too easily and i include some Celtic fans in that as well.

Because he has accused Rangers fans of Sectarian singing which he was right to do but the same man has been recorded calling Protestants orange bastards etc.

Really though what has the club I support got to do with anything theres lots of people I could say I don't like who follow my club I have never ever said I don't like someone because they support a football ream

Oh and I am not in Scotland

SamHarris · 16-08-2011 8:21pm

LeixlipRed wrote: »

RBB is a socialist, he stands for the rights of all oppressed peoples against the oppressors. Hence in the case of Syria he stands firmly against the regime. Just like he's opposed to the oppression of Palestine. You're implying that opposition to imperialism is implicit support for some dictatorial regime. Socialists would generally believe that in situations like Libya, Iraq, Syria, etc, that western intervention is unwarranted and for selfish reasons and the only people who can overthrow these regimes are the peoples of those countries.

Directly endorsing Hezzbollah is svery different from supporting Palestinians, regardless of his ideology. Regardless this thread concerns Galloway, there is already a thread about Richard somehwere.

However I would point out you are wrong, he is a declared Trotskiest - which firmly supports dictatorship, if it pushes the right agendas.

SamHarris · 16-08-2011 8:44pm

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

Didnt know about the airport thing. fair enough, you obv know him and dont like him but seriously why is he a bigot??? Seems to be an insult thrown around in Scotland far too easily and i include some Celtic fans in that as well.

Not only is he biggoted but he is very racially charged - repeatedly calling for Arab unity in a war against the West including - "Iraq is fighting for all the Arabs. Where are the Arab armies?" amoungst others. If he said the same about White people in any context there would be uproar. He seems more fascist than anything really.

He is convinced of Jewish conspiracies against him, and that the media is controlled by Jews, which makes him an anti semite, or at the very least borederline schizophrenic.

Denerick · 16-08-2011 8:44pm

Galloway is a demagogue of the left, comparable to Nick Griffin in the sense that he is incapable of listening to an opposing or dissenting viewpoint without it resorting to polemics. No, scratch that, at least when Griffin appears on a public broadcast he does his best to seem 'reasonable' (Its always a pathetic failure though)

I enjoy his occasionally odd rants. He is insightful for what he is but at the end of the day he will remain a man of anger, not a man of reason.

A Dub in Glasgo · 16-08-2011 8:50pm

Voted for him a while ago when he was an MP in Glasgow. A great orator to boot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuzlwFXeW3A

A Dub in Glasgo · 16-08-2011 8:54pm

KeithAFC wrote: »

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUPb-3zkh0c

Both of these guys were in administrations that killed and maimed hundreds of thousands of people. GG was not

Coillte_Bhoy · 16-08-2011 9:30pm

Broxi_Bear_Eire wrote: »

Because he has accused Rangers fans of Sectarian singing which he was right to do but the same man has been recorded calling Protestants orange bastards etc.{/quote]

Has he? link?

Broxi_Bear_Eire wrote: »

Really though what has the club I support got to do with anything theres lots of people I could say I don't like who follow my club I have never ever said I don't like someone because they support a football ream

He has called your teams fans up on many occasions for their behaviour so would be a fair reason not to like him

Broxi_Bear_Eire wrote: »

Oh and I am not in Scotland

Eh, i know that

Broxi_Bear_Eire · 16-08-2011 9:39pm

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

Broxi_Bear_Eire wrote: »

Because he has accused Rangers fans of Sectarian singing which he was right to do but the same man has been recorded calling Protestants orange bastards etc.{/quote]

Has he? link?

He has called your teams fans up on many occasions for their behaviour so would be a fair reason not to like him

Eh, i know that

He has every right to have a go at fans if they misbehave he has no right to call all Rangers fans sectarian
Give me a while I will find the link

getzls · 16-08-2011 10:27pm

I share his socialist thinking, but the man is a bigot. On his show if a Unionist/ protestant comes on he will pick up on it and his atitude changes to them.

Jelle1880 · 17-08-2011 3:59am

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

This sums him up pretty well.
A bigot, who thinks supporting the fundamentalist muslims out there means he's a good socialist.

As for his remarks about Rangers:
Constantly using arguments which have long been disproven shows that he would rather lie to get a point across.

JustinDee · 17-08-2011 8:10am

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

Voted for him a while ago when he was an MP in Glasgow. A great orator to boot

lol
Many a hedonist who likes the sound of their own sanctimonious voice has been considered a "great orator", even this gerrymanderer.

RandomName2 · 17-08-2011 9:33am

I would have more respect for Albert Speer or Goebbels than Galloway. At least they had some sort of loyalty. Galloway is only motivated by an antagonism with the West. He had nothing against any genocidal dictator that might prove useful in undermining the West, but would be willing to throw said dictators under a train if it suited his immediate purposes.

Coillte_Bhoy · 17-08-2011 10:26am

Jelle1880 wrote: »

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

This sums him up pretty well.
A bigot, who thinks supporting the fundamentalist muslims out there means he's a good socialist.

As for his remarks about Rangers:
Constantly using arguments which have long been disproven shows that he would rather lie to get a point across.

Long disproven? Oh ffs what planet are you on? No doubt UEFA just make it up about yere singing then? Oh no wait it must be timmy conspirators surely.:rolleyes:

Monty Burnz · 17-08-2011 10:35am

LeixlipRed wrote: »

RBB is a socialist, he stands for the rights of all oppressed peoples against the oppressors.

Presumably he stood and stands for the rights of all those victims of every socialist government ever seen in that case?

George Galloway.

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