Aside from his passion for the environment, Monbiot's position on every major issue chimes precisely with his employer, the Guardian. He is not his own man. He's owned
Even George's environmental efforts are not beyond pale - so, I challenged him on certain issues (using cattle towards saving the environment from desertification, for instance, via concrete work of certain people who are not to be dismissed out of hand - so, empirically he is wrong and therefore rather dogmatic in some respects, even on the issues he is most versed in). Alas, he is "a very busy man"...
I also challenged him re. Ukraine - such an obvious point to make, that USofA Neocons' constant pushing of Russia is taking us to the brink of a nuclear war, which will leave no "environment" to protect - but he's as busy as ever...
AFA Jezza is concerned, I was stunned by the tweet where he is basically asking people to save him from having to do the right thing - i.e. stand up, be counted, defend Jezza - by providing him (and the rest of the MSM) with "substantial counterclaims" to Al Jazeera's seriously well founded story...
From what I know of Assange - he is a Libertarian and as such prone to make unholy alliances in his work, often seriously wrong etc. etc. But his role in the society must be defended regardless of what we think and feel about his political philosophy and him personally (as much as anyone can "know him" from afar).
So, George is but Human but not ready to deal with his Humanity. It's as if he started believing in his own "exceptionalism", somewhat akin to "American exceptionalism" that allows them to force everyone to sign all manner of international, binding agreements, while refusing to do the same themselves...
Years ago, when Monbiot was at the Rainbow Centre, in London, he went around telling people not to trust each other unless they had known each other for three years. When I heard the story, it rang alarm bells. It's the sort of thing spy cops do.
This article is a public service. It's difficult to do a denunciation piece without its losing its footing in rancor or losing its balance in its emotions or in a personal agenda. And it's incredibly difficult to accuse someone of bad faith convincingly, since others' motives are usually out of our reach. But you do both. You crystallize something that hadn't fully come into focus for me, that Monbiot is properly radical, by which I mean sees to the heart of things, only in the one area with which the Guardian some years ago decided to brand itself, the issue of climate change. So as you say, he is a perfect commodified instrument for them, bringing in readers for whom he is a Trojan horse (he betrays them on all other subjects in line with the Guardian's betrayals of them). I'm especially glad you did bring up that last and most difficult matter, and argue that he is acting in bad faith . I don't know for sure that he is. but as things darken, bad faith is becoming a more convincing explanation for why the wheels are coming off everywhere we look. The most profound bad faith in US administrations of both parties, for example (see every video you can get your hands on by Jeffrey Sachs, starting with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmOePNsNFw0, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=morj-3rdWwM, and https://www.youtube.com. /watch?v=g57ViSqmRFM).
Up until the Iraq war the west had been decolonising. Britain was pressured to give back India, Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, Sudan, Malaysia, and Singapore back to their indigenous peoples.
France had among others, been forced to give back Morroco, Algeria and Mali back to their indigenous people, resulting in selfhood also for Senegal.
Modern racists like Monbiot claiming that anti-imperialism was a form of Russian propaganda were derided for denying Black people their right to agency.
Monbiot even claims that Rwanda was a successful example of western imperialism despite the Catholic Church, apologising for their role in the carnage and German imperialism having initiated the carnage.
He also suggests the west was a saviour in conflict in Balkans despite the fact it had facilitated the collapse of the unifying Yugoslavia.
It will be regrettable if the Labour Party is abandoned by it’s committed core. The only media that represents the traditional values of Labour, worker rights, socialist efficiency, investment in the NHS and civility in the public square...are the independent writers like Cook, Pilger, Lawrence and Hedges. It all starts with demonstrably calling out the lies in the widely consumed commercial media. When so many can be misled and misinformed by hacks who have no principles, it underscores the need for real journalists to be cited and rewarded for their indispensable work.
This is an excellent article Jonathan. It has opened my eyes about Monibiot who I always thought was genuine about changing the system to benefit all, rather than the few at the top. Thanks
N.B. it is especially rich that The Guardian has left Assange in the lurch, since The Graun was one of the papers that pushed the Collateral Murder leak so hard at the time.
Whatever MI5 told The Guardian editors must have really put the fear of God into them, as they have carefully hewed to the neocon line ever since.
Yes absolutely true and starkly illustrated in particular by Mason if you read the Grayzone expose. In my view, the left as a whole needs to get better at spotting frauds and psycopaths not only amongst journalists and commentators but in the wider electorate amongst those standing for election, but without getting lost in McCarthy like witch hunts - fine line to tread.
If I'm concerned about the environment, then that leaves less room in my head and heart for Palestinians, for example, or the unjust treatment of Assange.
Monbiot is finally talking about Assange! https://www.patreon.com/posts/this-is-how-ends-74724857?utm_medium=post_notification_email&utm_source=post_link&utm_campaign=patron_engagement
Excellent.
Monbiot played a fall guy for the BBC Newsnight McAlpine paedophile allegations..... George was sued by McAlpine's legal team...... Or was he really?
He is a fraud.
Great work that resonates well with me, Jonathan!
Even George's environmental efforts are not beyond pale - so, I challenged him on certain issues (using cattle towards saving the environment from desertification, for instance, via concrete work of certain people who are not to be dismissed out of hand - so, empirically he is wrong and therefore rather dogmatic in some respects, even on the issues he is most versed in). Alas, he is "a very busy man"...
I also challenged him re. Ukraine - such an obvious point to make, that USofA Neocons' constant pushing of Russia is taking us to the brink of a nuclear war, which will leave no "environment" to protect - but he's as busy as ever...
AFA Jezza is concerned, I was stunned by the tweet where he is basically asking people to save him from having to do the right thing - i.e. stand up, be counted, defend Jezza - by providing him (and the rest of the MSM) with "substantial counterclaims" to Al Jazeera's seriously well founded story...
From what I know of Assange - he is a Libertarian and as such prone to make unholy alliances in his work, often seriously wrong etc. etc. But his role in the society must be defended regardless of what we think and feel about his political philosophy and him personally (as much as anyone can "know him" from afar).
So, George is but Human but not ready to deal with his Humanity. It's as if he started believing in his own "exceptionalism", somewhat akin to "American exceptionalism" that allows them to force everyone to sign all manner of international, binding agreements, while refusing to do the same themselves...
Years ago, when Monbiot was at the Rainbow Centre, in London, he went around telling people not to trust each other unless they had known each other for three years. When I heard the story, it rang alarm bells. It's the sort of thing spy cops do.
https://twitter.com/GeorgeMonbiot/status/1040274588238667776
This article is a public service. It's difficult to do a denunciation piece without its losing its footing in rancor or losing its balance in its emotions or in a personal agenda. And it's incredibly difficult to accuse someone of bad faith convincingly, since others' motives are usually out of our reach. But you do both. You crystallize something that hadn't fully come into focus for me, that Monbiot is properly radical, by which I mean sees to the heart of things, only in the one area with which the Guardian some years ago decided to brand itself, the issue of climate change. So as you say, he is a perfect commodified instrument for them, bringing in readers for whom he is a Trojan horse (he betrays them on all other subjects in line with the Guardian's betrayals of them). I'm especially glad you did bring up that last and most difficult matter, and argue that he is acting in bad faith . I don't know for sure that he is. but as things darken, bad faith is becoming a more convincing explanation for why the wheels are coming off everywhere we look. The most profound bad faith in US administrations of both parties, for example (see every video you can get your hands on by Jeffrey Sachs, starting with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmOePNsNFw0, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=morj-3rdWwM, and https://www.youtube.com. /watch?v=g57ViSqmRFM).
Up until the Iraq war the west had been decolonising. Britain was pressured to give back India, Pakistan, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, Sudan, Malaysia, and Singapore back to their indigenous peoples.
France had among others, been forced to give back Morroco, Algeria and Mali back to their indigenous people, resulting in selfhood also for Senegal.
Modern racists like Monbiot claiming that anti-imperialism was a form of Russian propaganda were derided for denying Black people their right to agency.
Monbiot even claims that Rwanda was a successful example of western imperialism despite the Catholic Church, apologising for their role in the carnage and German imperialism having initiated the carnage.
He also suggests the west was a saviour in conflict in Balkans despite the fact it had facilitated the collapse of the unifying Yugoslavia.
Despicable!
Oh God yes! How right you are Jonathan. Monbiot is the worst of the awful bunch of frauds at The Guardian.
He wrings his hands and says he's with us...but, then just when it matters and we need him, his silence is as good as a knife in the back.
Simply brilliant article. Thank you. Monbiot is clearly a fraud.
He is a pawn as many are, but I bet he is being paid big bucks! I hope he can sleep at nights if he has any conscience.
He is a pawn as many are, but I bet he is being paid big bucks! I hope he can sleep at nights if he has any conscience.
George Monbiot skewered and fileted, as deserved! Another superb essay by JC
It will be regrettable if the Labour Party is abandoned by it’s committed core. The only media that represents the traditional values of Labour, worker rights, socialist efficiency, investment in the NHS and civility in the public square...are the independent writers like Cook, Pilger, Lawrence and Hedges. It all starts with demonstrably calling out the lies in the widely consumed commercial media. When so many can be misled and misinformed by hacks who have no principles, it underscores the need for real journalists to be cited and rewarded for their indispensable work.
This is an excellent article Jonathan. It has opened my eyes about Monibiot who I always thought was genuine about changing the system to benefit all, rather than the few at the top. Thanks
N.B. it is especially rich that The Guardian has left Assange in the lurch, since The Graun was one of the papers that pushed the Collateral Murder leak so hard at the time.
Whatever MI5 told The Guardian editors must have really put the fear of God into them, as they have carefully hewed to the neocon line ever since.
Yes absolutely true and starkly illustrated in particular by Mason if you read the Grayzone expose. In my view, the left as a whole needs to get better at spotting frauds and psycopaths not only amongst journalists and commentators but in the wider electorate amongst those standing for election, but without getting lost in McCarthy like witch hunts - fine line to tread.
It's a zero sum game.
If I'm concerned about the environment, then that leaves less room in my head and heart for Palestinians, for example, or the unjust treatment of Assange.
No George. That's not how it works.