Ken Livingstone - 'war criminal' jibe

[planetdave]

Ken refuses to appologise to a reporter he called a 'war criminal' - who revealed he is jewish.

So the reporter is jewish. Doesn't stop him being an arse.

Ken is now under pressure from the GLC (or whatever they are now) and jewish groups to repent.

Great, isn't it. A 'popular' left wing polititian and a religious pressure group at loggerheads.

Which do you hate more?

[vixpy1]

Thats not the whole storey, he called him a concentration camp guard, in my mind his comments showed a serious lack of judgment.

[JustTheTip]

[bouffy]

I think Ken's an @rse. But he was pushed and pushed by this to$$er of a reporter. I'm, pleased that he has so far refused to apologise. Why should he?

I don't think he's such a bad bloke now.

[mybrainhurts]

He can be banned from public office for several years over this....

[vixpy1]

Regardless of whether he was pushed or not. His comments, at this particular time, to a Jew was insensitive.

He should know better.




Oh, sod it, I just like Ken bashing!

[mybrainhurts]

bouffy said:

I don't think he's such a bad bloke now.

You been taking mad pills....?

[bouffy]

From the BBc website:

On tape Mr Livingstone is heard asking Mr Finegold if he was a "German war criminal".

Mr Finegold replies: "No, I'm Jewish, I wasn't a German war criminal. I'm quite offended by that."

The mayor then says: "Ah right, well you might be, but actually you are just like a concentration camp guard, you are just doing it because you are paid to, aren't you?"

Is it really that bad?

[tinman0]

if he were a tory he'd have several police investigations against him running by now, every paper would be calling for him to be beheaded, or at least have the Tower reopened.

but hes Labour, so that ok then....

[munter]

So he used an example from history. Which had relavence to the other party. Inorder to get his point across. Sounds ok to me....

[bouffy]

munter said:

So he used an example from history. Which had relavence to the other party. Inorder to get his point across. Sounds ok to me....

agreed. Come on guys, let's not all jump on the PC bandwagon. He could have really let rip about the Nazis and the Jews. He was simply suggesting that the reporter was behaving like a t*t, because he's paid to do so. He compared this to concentration camp guards.

Sounds to me as if he was pretty close to the mark, actually.

[planetdave]

[quote=vixpy1]Regardless of whether he was pushed or not. His comments, at this particular time, to a Jew was insensitive.

He should know better.




quote]

I fail to see what is religously offensive in his comments.

I find organised religion offensive anyway, so may be missing the point. But I don't think so.

Any comments from our jewish community?

[bigandclever]

Finegold: Mr Livingstone, Evening Standard. How did tonight go?

Livingstone: How awful for you. Have you thought of having treatment?

Finegold: How did tonight go?

Mr Livingstone: Have you thought of having treatment?

Finegold: Was it a good party? What does it mean for you?

Mr Livingstone: What did you do before? Were you a German war criminal?

Finegold: No, I'm Jewish, I wasn't a German war criminal and I'm actually quite offended by that. So, how did tonight go?

Mr Livingstone: Arr right, well you might be [Jewish], but actually you are just like a concentration camp guard, you are just doing it because you are paid to, aren't you?

Finegold: Great, I have you on record for that. So, how was tonight?

Mr Livingstone: It's nothing to do with you because your paper is a load of scumbags and reactionary bigots.

Finegold: I'm a journalist and I'm doing my job. I'm only asking for a comment.

Mr Livingstone: Well, work for a paper that doesn't have a record of supporting fascism.

[c c]

If that’s the worst thing the reporter has been called, he’s probably not doing his job very well.

[Dakkon]

The bloke was a tit, Ken was just telling him to F**k off without actually saying F**k off.

I thought it was a rather good analogy personally.

[bigandclever]

Ironically, the reporter involved is denying that he told Livingston to f**k off at the end of the 'interview'

>> Edited by bigandclever on Monday 14th February 14:01

[thebluemonkey]

I don't think it's hugely intelligent to tell someone that they are like a concentration camp guard just after they have told you they were Jewish. Comparing someone who was acting up a bit to someone who aided in the deaths of thousands of innocent people is pretty stupid actually. It may not be what he meant but it is what he said. I don't like the man and everything that goes to making him less popular is a good thing in my eyes, deserved or not.

[v8thunder]

bouffy said:

From the BBc website: On tape Mr Livingstone is heard asking Mr Finegold if he was a "German war criminal". Mr Finegold replies: "No, I'm Jewish, I wasn't a German war criminal. I'm quite offended by that." The mayor then says: "Ah right, well you might be, but actually you are just like a concentration camp guard, you are just doing it because you are paid to, aren't you?" Is it really that bad?

Didn't Silvio Berlusconi tell that one the other year? Sounds like a bad, old joke to me.

[Dakkon]

bigandclever said:

Ironically, the reporter involved is denying that he told Livingston to f**k off at the end of the 'interview' >> Edited by bigandclever on Monday 14th February 14:01

Because the nice reporter would never offend anyone ever, these media slags need a damn good kicking, how the papers get their news is often disgraceful.

With the risk of a thread hijack, the sun doing its big appology, only becuase they want more sales, not that they actually offended a lot of people.

[Yertis]

You can bet your life that had the journo accused Lizardman of behaving like a "queer-bashing slave-trader" (an equally il-founded observation) then old bug-eyes would have had something to say about it.