AIBU about Owen Jones

[PickyParent]

During a discussion about neo-Nazis and alt-right in the US today, my MIL started ranting on about a journalist called Owen Jones, who is allegedly part of alt-right, is an anti-feminist, Corbynista, hysterical, storms off in huffs on tv, and is a general twat.

I had not come across this chap at all, despite reading a broad cross-section of media and being quite well-informed and up to date (and I try to have an open mind on things except Trump and neoNazis)

So I googled him and can't find anything really awful about him (I don't object to him supporting Corbyn).
Am I being obtuse?
Is MIL right?
Am IBU?

All those saying that Owen is great because his books are good, need to update their knowledge on him.

Pre 2017 election Owen is VERY different to the Owen that we knew before the election. He has become very aggressive since the election, and has been bullying and gaslighting people on social media who consider themselves to be in the 'Blairite' wing of the Labour party. He also wrote an article yesterday saying that these people were 'extremists' (before a sneaky title change).

Owen is no longer the person he used to be.

Post 2017 election I mean! :grin:

He's a lefty.

Dull but gets the gig on the news channels as a bit relentless like the Duracell bunny , so they know he'll keep on talking to fill the voids in 24 hour rolling news.

You haven't missed anything.

I think it's drivel because it implies that the people in the centre are the extremists (which is the word that was used in the original title rather than 'ideologues') rather than the y'know, actual extremists on right and left.

"I used to vote Labour but now vote Conservative. Blame Corbyn"

Losing your one vote is probably not as good as all of the votes that he gained.

I remember when MN tories were here bragging about landslides and wiping labour off the map.

Hubris before a fall is extremely satisfying.

If the Blairite wing of the party had got behind Corbyn Labour would be in Government right now. Prior to their attempted coup Labour were not far beind in the polls, afterwards there was too much ground to make up, and he very nearly did it from there.

Attacking 'centrists' has become his go to stance since being called out for his wimpish Brexit climb down.

People in the centre can be extreme though, the extreme tactics of the centre ground in the Labour party ( you know like staging a coup against the party leader/ leaking everywhere/ underhand tactics) is what put Labour in weak position prior to the election.

If the Blairite wing of the party had got behind Corbyn Labour would be in Government right now.

And? We'd still be careering off the Brexit cliff.

I think centrists are the only hope we have.

Defend the centre!

Brexit will bring austerity on a massive scale so I really can't reconcile the 'Brexit - good but austerity - bad' mentality of Corbyn and his allies.

Arf at people at the centre of the political spectrum being 'extremists'

Personally I disagree with bullying people because they are more centre left than you. There are people who have had to get the police involved because of Owen Jones' conduct on social media.

Brexit could bring just about anything at this point.

Nuclear war, economic collapse, the end to poached eggs.

Read the article, Owen Jones actually puts it quite well.

I read it, and he doesn't at all.

Also, I note that you have studiously avoided making comment about his bullying and gaslighting of people who dare to hold a different political stance to him. I therefore assume that you are ok with this.

I'm going to stick up for Owen too no cat bribery
<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?q=www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/owen-jones-i-dont-enjoy-protesting-i-do-it-because-the-stakes-are-so-high-a3457501.html&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwik--_i8-HVAhXMDMAKHY6MBr44ChAWCCQwCQ&usg=AFQjCNHyTfszz3Xw3bp1U7sdlFaOoi29xQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This interview shows he doesn't mind women with opinions

If the Blairite wing of the party had got behind Corbyn Labour would be in Government right now.

I doubt it.

HTH.

No, but I don't think its uncommon on Twitter, do you condem every media personality that does it? Or the ones that do it through sock puppetry like Michael Gove?

I think he's on the money with his critique of centrism, it gives people the idea that they are moderate, when they aren't.

"I doubt it.

HTH"

Erudite and well thought out response there.

Slow hand clap.

So because lots of people do it, its ok. Showing your true colours there.

And yes, I condemn bullying whenever I see it, because unlike some, I am not so in thrall to anyone, that I would be prepared to throw basic principles out of the window to excuse the sort of bullying that Owen and his crew have been indulging in.

He interviewed Peter Hitchins and Jacob Rees-Mogg, they certainly have a different political stance to him, they got on well

JustAnotherPoster00

I used to vote Labour but now vote Conservative. Blame Corbyn

Did he stand in any Holyrood elections?

Corbyn has shown zero interest in Scotland and zero support for the Union. He was utterly ineffectual in his support of Remain - all that holier than thou nonsense about refusing to share a platform with Cameron. He would never be part of a second Better Together campaign if there were a second Indy referendum.

Ruth Davidson (I'm assuming you know who she Is, although your question shows you don't know much about Scottish politics) has been winning over Labour voters because of the constitutional issues

Yeah they were both pre-election, Lovemysituation. Sadly, that Owen Jones no longer exists. :(

"So because lots of people do it, its ok"

No but the twittersphere is quite combative, and what some take as bullying others might take as something else.

Notice a fair few here critiquing OJ who are silent when Abu Hopkins has her latest rant.

Oh isn't it funny he got her show.

Are you assuming that people who don't like Jones must be fans of Hopkins?

That's proper Owen Jones logic right there.

Who is Abu Hopkins?