Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘advice’ to a US congresswoman shows he’s anything but a hate figure
The Sunday Times published a full frontal assault on Jeremy Corbyn on 7 April. The outlet released a story that effectively branded him a hate figure.
Another seriously misleading Sunday Times story, full of wrong figures, inaccurate claims and complete falsehoods.
And selective use of leaked of emails has excluded information in the same email chains showing the opposite of what is alleged in the article. pic.twitter.com/uvlSPwF5KP
— Labour Press (@labourpress) April 7, 2019
But the Labour leader publicly sent some advice to US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the same day. And it shows that Corbyn is anything but a hate figure.
Bee-kind
Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on 7 April about an ‘exciting’ new role she’s taken on:
Happy Sunday! Excited to say I’m tending to a community garden plot for the next few months 🙂
It’s a 4×4 plot we get to tend to now through Sept.
Any green-thumbs out with sage🌱 words of advice?
What should I plant? (Ideally at least 1 edible thing but we can do flowers too)
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 7, 2019
And gardening enthusiast Corbyn was quick to offer his “sage words of advice”:
For a new plot, first see what is already growing! Then go for some flowers and plants that attract bees and thus improve pollination for everyone – lavender or comfrey good for bees. Best way to be healthy is to get your hands dirty – in the soil!
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) April 7, 2019
Corbyn first advises Ocasio-Cortez to tend to what is “already growing”, rather than tearing it up and starting anew. Then he suggests she adds bee-attracting flowers and plants for both the bees and ‘everyone’ else.
Of course, with a dramatic decline in bee populations in the UK, across Europe and elsewhere, this is stellar advice. Because as Corbyn says, everyone benefits from having thriving bee populations. They do, after all, pollinate over 30% of our food crops and the vast majority of wild plants. As such, our ecosystem and food system is dependent on them. And it’s largely human activities and their consequences – such as climate change, habitat loss and pesticide use – that are driving their decline.
The very least we should be doing is planting bee-friendly flowers and plants.
Not a hate figure
But the Labour leader’s advice also serves as a timely reminder of who he is. He faced a week-long onslaught of attacks from right-wing politicians and the right-wing press. In fact, he’s faced relentless attacks since becoming Labour leader in 2015.
The purveyors of these smears want people to see Corbyn as a threat and a danger. The Labour leader’s actions and words, however, reveal that he’s anything but. He’s just a decent person, who’s naturally inclined to building a peaceful and constructive co-existence (with bees and everyone else).
He apparently doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty in the process either. Good job really, with all the mud that’s being slung at him.
Featured image by John Ranson for The Canary
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The Jewish Labour Movement, one of the oldest Socialist societies affiliated to the Labour Party, overwhelmingly backs a motion of no confidence in the Labour leader. The Sunday Times reports that Labour Party members who posted comments such as “Heil Hitler”, “F*** the Jews” and “Jews are the problem” have not been expelled a year after the party received complaints about their posts. But Jeremy Corbyn likes gardening and bees so he must be OK and any criticism of him is smears.
thomasGrubb…why do you come here and repeat the lies and smears that the right wing press has already covered and is judged by people who can see through the bullshit and know it to be false? What is your point? weak warblings drawing on MSM propaganda for your info, shows you to be someone who has not the capacity to critically analyse information that comes from unreliable sources. Another far right sympathiser who is unable to argue on policy so resorts to smear.
What have I written that is a lie or a smear? Is it “MSM propaganda” that the Jewish Labour Movement has passed a motion of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn by an overwhelming margin? Is it untrue that Labour Party members who posted blatantly anti-Semitic comments have not been expelled from the party a year after those comments were posted? Did the Sunday Times simply make that up? And talking of smears, why do you call me a “far right sympathiser”?
yes it is totally untrue they posted blatantly anti semitic comments. This has been leapt on by a totally compromised and biased press. you seem to fail to realise that Tory party representatives own all the media and they produce nothing but Tory propaganda.
The Jewish Labour movement is also closely alligned with the Zionist movement in Israel. A fact that shouldn’t have any bearing on British politics. We’ve seen how the centrist Blairites have also leapt on any anti-zionist comments, or even criticisms of the apartheid state.
And yes you seem to be deluded in thinking that the Sunday Times has any kind of credibility. You seem to be unaware that there is a concerted attack on anyone who does not have establishment credentials. Corbyn is attacked because he is a threat to the establishment. So maybe you should do a bit of research and try to critically analyse rather than jump on the propaganda bandwagon. WE need to crush Toryism in this country….evil bastards who will stoop to anything to preserve their stranglehold on UK politics. And they have been shown to be incompetant and completely against certain sections of society. They hate the working classes, especially the unemployed and the disabled. They are racist and ONLY look after those that have the sqme greedy outlook. You really are a totally naive and compliant patriot and your views completely false.
also Thomas if you’re so fair minded, why aren’t you railing against Tory Islamaphobia which is proven? do I need remind you of Boris Johnson’s comments? I find yours and the media attacks and cries of anti-semitism to be a false narrative meant to break the labour movement. It is a a case of gross hypocrisy that tories and labour centrists prefer to stir up this nonsense than actually tackle real issues of racism. The trouble with tories like you Thomas is that you can’t seperate truth from propaganda, and the party you represent are the ones who introduced the ‘hostile environment’ policy. Had labour followed those principles then the press would have been all over it. Grenfell tower is another racist blot. Anything to add Thomas?
also Thomas here’s another perspective from a Jewish Group that might help educate you to the true position
https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/blog/the-latest-assult-on-corbyn/
“yes it is totally untrue they posted blatantly anti semitic comments.”
Well, “Heil Hitler”, “F*** the Jews” and “Jews are the problem” would seem to me blatantly anti-Semitic comments. What am I missing?
“This has been leapt on by a totally compromised and biased press. you seem to fail to realise that Tory party representatives own all the media and they produce nothing but Tory propaganda.”
You’re right. I never realised that “Tory party representatives own all the media and they produce nothing but Tory propaganda.” It’s amazing what one learn from commenters here.
“The Jewish Labour movement is also closely alligned with the Zionist movement in Israel. A fact that shouldn’t have any bearing on British politics.”
Why not?
“We’ve seen how the centrist Blairites have also leapt on any anti-zionist comments, or even criticisms of the apartheid state.”
I must have missed that.
“And yes you seem to be deluded in thinking that the Sunday Times has any kind of credibility. You seem to be unaware that there is a concerted attack on anyone who does not have establishment credentials.”
Yes, I was unaware of that.
“Corbyn is attacked because he is a threat to the establishment. So maybe you should do a bit of research and try to critically analyse rather than jump on the propaganda bandwagon.”
Maybe you could point me to some conspiracy theory websites to aid me in my research.
“WE need to crush Toryism in this country….evil bastards who will stoop to anything to preserve their stranglehold on UK politics. And they have been shown to be incompetant and completely against certain sections of society. They hate the working classes, especially the unemployed and the disabled. They are racist and ONLY look after those that have the sqme greedy outlook. You really are a totally naive and compliant patriot and your views completely false.”
Thank you. Have a nice day.
“also Thomas if you’re so fair minded, why aren’t you railing against Tory Islamaphobia which is proven? do I need remind you of Boris Johnson’s comments? I find yours and the media attacks and cries of anti-semitism to be a false narrative meant to break the labour movement.”
I thought you might.
“It is a a case of gross hypocrisy that tories and labour centrists prefer to stir up this nonsense than actually tackle real issues of racism.”
Yes, why even bother to investigate it?
“The trouble with tories like you Thomas is that you can’t seperate truth from propaganda, and the party you represent are the ones who introduced the ‘hostile environment’ policy. Had labour followed those principles then the press would have been all over it. Grenfell tower is another racist blot. Anything to add Thomas?”
Only that I’m not a Tory and do not represent the Conservative Party. But obviously you know better.
“also Thomas here’s another perspective from a Jewish Group that might help educate you to the true position
https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/blog/the-latest-assult-on-corbyn/“
Thank you, mousecateer. I believe the author of the article you link to is currently suspended from the Labour Party pending investigation. I wonder why.
Excellent comment Mousecateer, I applaud you.