Thursday, April 22, 2010
The Daily Mail, Nick Clegg and the Nazis
The anticipated establishment backlash against the Liberal Democrats has been visited on us with a vengeance today with a series of smears against Nick Clegg that defy belief. By far the most exceptional of these is the Daily Mail's, who claim that the Liberal Democrat leader has made a 'Nazi' slur on Britain.
The Daily Mail of course should be the last paper to make such claims as Wikipedia makes clear:
On 10 July 1933, Rothermere wrote an editorial titled "Youth Triumphant" in support of Adolf Hitler, this was subsequently used as propaganda by the Nazis.[22] In early 1934, Rothermere and the Mail were editorially sympathetic to Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists.[23] Rothermere wrote an article entitled "Hurrah for the Blackshirts", in January 1934, praising Mosley for his "sound, commonsense, Conservative doctrine".[24] During the great abdication crisis of 1936, the Daily Mail supported the King, but was only joined by the Daily Express, Evening Standard and Evening News.[25]
Rothermere was a friend and supporter of both Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, which influenced the Mail's political stance towards them up to 1939.[26][27] Rothermere visited and corresponded with Hitler. On 1 October 1938, Rothermere sent Hitler a telegram in support of Germany's invasion of the Sudetenland, and expressing the hope that 'Adolf the Great' would become a popular figure in Britain. However, this was tempered by an awareness of the military threat from the resurgent Germany, of which he warned J.C. Davidson. Rothermere had an executive plane built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company which, with a speed of 307 mph, was faster than any fighter. In 1935, this plane was presented to the RAF on behalf of the Daily Mail where it became the Bristol Blenheim bomber.[28]
In 1937, the Mail's chief war correspondent, George Ward Price, to whom Mussolini once wrote in support of him and the newspaper, published a book, I Know These Dictators, in defence of Hitler and Mussolini. Evelyn Waugh was sent as a reporter for the Mail to cover the anticipated Italian invasion of Ethiopia.
In 1938, as persecution of the Jews in Europe escalated, the Mail objected to their seeking asylum in Britain. “The way stateless Jews from Germany are pouring in from every port of this country is becoming an outrage. The number of aliens entering the country through the back door is a problem to which the Daily Mail has repeatedly pointed.”
Rothermere and the Mail supported Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement, particularly during the events leading up to the Munich Agreement. In 2005, the British Foreign Office disclosed previously secret letters from Rothermere addressed to Hitler from the summer of 1939, in which he congratulated the German leader on his annexation of Czechoslovakia, urged him to invade Romania, and called Hitler's work "great and superhuman".
Perhaps they might show a better understanding of their own history before brandishing such headlines again.
The Daily Mail of course should be the last paper to make such claims as Wikipedia makes clear:
On 10 July 1933, Rothermere wrote an editorial titled "Youth Triumphant" in support of Adolf Hitler, this was subsequently used as propaganda by the Nazis.[22] In early 1934, Rothermere and the Mail were editorially sympathetic to Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists.[23] Rothermere wrote an article entitled "Hurrah for the Blackshirts", in January 1934, praising Mosley for his "sound, commonsense, Conservative doctrine".[24] During the great abdication crisis of 1936, the Daily Mail supported the King, but was only joined by the Daily Express, Evening Standard and Evening News.[25]
Rothermere was a friend and supporter of both Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, which influenced the Mail's political stance towards them up to 1939.[26][27] Rothermere visited and corresponded with Hitler. On 1 October 1938, Rothermere sent Hitler a telegram in support of Germany's invasion of the Sudetenland, and expressing the hope that 'Adolf the Great' would become a popular figure in Britain. However, this was tempered by an awareness of the military threat from the resurgent Germany, of which he warned J.C. Davidson. Rothermere had an executive plane built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company which, with a speed of 307 mph, was faster than any fighter. In 1935, this plane was presented to the RAF on behalf of the Daily Mail where it became the Bristol Blenheim bomber.[28]
In 1937, the Mail's chief war correspondent, George Ward Price, to whom Mussolini once wrote in support of him and the newspaper, published a book, I Know These Dictators, in defence of Hitler and Mussolini. Evelyn Waugh was sent as a reporter for the Mail to cover the anticipated Italian invasion of Ethiopia.
In 1938, as persecution of the Jews in Europe escalated, the Mail objected to their seeking asylum in Britain. “The way stateless Jews from Germany are pouring in from every port of this country is becoming an outrage. The number of aliens entering the country through the back door is a problem to which the Daily Mail has repeatedly pointed.”
Rothermere and the Mail supported Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement, particularly during the events leading up to the Munich Agreement. In 2005, the British Foreign Office disclosed previously secret letters from Rothermere addressed to Hitler from the summer of 1939, in which he congratulated the German leader on his annexation of Czechoslovakia, urged him to invade Romania, and called Hitler's work "great and superhuman".
Perhaps they might show a better understanding of their own history before brandishing such headlines again.
Comments:
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Blimey! I was thinking just the same thing. I can't believe how incredibly desperate both the Mail and Express seem at the moment... I mean... Nazis!! I invoke Godwin's Law!
Loons.
Loons.
Even Blu-Labour Spin doctors wouldn't try that.......well perhaps they would.
# posted by 
: 10:01 AM
: 10:01 AM
the 'torygraph's' story regarding alleged payments into nick clegg's bank account is perhaps even more disturbing than the mail's in that no one seems to be asking how on earth the staunchly tory telegraph came by nick cleggs bank details???.....all they have said is that they were 'seen by them'....what exactley does this mean??....
Surely its a criminal offence to possess or recieve the bank details of anyone who has not actually authorised their public release ie if they are stolen!!!
So why arent the police looking into this? and at the very least interviewing the telegraph as to how exactley they came to be 'shown' these documents?
Before anyone says anything im not a liberal democrat but i am concerned at the apparent ability of right wing newspapers like the telegraph (owned by the billionaire barclay brothers of course) to once again 'come by' and publish with impugnity and with no fear of intervention by the law....the confidential details of democratically elected politicians.
We should all be concerned at what is going on here as if it can happen to the likes of nick clegg.....it can happen to anyone of us in the uk...well anyone who earns the ire of the billionaire barclay brothers anyway.
Leigh Richards
swansea
Surely its a criminal offence to possess or recieve the bank details of anyone who has not actually authorised their public release ie if they are stolen!!!
So why arent the police looking into this? and at the very least interviewing the telegraph as to how exactley they came to be 'shown' these documents?
Before anyone says anything im not a liberal democrat but i am concerned at the apparent ability of right wing newspapers like the telegraph (owned by the billionaire barclay brothers of course) to once again 'come by' and publish with impugnity and with no fear of intervention by the law....the confidential details of democratically elected politicians.
We should all be concerned at what is going on here as if it can happen to the likes of nick clegg.....it can happen to anyone of us in the uk...well anyone who earns the ire of the billionaire barclay brothers anyway.
Leigh Richards
swansea
# posted by : 10:53 AM
: 10:53 AM
The Daily Mail would do well to remember China won WW2.
Fast forward to 2010.
Can Mr Cameron explain what exactly is the threat from China that makes it necessary to keep Trident. The yellow peril?
Fast forward to 2010.
Can Mr Cameron explain what exactly is the threat from China that makes it necessary to keep Trident. The yellow peril?
You can always rely on the Tory press to turn nasty when things aren't going their way. I actually find the whole thing very beneficial for Clegg and the Lib Dems - it raises people's awareness of the impact that the Liberal Democrats are making in this election campaign. As for the so-called allegations and condemnations, they are so pathetic and thin that they will be seen for what they are.
The situation was summed up very well on this afternoon's 'PM' on Radio Four. They spoke to local people in Bristol ahead of the debate and, whilst everyone felt that the allegatons were nonsense, every one of those spoken to actually knew who Nick Clegg was and had an opinion on him. That certainly would not have been the case little more than a week ago.
Bring on the second debate.
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The situation was summed up very well on this afternoon's 'PM' on Radio Four. They spoke to local people in Bristol ahead of the debate and, whilst everyone felt that the allegatons were nonsense, every one of those spoken to actually knew who Nick Clegg was and had an opinion on him. That certainly would not have been the case little more than a week ago.
Bring on the second debate.
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