Niall McCrae
David Aaronovitch, political commentator and presenter of the BBC Briefing Room show, is making himself the story again. Two weeks ago he reacted angrily to a Supreme Court decision, which restrained the lawfare against Donald Trump by confirming presidential immunity. He tweeted: –
This caused outrage not only from Trump sympathisers but from broader conservative circles. Some complained that Aaronovitch had broken BBC impartiality rules. But others went further: surely this was incitement, and thus a criminal offence? Aaronovitch tried to dispel the furore by deleting his offensive tweet, doing so reluctantly without a hint of admission that he’d gone too far. He hit back at his critics by portraying them as ‘right-wing’ ignoramuses unable to see the mirth in his message.
Needless to say, the satirist kept his job at the BBC. I thought of penning a piece about the hypocrisy of the metropolitan media at the time, but there is only so much time and energy at a writer’s disposal. But Aaronovitch has forced my hand, following the attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday. He was targeted for the obvious reason that he’d incited the very violence that could have killed the likely presidential election winner In November, and caused civil war in the USA.
Aaronovitch complained on Twitter that his original tweet about Trump on 1st July had been reposted despite him deleting it. The slate had been wiped clean, Aaronovitch thought. Having deleted his tweet, it did not exist; indeed, in the Orwellian truth of corrupt media, it never existed. Of course nu such grace would be afforded to anyone of whom Aaronovitch disapproves.
Aarononvitch went on to write that ‘not only does this now endanger me, but also seeks to maliciously obscure my intention to deplore such violence’. So Aaronovitch , a man of peace, has been deliberately misinterpreted. And he claims to be the victim, failing to mention the close shave experienced by the former president.
As Nigel Farage reminded GB News viewers, the metropolitan media made no fuss when BBC presenter Jo Brand suggested that the Brexit Party leader of the time be doused not in milkshake but battery acid. Brand kept her job too. Nigel Farage rages at BBC stars for ‘inciting violence’ as Donald Trump is shot at rally: ‘TOO much of this!’ (gbnews.com)
It’s all right if they do it. Anyone of conservative or traditional Christian beliefs wishing a political opponent dead would be accused of hate crime. Their words would be cast as dangerous and an affront to democracy. People have been arrested simply for standing in silent contemplation outside abortion clinics, or for daubing the message ‘All Lives Matter’ in response to the divisive BLM campaign. People are forced out of jobs and made a social pariah merely for raising concerns about illegal immigration.
But if you’re in the elite media club you can write or say whatever you want. The impact is obvious: a licence given to the ‘liberal-left’ to attack political enemies, whether with caramel milkshakes in Clacton, or sniper’s bullets at a Trump rally.
This would be a good time for the BBC, Ofcom and the media establishment to act, if they want to retain any credibility, and sanction and shun the murderous tweeter.
