Penguin would not let any genuine (radical) thinker anywhere near its Publishing House – this fact should serve as the first substantial clue. James O’Brien is a typical bourgeois “centralist” who would quite happily swing to the right if only the right got its act together. His criticism of leading contemporary right-leaning politicians exemplifies this fact – as the point he is making is that they are letting him down. He simply does not like their current style. The error he makes, and I believe he is making this error deliberately, is that this current crop of privileged, right-wing (Tory) bigots is somehow “different” from every generation of Tories since the (1660) Restoration. At that time, such individuals “invented” a fake (Constitutional) Monarchy – which modern British citizens fund and are brainwashed to venerate. This is typical of the type of damage the Tories can do to any progressive cause! By limiting this Tory damage to the current crop – O’Brien is being disingenuous – but he already knows this.
A similar distorting pattern can be found in his relentless pro-EU propaganda (a distortion which omits entirely the EU’s “US-inspired” history of manipulation) is thoroughly condescending (ignoring as he does the left-wing opposition to the EU) – whilst his hatchet-job on Jeremy Corbyn seems to be the entire purpose of the book (according to O’Brien, “Zionism” is inherently “good” – and to oppose this UN-recognised form of fascism is “anti-Semitic”, etc) – camouflaged as it is (on both sides) by his “displeasure” with atypical Tory figures (many of these individuals being “non-White” – but with O’Brien careful NOT to be seen as singling them out) he choses to include in his diatribe. O’Brien has plenty to say about David Cameron – but remains “silent” about the UN-recognised killing of at least 120,000 British people with Disabilities (between 2010-2016) – by the “Coalition” of rabid Tories and LibDems! This rate of attrition was achieved (and is still being achieved) through the auspices of ruthless and permanent Tory cuts in the Welfare State, Social Services and National Health Services.
James O’Brien does not mention the true crimes committed by the latest batch of Tory defectives committed against British (and foreign) people because in reality this is an anti-leftist book disguised as an attack on the right (he must carefully “cherry-pick” to make this contradiction work). Indeed, for a book which prides itself on having its finger on the pulse – so many world important events are missing, smudged, bypassed, ignored or interpreted out of existence. Inconvenient facts that if recognised and included in his narrative – would undoubtedly undermine the very purpose of the book (a Trotskyite attack on the left through the deviations of the right). Only an out of touch celebrity broadcaster would attempt to reduce reality to his lack of perception of it. James O’Brien is yet another one of those trendy (modern) “clones” of the great Victor Lewis Smith – without the decency to admit the Marxian basis of his humorous deconstruction and incisive insight – very much in the vein of Chris Morris and Charlie Brooker, etc.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 