The opening paragraphs from Sir Keir Starmer’s piece for the Sunday Times on Sunday October 6th, marking one year since Hamas terrorists smashed through the Israeli border, killing, torturing and kidnapping innocent civilians in their path, provide a masterclass in what discourse analysts sometimes refer to as passivation: changing a sentence from active to passive voice.
Passivation is a linguistic technique that omits or ‘hides’ the actor performing a certain action or actions in a sentence. In political or media discourse, it’s typically used to obscure agency or responsibility.
(To give you an idea of its rhetorical effects, it’s worth noting that children tend very quickly to become artful proponents of the passive style: “Did you bite your sister?” asks the furious father; “She was bitten,” responds the son.)
Here are some examples of that style as it features in Starmer’s opening remarks. Note that in each case, the material action described (murder, massacre, abduction) has no discernible perpetrator:
- “Jews murdered while protecting their families.” [By whom?]
- “Young people massacred at a music festival.” [By whom?]
- “People abducted from their homes.” [By whom?]
Later on, Starmer’s obfuscatory style intensifies. In the parlance of transitivity analysis, material actions – in which a person is shown causing certain actions to take place – are transformed into existential processes in which there is no actor, and certain actions simply occur, as if of their own volition.
(“Did you bite your sister?” asks the furious father; “There was a nip,” responds the son, who, in this version of the scenario, represents a particularly up-and-coming young rhetorician, well-prepared for his first job as a senior political advisor to a serving cabinet minister.)
“As the hours passed, more and more agonising reports emerged. Rape. Torture. Brutality beyond comprehension.” [Yes, but perpetrated by whom?]
In fact, “Hamas” doesn’t feature once in this, an article ostensibly written to (at least in part) honour the victims of October 7th 2023.
This can’t simply be explained away as a stylistic tic, since later on Starmer is happy to position Israel as a grammatical actor/subject, when it “launches a ground invasion in response [to Hezbollah’s rocket attacks]”.
Oddly enough, when Charles Moore emailed the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) earlier this year to check its official position on the October 7th massacre, he received a similarly passivated response: “The Muslim Council of Britain condemns the killing of innocent people on October 7th.” (Eliding, of course, whether the MCB considers the Israelis killed to be “innocent”.)
But did the MCB agree that the murders of October 7th “were carried out chiefly by Hamas”, Lord Moore asked in a follow-up email that he says didn’t receive a response. “Apparently,” he concluded, “the biggest British Muslim umbrella organisation cannot bring itself to say a bad word against Hamas.”
Curiously, much later on Sunday October 6th, a separate piece appeared under Starmer’s name on the Government’s website. Far fewer people will read it, of course, but here, thankfully, the Prime Minister dispenses with the passive style, stating:
October 7th 2023 was the darkest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust. One year on, we stand together to remember the lives so cruelly taken.
Over a thousand people were brutally murdered. Men, women, children and babies killed, mutilated, and tortured by the terrorists of Hamas. Jewish people murdered whilst protecting their families. [emphasis added]
It’s almost as if, in writing for the Sunday Times, the Prime Minister was attempting to triangulate his message about the slaughter, rape and mutilation of Jewish civilians to avoid antagonising a certain section of the electorate.
A certain section of the electorate? According to the 2021 census, there are now 3.9 million Muslims in the U.K. Together, they make up around 6% of the population.
Traditionally, Muslims have been electorally loyal to Labour, but amid rising anger at Starmer’s reluctance to more strongly condemn Israeli actions in Gaza since October 7th, that support has been fraying around the edges.
During the 2024 local elections, for example, Labour’s vote share in wards with over 70% Muslim voters declined by 39 percentage points. At the national level, while 80% of Muslims voted for Labour at the 2019 General Election, analysis of the 2024 general election results by thinktank More in Common suggests that Labour’s vote share fell sharply in seats with large Muslim populations.
Muslim independent candidate Shockat Adam caused a huge upset by beating Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth, then the Shadow Paymaster General, to become the new MP for Leicester South. According to Jewish News, Adam’s brother is Ismail Patel, the founder of hardline Islamist group Friends of Al Aqsa, who previously said that he “salutes Hamas”, and has even met with senior figures from the terrorist group while visiting Gaza.
The seat of Dewsbury and Batley – a formerly safe Labour seat – was won by another ‘Gaza independent’, Iqbal Mohamed, who delivered a speech during the election in which he told a crowd to search their homes for “Zionist” items and thrown them out. “Tell your kids too – even candy shops can be dangerous,” he added, to gleeful chants from the crowd of “from the river to the sea”.
Another Labour stronghold, Birmingham Perry Bar, was won by independent Ayoub Khan. Previously a Liberal Democrat councillor, Khan was investigated by the party last year after he questioned the extent of Hamas’s October 7th terrorist attack, posting several clips on TikTok stating he had yet to see evidence that any of the terror group’s members had beheaded babies or committed rape.
Other Labour MPs only just fought off Muslim independents to hold on to their seats: Health Secretary Wes Streeting won 528 more votes than British-Palestinian activist Leanne Mohamad in Ilford North, while Naz Shah held her Bradford with a narrow majority of 707 votes over Muhammed Ali Islam.
No doubt it might seem a little far-fetched to suggest Starmer’s passivated rhetoric in the Sunday Times is part of some wider positioning strategy in relation to the Muslim vote and the rise of a dangerous sectarianism in British politics.
And yet it’s interesting to reflect that, of the 220 most marginal seats in the recent General Election, Islam was the largest minority religion in 129 of them (58.6%).
Allied to this is the fact that polling undertaken earlier this year, and described as “the largest of its kind” since October 7th, revealed that just one in four British Muslims believe Hamas committed murder and rape in Israel, while 46% say they sympathise with the group.
The figures, which were provided by polling company J.L. Partners for the Henry Jackson Society, a counter-extremism think tank, also suggested that younger Muslims described as more “well-educated” – who are, of course, part of an age demographic that is more likely to support Labour –were the most likely to think Hamas did not commit atrocities on October 7th.
Dr. Frederick Attenborough is the Free Speech Union’s Senior Communications Officer. You can find him on Substack here.
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“A testing regime is likely to be introduced in the place of automatic isolation.”
So our kids get their tonsils scraped with a chemical laden swab on a regular basis. FOR NO GOOD REASON. Children are at statistically zero risk of death or serious illness from coronavirus.
No.
No.
No.
What happened to all restrictions lifted on 19 July?
I don’t think they ever said “all” without any caveats and I suspect also that coerced mass testing is not seen as a restriction, which it clearly is. The contracts for testing, track and trace, propaganda and vaccines have been signed well into the future.
I think the original wording of Johnson’s roadmap was that “he hoped and expected all restrictions would be lifted, no earlier then 21 June”. In true Orwellian fashion, this message has been repeatedly weakened by Johnson and his colleagues so that few of us expect the restrictions to end completely, but the original statement was clear, with only the timing subject to change. (Also, it’s as well to be particularly wary of government spokesmen giving very upbeat messages in the days immediately before byelections, and then backtracking when the votes have been counted.)
I am quite sure that he was talking about headline restrictions that forced businesses to close or restrict customer numbers. He probably regards mass testing, track and trace, vaccines, covid propaganda, requirements to test and quarantine for international travel as sensible and essential public health precautions, and by now the public probably also think that as they’ve been brainwashed into it. The idea that we’ll return to 2019 and treat covid as just another virus is fanciful.
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Watch out – a new danger.
Ending a totally insane situation will be treated as ‘good news’. Another old trick in a new bottle.
Indeed, and in this case ending one insane situation (forced self isolation) with another one (forced testing). Testing may be less damaging, but it’s no less insane, costs money and perpetuates the madness. In fact it may well push the “case” numbers up.
We will not be out of the woods until measures are rolled back and NO mitigation or replacement is put their place – until it is admitted they were all futile. If I am lucky I have a few decades left, and I don’t think I will see it in my lifetime.
I suspect we’re moving towards a situation where it’ll be necessary to test yourself often to be able to access anything. Illusion of control and safety, crony contracts.
Hancock spent many millions on tests so that have to be used somehow.
If testing will replace isolation in September then we’re not back to normal.
Anyone who thinks we will be back to normal in September needs their head read, to quote Kerry Packer.
Poor children at the mercy now of sick politicians and ‘scientists’. The real data does not warrant any of this.
More testing means more test kits and ppe, which means more storage for test kits and storage, which means more money for ‘anyone’ with storage facilities, a nice little earner along with all the others.
And all those resources and plastic and stuff, sort of goes against the Green agenda somewhat, doesn’t it? But hey, we won’t talk about that…
And don’t rattle the environmental cage!
I think the following is the best article I’ve ever read on this criminal insanity, genuinely.
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/the-war-on-reality-gutentag
Yes it was and I’ve shared it again.
I quite agree. Possibly even the brainwashed masses would also be able to read and understand it (if they were ever willing to).
Thank you for this.
Daily testing of children to allow them to go to school… Nope, not in my home.
For as long as this goes on we will never be free whilst we have a Government of Occupation!!
https://americasfrontlinedoctors.org/frontlinenews/lisbon-court-rules-only-0-9-of-verified-cases-died-of-covid-numbering-152-not-17000-claimed/
I’ve had 3 letters from the NHS/affiliated with Imperial College over the past 3 weeks asking me to take part in a Covid testing programme, it seems my GP has put my name forward, probably because I refused the jab. Has anyone else been targeted?
Is this the antibody test? I’ve done it, and it isn’t because you haven’t had the vaccination. In fact they specifically stated that you could take part if you had had the vaccination, this being the exception rather than the rule. If it is the same study then they’re looking for the prevalence of antibodies in the general population.
They didn’t mention antibodies.
Snap.
I know an experienced teacher who tells me its ridiculous that her school has once again been isolated because one child tested positive. But she is still isolating, following all of the rules. Her young daughter has been tearful she tells me but blames other things, not the pressures of all of this, the testing her mother is continuing with, following orders. I just cannot understand the logic, says its ridiculous then following orders.
At least that’s an advance on, say, 6 months ago when most people were following orders and NOT thinking it was ridiculous.
Why don’t all schools refuse to follow the “rules” and then see how the establishment manages to deal with mass lawful disobedience.
It’s incredible isn’t it? I’ve pretty much stopped talking to friends and acquaintances about the illogicality of it all as despite the glaring flaws in every single mandate, legally enforced ‘guidelines’ etc, no one is prepared to agree that we’ve been utterly shafted. They just stare vacantly and say ‘yes, but…’ No counter arguments, no analysis, just compliance. Makes me very depressed. Can’t see a way out of that- if people aren’t prepared to question things, the govt have won and we are sunk.
Remember the good old days, that when you were ill, you knew it and so did your mum, and you had a day off? How dangerous and risk taking was was that? How on earth did we survive? 🙄
The testing is a scam. We should only test seriously ill people. Don’t comply.
I suspect by and large people who post here are not complying but it’s tricky if you need to travel abroad for work or to see family or to attend to important personal business, and tricky if your employer insists on it as a condition of your work
Easy if it’s a DIY at home LFT test. Just say “negative”; giving the code on the test stick and throw it all in the bin.
PCR tests for travel more tricky unfortunately.
Yes, good point about LFTs at home
I don’t think that’s really in the spirit of what we’re trying to achieve here. How about you tell your employer that they have no right to “insist” upon invasive medical screening as a condition of your employment and see how far they’re willing to take it?
A good read
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/the-war-on-reality-gutentag
School supplied test kits went in the recycling at the weekend.
All Made in China.
have not noticed the Childrens Commissioner saying anything against the efforts being made to vaccinate children
Things are not getting back to normal , actually those in charge of the asylum are just changing the decor. Before visiting a patient in a care home I now have a LFT which has a sensitivity at best of just over 50 % . The Americans have decided to throw away their LFT s as they are worse than useless.
If you call primary care 111 out of hours your chances of getting some attention are now minimal . Sorry not my fault. Loads of kids , much more than expected for this time of year have viral respiratory infection ( Not Covid but RSV or parainfluenza ). Very unusual . Lots of my colleagues despite boasting that they are ” double vaxxed ” are refusing to see these kids and sending them to A and E ( wait time 6 hours ).
It will get worse in the autumn .
So. I dare anyone to pop on the BBC news pages today and marvel in how they have two leading pictures of kids in class WEARING MASKS. I assume this is to soften up the masses ahead of a return to class in September with a brand new Helix stationary set + a mask. And maybe a vaccine. Oh yes. It’s all coming to an end on 19th July. Is it fuck !
Beware the Telegraph campaign.
We know that they have received Gates funding. They have their “Global Health Security” team of journalists, beavering away at the propaganda mine, furthering the agenda of the globalists.
This “campaign” may be worthy in terms of stopping children being kept out of school. But at what cost? More testing and, inevitably, pressure to have TeH VacCine.
Why do we have to wait until September?
WE NEED THIS NOW!
I don’t think we need this now at all. It’s just replacing on form of pointless disruptive interference with another, arguably marginally less damaging.
It just perpetuates mass testing which has been the main mechanism used to control us through fear.
In other words, Kim Jong Johnson is prolonging the torture as he pretends to be ending it.
…
The obsession with testing is a malignant thought process which pervades society. We have permitted Epidemiologists and Public Health Doctors to dictate health care which they do not understand. More importantly it should be shouted out that vaccination of children is immortal and unethical- Will any doctor or nurse who vaccinates a child who develops a complication or fatality associated with a vaccine ,face the parents and tell them it was a worthwhile risk ?
STOP FUCKING TESTING. Then it all disappears. You only need to test children WITH SYMPTOMS! everyone else just get on with your lives. How do you know if its a confirmed test? Oh by using a test that does not fucking work. This is purely bullshit to back up jabbing kids. FUCK OFF. If you tolerate this, your children will be next!!!
I don’t expect Wales to follow suit. The situation here is beyond insanity. My daughter is in a whole year group bubble of 300 children. 1 Positive and they are all sent home. 4 ten-day isolations in a 65 day period between 9th September – 9th December. In this time children cant even leave their house for a walk. We’ve just had another one that was extended to 14 days due to the delta variant! I challenged the fact with track and trace that she was not a close contact as no contact tracing in school had happened (the head had simply handed over a list of 300 children). I was told;
Parents were running around getting all their children tested and posting rubbish on social media about selfish parents who were questioning vaccines and not lateral flow testing twice a week. Letters to the Head, MP’s, MS’s, Head of Public Health, Ministers for Education, Health and Mental Health all received the same response, I must see the greater good and do all I can to stop transmission. My child mental and physical health (never mind her education) is just collateral damage in this phoney war of the virus.
I used to be rather fond of Welsh Rabbits: no more!