Silly season. Westminster waddles off to the Copacabana, leaving the commentariat and their hangers-on - like me - bereft of sensible stories to write about. Or so our mainstream political culture has it for this time of year. As I suppose I'm a little bit of an establishment figure these days (see tomorrow), who am I to swim against conventional wisdom? This in mind I've plunged into the archive and have - against my better judgment - decided to resurrect something I did three years ago. Yes, I'm afraid so, the UK's Top 100 Worst Political Blogs™ is back for another outing. A lot of things have happened since I last ran the contest, but looking at 2010s roll call of tat many of the worst offenders are still (radio)active and vomiting ill-thought words out onto the internets. So now's your chance to get your own back on the blogger(s) that get right up your nose. What are the rules? Very similar to last time: 1. Rank order the five blogs you love to hate. Number one will get ten points, number two eight points, three six points, etc. 2. Only one set of votes per person. 3. No anonymous voting. Only votes with an ID, which may itself be an anonymous nom de pleume will get counted. 4. Participants must nominate at least three blogs. Votes with less will be discounted. 5. Votes can either be cast in the comments box or confidentially at hundredawfulblogs at gmail.com The polls close on Thursday 14th September, so you have four weeks to comb the web for the dregs and let me know about it. The results will appear here shortly afterwards. Unlike last time, AVPS will not get debarred from proceedings so if you think this blog's a crock of shit, by all means register your displeasure. If you're unsure who is and isn't a blogger, I'll be operating with the definitions advanced here, here, and here. As ever, if readers want to carry notice of this little contest on their blogs do feel free. Right, that's that. So get voting!
Look forward to your choices, Sarah. Of course, as some readers may wish to be discreet with their choices there's always the email. I *can* keep a secret.
OK - here are five suggestions in case any are ineligible.
1. Socialist Unity 2. Douglas Murray 3. The Commentator 4. Guido Fawkes 5. Comment is Free
I do not of course necessarily dislike all contributors to these blogs, but they are the ones who have irritated me most, one way or another, this year.
1) Socialist Unity – Reads like a macho, Stalinist pissing contest (where the word “liberal” seems to be akin to calling someone a “nancy-boy”). Occasional, more reflective, articles on subjects such as guardian reading, metropolitan attitudes to religion are quite compelling…but overall…if that’s what “socialism” means, I’m out!! 2) Guido Fawkes – I only read it once – but what a unjustifiably self-important little twerp… 3) Comment if Free – Comments seem to be a sort of turf war between overly pious middle class Guardian readers and the lunatic fringe of the American right…. One of those struggles where you wish both sides could lose…
Ohh...I forgot Spiked...can I retrospectively add that into the number 2 position...it's just contrarian, attention-seeking wank. I think I could (with my limited programming skills) create an algorithm which would automatically produce content of similar "quality".
1. Hopi Sen 2. Labour Uncut 3. Rob Marchant 4. Political Scrapbook 5. Harry's Place 6. Comment is Free (and anyone who goes there) 7. The Staggers (almost all of it) 8. Anything media-focused on Liberal Conspiracy (about 80% of posts now)
1. CIF 2. Socialist Unity 3. The Commentator 4. Glenn Greenwald 5. The Staggers
On another note can we add any religious "blogs" or youtube channels which try and prove scientific claims in the bible or koran? Or any of the kalams cosmological argument? I'd put those straight to the top.
1. Atlas Shrugs. Nasty little bigot Pamela Geller spouts poison to entertain the racist right. 2. Harry's Place. The comments section is a major hangout for online hatemongers. Anyone who posts a guest column on here has permanently tarnished their reputation, not to mention destroyed their own soul. 3. Guido Fawkes' Blog. Paul Staines is the most overrated blogger in the history of the multiverses.
Islamophobia Watch might possibly have been in the running for my own top 5, but I gather it's ineligible as it doesn't allow comments (having looked at Phil's definition of a blog on another post). But it's not enough to look at the broad remit of a blog to see where someone who doesn't like it is coming from. Loonwatch has a similar agenda to Islamophobia Watch but, although I seriously disagree with some of the posts, but it's got some interesting material and discussions, and it certainly wouldn't have been on my shortlist even if it wasn't American, and thus ineligible. I
It's got to be:- 1) Dick Puddlecoat. He's so pro-smoking he stinks even on the web! 2) Velvet Glove, Iron Fist. Ditto 3) Islamophobia Watch. Nasty racists.
Note that the unpleasant pro-smoking blogger Dick Puddlecote is actively soliciting votes as your most disliked site. I recommend treating the little twerp to what George Brown called a complete ignoral. Cheers, chaps.
Anonymous, this is a poll for the worst blogs. Are you asserting that one of the worst blogs should not make the list because the owner wants to make it? So, some murdering fascist dictator should not be brought to justice if being brought to justice is what he wants? Is that an example of current left-wing 'logic'? No wonder the world becomes more right-wing every day.
As a regular reader of both Socialist Unity and Velvet Glove Iron Fist, I'm slightly perplexed by the way this is going! (I can recommend "Curmudgeon"'s own blog, too. No, really.)
There's also something a bit odd about nominating your least favourite blogs, considering that these are - more or less by definition - blogs you don't actually read.
Also, comments. Does a blog have to allow comments to be a blog? A large part of my dislike for Norm Geras's blog stems precisely from its no-comment setup. Equally, are we rating blogs on the basis of the posts and comments? I'm afraid very few would pass muster on that basis - even Dave Osler's blog (now apparently dormant), as sensible an Old Labour voice as you could want, had some rabid regular commenters.
On the basis of posts, then, my three least favourite political blogs, which allow comments, and which I've visited at some point in the last year are:
Guido Harry's Place Engage Spiked CiF (if that qualifies as a blog)
In case the second and third need any explanation, what riles me is their tendency to take the least charitable, most tendentious readings of actions and statements by people they consider their enemies. Time and again I've read something on one of those sites and thought "that's a bit aggressive, but if he/she really said that it would be pretty bad...", then done some digging and found that they hadn't said that at all. Posts on equally partisan blogs like Socialist Unity and Islamophobia Watch are much more reliable, I find.
Actually, trying to be constructive, what might be more interesting is a vote for what people think are the best blogs of a generally "opposite" political persuasion, which in this case would presumably be those of a broadly right-wing/libertarian standpoint.
Yes, I think there are fair-minded commentators and petty s**t-stirrers on both sides of any political divide you care to name - although people won't necessarily agree on which is which. I can't read Tony Greenstein, Harry's Place or Dick Puddlecote for any length of time, although I do read Socialist Unity, Hopi Sen and Velvet Glove.
Phil, you can rate a blog on whatever basis you see fit. Though I'm not enforcing it, I don't think you can call something without comments a blog.
I agree with you Curmudgeon, that would be interesting. For me it would have to be a right wing blog that's informative and/or self-critical. The only ones that spring to mind are ConHome and Lord Ashcroft's.
I hope, Phil, you will indicate in comments, or via Twitter, if you have concerns about a post on HP as we have been known to add corrections or dissenting views to posts!
1 Guido. Utterly rancid, poison politics. 2 Cyber Boris. Have you seen this site? Unbelievable obsessive crap. 3 Delingpole. Thinks he's the shit, when he's just shit. 4 Socialist Unity. Defending Putin's homophobia against Stephen Fry. Enough said. 5 The Centre Left. Unreconstructed Blair era apologetics.
1. Harry's Place
ReplyDelete2. David Lindsay
3. Samizdata
4. Socialist Unity
5. Liberal Conspiracy
meanie. Although i agree with choice #4. My least favourite blogs are US based so I'll have to think further.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to your choices, Sarah. Of course, as some readers may wish to be discreet with their choices there's always the email. I *can* keep a secret.
ReplyDeleteOK - here are five suggestions in case any are ineligible.
ReplyDelete1. Socialist Unity
2. Douglas Murray
3. The Commentator
4. Guido Fawkes
5. Comment is Free
I do not of course necessarily dislike all contributors to these blogs, but they are the ones who have irritated me most, one way or another, this year.
1. Socialist Unity
ReplyDelete2. Daily Kos
3. CIF
4. Glenn Greenwald
5. The heresy club
JAD
Can only really think of three…
ReplyDelete1) Socialist Unity – Reads like a macho, Stalinist pissing contest (where the word “liberal” seems to be akin to calling someone a “nancy-boy”). Occasional, more reflective, articles on subjects such as guardian reading, metropolitan attitudes to religion are quite compelling…but overall…if that’s what “socialism” means, I’m out!!
2) Guido Fawkes – I only read it once – but what a unjustifiably self-important little twerp…
3) Comment if Free – Comments seem to be a sort of turf war between overly pious middle class Guardian readers and the lunatic fringe of the American right…. One of those struggles where you wish both sides could lose…
1. Harry's place
ReplyDelete2. Guido Fawkes
2. Socialist Unity
Ohh...I forgot Spiked...can I retrospectively add that into the number 2 position...it's just contrarian, attention-seeking wank. I think I could (with my limited programming skills) create an algorithm which would automatically produce content of similar "quality".
ReplyDelete1) Guido Fawkes
ReplyDelete2) Harry's Place
3) John's Labour blog
4) Socialist Unity
5) Lenin's Tomb
Haven't been here before, just followed a link from the universally feared, hated, loathed and despised (so I see) Harry's Place.
ReplyDeleteI'm on the other side on this one, seeing as how I'd warmly endorse the old saying, There's no Place like Harry's.
1. Hopi Sen
ReplyDelete2. Labour Uncut
3. Rob Marchant
4. Political Scrapbook
5. Harry's Place
6. Comment is Free (and anyone who goes there)
7. The Staggers (almost all of it)
8. Anything media-focused on Liberal Conspiracy (about 80% of posts now)
Ok had a think and here are my nominations:
ReplyDelete1. Socialist Unity (for sharia and Stalinist unity)
2.Islamophobia Watch.
3.Tony Greensteins blog (I don't know how he sleeps at night!)
4 Spiked!They just play silly games.
5. Trade Union Reform Campaign (run by that little twerp tory MP who was caught sining nazi songs in France (?) on a stag night
1) AVeryPublicSocilogist
ReplyDelete2) Crooked Timber
3) Juan Cole
1. CIF
ReplyDelete2. Socialist Unity
3. The Commentator
4. Glenn Greenwald
5. The Staggers
On another note can we add any religious "blogs" or youtube channels which try and prove scientific claims in the bible or koran? Or any of the kalams cosmological argument? I'd put those straight to the top.
1. Atlas Shrugs. Nasty little bigot Pamela Geller spouts poison to entertain the racist right.
ReplyDelete2. Harry's Place. The comments section is a major hangout for online hatemongers. Anyone who posts a guest column on here has permanently tarnished their reputation, not to mention destroyed their own soul.
3. Guido Fawkes' Blog. Paul Staines is the most overrated blogger in the history of the multiverses.
1. Harry's place
ReplyDelete2. wiesenthal.com
3. thejc.com
4. theguardian.com /profile / jonathanfreedland.
Just to contrast Fuller's preoccupation.
Stay classy, anonymous.
ReplyDeleteIslamophobia Watch might possibly have been in the running for my own top 5, but I gather it's ineligible as it doesn't allow comments (having looked at Phil's definition of a blog on another post). But it's not enough to look at the broad remit of a blog to see where someone who doesn't like it is coming from. Loonwatch has a similar agenda to Islamophobia Watch but, although I seriously disagree with some of the posts, but it's got some interesting material and discussions, and it certainly wouldn't have been on my shortlist even if it wasn't American, and thus ineligible. I
It's got to be:-
ReplyDelete1) Dick Puddlecoat. He's so pro-smoking he stinks even on the web!
2) Velvet Glove, Iron Fist. Ditto
3) Islamophobia Watch. Nasty racists.
Dick Puddlecote
ReplyDeleteVelvet Glove Iron Fist
Frank Davis
Underdogs Bite Upwards
Taking Liberties
1) Guido probs
ReplyDelete2) Capitalists @ Work
3) Dick Puddlecote
Tough choice, but here goes.
ReplyDelete1. Mpacuk
2. Mpacuk
3. Mpacuk
4. Mpacuk
5. Mpacuk
6. Mpacuk
7. Mpacuk
8. Mpacuk
9. Mpacuk
10. Mpacuk
Note that the unpleasant pro-smoking blogger Dick Puddlecote is actively soliciting votes as your most disliked site. I recommend treating the little twerp to what George Brown called a complete ignoral. Cheers, chaps.
ReplyDelete1 Dick Puddlecote
ReplyDelete2 CFrankDavis
3 underdogsbiteupwards.wordpress.com
4 Nannying Tyrants
5 Rusty's Skewed News
Anonymous, this is a poll for the worst blogs. Are you asserting that one of the worst blogs should not make the list because the owner wants to make it? So, some murdering fascist dictator should not be brought to justice if being brought to justice is what he wants? Is that an example of current left-wing 'logic'? No wonder the world becomes more right-wing every day.
ReplyDeleteNot very original I know but:
ReplyDeleteDick Puddlecote
Velvet Glove Iron Fist
Frank Davis
Underdogs Bite Upwards
Taking Liberties
Dick Puddlecote
ReplyDeleteVelvet Glove Iron Fist
Frank Davis
Underdogs Bite Upwards
Taking Liberties
As a regular reader of both Socialist Unity and Velvet Glove Iron Fist, I'm slightly perplexed by the way this is going! (I can recommend "Curmudgeon"'s own blog, too. No, really.)
ReplyDeleteThere's also something a bit odd about nominating your least favourite blogs, considering that these are - more or less by definition - blogs you don't actually read.
Also, comments. Does a blog have to allow comments to be a blog? A large part of my dislike for Norm Geras's blog stems precisely from its no-comment setup. Equally, are we rating blogs on the basis of the posts and comments? I'm afraid very few would pass muster on that basis - even Dave Osler's blog (now apparently dormant), as sensible an Old Labour voice as you could want, had some rabid regular commenters.
On the basis of posts, then, my three least favourite political blogs, which allow comments, and which I've visited at some point in the last year are:
Guido
Harry's Place
Engage
Spiked
CiF (if that qualifies as a blog)
In case the second and third need any explanation, what riles me is their tendency to take the least charitable, most tendentious readings of actions and statements by people they consider their enemies. Time and again I've read something on one of those sites and thought "that's a bit aggressive, but if he/she really said that it would be pretty bad...", then done some digging and found that they hadn't said that at all. Posts on equally partisan blogs like Socialist Unity and Islamophobia Watch are much more reliable, I find.
Actually, trying to be constructive, what might be more interesting is a vote for what people think are the best blogs of a generally "opposite" political persuasion, which in this case would presumably be those of a broadly right-wing/libertarian standpoint.
ReplyDeleteHi Mudge!
ReplyDeleteYes, I think there are fair-minded commentators and petty s**t-stirrers on both sides of any political divide you care to name - although people won't necessarily agree on which is which. I can't read Tony Greenstein, Harry's Place or Dick Puddlecote for any length of time, although I do read Socialist Unity, Hopi Sen and Velvet Glove.
Phil, you can rate a blog on whatever basis you see fit. Though I'm not enforcing it, I don't think you can call something without comments a blog.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Curmudgeon, that would be interesting. For me it would have to be a right wing blog that's informative and/or self-critical. The only ones that spring to mind are ConHome and Lord Ashcroft's.
Actually I would have thought Conservative Home was essential reading for any Labour & Trade Union Movement activist.
ReplyDeleteKnow thine enemy I say!
I hope, Phil, you will indicate in comments, or via Twitter, if you have concerns about a post on HP as we have been known to add corrections or dissenting views to posts!
ReplyDelete@Anonymong @ 09.44 - bit of a tit eh? Never mind - fully accept smoking's not for everyone but I kinda like it and booze too.
ReplyDelete1. Dick puddlecote - the way he stands up for personal choice is a disgrace.
ReplyDelete2. Tim Worstall - where did this man learn economics?
3. Guido Fawkes - who does he think he is, holding our upstanding political class to account?
4. Angry Harry - why is it that men can't accept that they are evil?
5. James Delingpole - Can't he see that Cameron's father-in-law absolutely needs all those millions in wind farm subsidies?
My top three....
ReplyDeleteFirst, Socialist Unity
Second, Socialist Unity
Third, Socialist Unity.
Newman's apologetics for Chinese state repression make this blog perhaps the most morally repulsive left blog out there.
Mike
1 Guido. Utterly rancid, poison politics.
ReplyDelete2 Cyber Boris. Have you seen this site? Unbelievable obsessive crap.
3 Delingpole. Thinks he's the shit, when he's just shit.
4 Socialist Unity. Defending Putin's homophobia against Stephen Fry. Enough said.
5 The Centre Left. Unreconstructed Blair era apologetics.
Harrys Place by a country mile. It claims to be a British blog but is pure hasbara.
ReplyDeleteA distant second is lenins tomb. Its rancid political correctness is about as far from Leninism as you can get.
Third Nick Cohen. Another Zionist who wants everyone else to fight Israel's wars.