Wednesday 10 September 2014

Its time to go to the mattresses...

The fall of Professor Ashton, detailed here amongst several other blogs, has struck a blow into the very heart of the establishment. Whilst its true that he more jumped than was pushed, either way its hard to see him keeping his position as President of the Faculty of Public Health. And whether we were responsible for it or not (clue: not), we are going to take the brunt of the retaliations and finger pointing from academia and the public health industry.

Dont ever doubt that his loss* is a massive one for the triumvirate forces arrayed against us. This is a man at the very apex of the public health world, to borrow a term from Clive Bates. They're angry, they're shocked, and they're even a little scared. This is not how things work. The twittering classes do not get to rock the boat. Ever.

So the gloves are off. They may be angry and scared, but they also smell blood. They can get a lot of mileage out of portraying us as threatening louts, as bullies and as trolls. Especially as trolls. They will attempt to use whatever leverage they can get from this to take the conversation away from us, to remove whatever hard-won sympathy we have garnered, and break the few links we have with the powers that be.

Their tactic will be to troll. They will play the victim, as the ever suffering Martin McKee has already done in the Times article, the man who includes long sections in his speeches about how horrible we all are to him, and introduces himself at conferences as "I'm Martin McKee, and vapers hate me".

WE MUST NOT RISE TO IT. DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS.

We must rise above it and let it burn itself out. Make no mistake, we are being tested, and this may be the harshest test we have ever faced. The one thing we have always done is to speak out - and that is what we cannot afford to do now. With no reaction from us, they cannot maintain the illusion that we are constantly attacking them whenever they speak out.

If you do see a highly provocative post, it will have been put there for the express reason of provoking us into saying something stupid. Stop. Think. Dont let your anger sway you. If you are in any doubt whatsoever, leave the post alone and dont respond to it.

Stand firm and ride it out folks. If we use our heads now more than ever, we will prevail.


PS. I have removed a couple of the more hard-hitting posts from here which, whilst cathartic for me and written with a humourous intent, I am aware could be used against us. Did someone say "chilling effect"?


* I speak about him like hes dead, dont I? He's not dead. He's just 'taking a break from Twitter'

Edit: Okay, it seems some clarification is in order. Professor Ashton hasnt officially "fallen". He is facing several official complaints which, according to the FPH complaints procedure will be forwarded on to the relevant authority, either the GMC or the UKPHR - the UK Public Health Registrar. This body will decide whether the complaint is upheld. Should this be the case, Ashton may have his membership of the FPH revoked, and may face further sanctions from the UKPHR's independent Fitness to Practice panel, including the setting of conditions, suspension or indeed erasure. It also ensures that a permanent record of complaints is kept. The operative word in all this is "may", however this has given us enormous leverage over Ashtons influence in the debate, and in this sense I maintain he has as far as the purposes of this post require, "fallen".

13 comments:

  1. Sound, sound advice. Thank you..We are winning this war - do not throw everything away. Look at what happened(ing) to Ashton!

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  2. As I said: Agents Provocateurs. Don't fall for them.

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  3. Well Said! Agree wholeheartedly!

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  4. Professor Ashton has not "fallen" yet, unless I've missed something. I totally agree with "never feed the trolls" but it is perfectly possible to deal with them as long as we don't plumb the same depths. People with a short fuse should stay away from twitter or any other combustible material!

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  5. No, he has not. It was a convenient shorthand. As I say in the footnote, he is "taking a break from twitter". But he is facing several official complaints, and has completely shown himself up in public. I really cant see how he can continue in his current role if FPH is to maintain any kind of reputation.

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  6. This isn't the first time someone in a responsible position has misused Twitter. There's no fall, no "blow to the establishment" - the man will not lose his job. Your genuine, valid point is lost in hyperbole and conjecture.

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  7. Please see the clarification at the bottom of the page.

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  8. He won't lose his job. He will instead be held up as a martyr to the cause and be lauded. This is the tobacco control cult we're talking about, normal rules of decency and truth do not apply.

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  9. Taking a break from twitter? Sounds to me a bit like remembering you're a flake AFTER diving in! Professor Ashton may hold on to his job; his credibility is another matter entirely.
    Who knows, a spot of pre-twitter onanism might have pre-empted the keister exhibition?
    It's difficult resisting the urge to squeeze off a round at the mortarboarded muppet who insists on sticking his head above the parapet, but I'll try. ;)

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  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  11. Professor Ashton has not "fallen" yet, unless I've missed something. I totally agree with "never feed the trolls" but it is perfectly possible to deal with them as long as we don't plumb the same depths. People with a short fuse should stay away from twitter or any other combustible material!

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  12. Still very pertinent Neil, Ashton of course did survive and has re-commenced his outspoken blather,McKee also.

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