Monday, February 09, 2004
AN END TO TRUST - AS WITH HUTTON, SO WITH BUTLER?
After Iraq, after Kelly, after Hutton, any sane and sensible person would expect the Prime Minister to reflect and focus. Not on the political minutiae, but on the grand sweep - the public’s perception of the Blair government. You know - what we all think of him. New Labour is supposed to be good at this, but it seems to have lost the plot. Consider the wave of public disbelief over Hutton’s findings. Irrespective of whether the inquiry was a whitewash, or a damned incisive report that firmly nailed BBC managerial incompetence, the fact is that, post-Hutton, most people still believe in the BBC more than they do in the government. And for government, read Tony Blair.
So, with Hutton causing more - not less - people to believe he’s shifty and untrustworthy, what’s Blair’s response to the perfectly sensible clamour for answers as to why we went to war? Right. Crunching into reverse gear, he intones that there must be an investigation into the way that intelligence was used to justify the war. Clever paraphrasing, that. Even better, he appoints an elderly and inept establishment clown with all the interrogational skills of Prince Philip vacuously saying to somebody “now then, and what do you do?”
If Blair wanted to claw back some trust, and to demonstrate that he genuinely wants people to know what’s going on, Butler is the last person he should have appointed. Blair compounded this bizarre error by dishing out another set of restrictive terms of reference, which seem designed to allow Butler to reach one conclusion only - that British Intelligence - a priceless oxymoron - are to blame for everything. Charles Kennedy may have made a smart move (his first) by refusing to have anything to do with Butler.
Margaret Thatcher retreated into an “I can walk on water” delusional state from the Poll Tax onwards. Convinced that she was utterly convincing, she simply ran out of people to upset and had to go. With his “if I say it to be true, then it must be true” mentality, Blair seems to be following the same pattern. As the Prime Minister retreats further into the sanctity of his own mind, public respect for politics and politicians continues to wither. Into the emerging political vacuum crawl the extremists of the BNP and others. And that’s a dangerous state to be in.
After Iraq, after Kelly, after Hutton, any sane and sensible person would expect the Prime Minister to reflect and focus. Not on the political minutiae, but on the grand sweep - the public’s perception of the Blair government. You know - what we all think of him. New Labour is supposed to be good at this, but it seems to have lost the plot. Consider the wave of public disbelief over Hutton’s findings. Irrespective of whether the inquiry was a whitewash, or a damned incisive report that firmly nailed BBC managerial incompetence, the fact is that, post-Hutton, most people still believe in the BBC more than they do in the government. And for government, read Tony Blair.
So, with Hutton causing more - not less - people to believe he’s shifty and untrustworthy, what’s Blair’s response to the perfectly sensible clamour for answers as to why we went to war? Right. Crunching into reverse gear, he intones that there must be an investigation into the way that intelligence was used to justify the war. Clever paraphrasing, that. Even better, he appoints an elderly and inept establishment clown with all the interrogational skills of Prince Philip vacuously saying to somebody “now then, and what do you do?”
If Blair wanted to claw back some trust, and to demonstrate that he genuinely wants people to know what’s going on, Butler is the last person he should have appointed. Blair compounded this bizarre error by dishing out another set of restrictive terms of reference, which seem designed to allow Butler to reach one conclusion only - that British Intelligence - a priceless oxymoron - are to blame for everything. Charles Kennedy may have made a smart move (his first) by refusing to have anything to do with Butler.
Margaret Thatcher retreated into an “I can walk on water” delusional state from the Poll Tax onwards. Convinced that she was utterly convincing, she simply ran out of people to upset and had to go. With his “if I say it to be true, then it must be true” mentality, Blair seems to be following the same pattern. As the Prime Minister retreats further into the sanctity of his own mind, public respect for politics and politicians continues to wither. Into the emerging political vacuum crawl the extremists of the BNP and others. And that’s a dangerous state to be in.
Monday, August 18, 2003
LOOTERS STEAL BIG BOMBS.
I see the brain-damaged US President's latest tactic in dealing with the stunning absence of weapons of mass distraction in Iraq is to claim that "looters could've stolen or destroyed them."
Like everybody will believe that one, George.
Problem is, a lot of people WILL believe it, especially American people with shrivelled brains, courtesy of too many hamburgers and an asleep on the job US media.
Blair won't believe it, but he's probably hoping like mad that it could be true.
I see the brain-damaged US President's latest tactic in dealing with the stunning absence of weapons of mass distraction in Iraq is to claim that "looters could've stolen or destroyed them."
Like everybody will believe that one, George.
Problem is, a lot of people WILL believe it, especially American people with shrivelled brains, courtesy of too many hamburgers and an asleep on the job US media.
Blair won't believe it, but he's probably hoping like mad that it could be true.
VATICAN
ORDERED PRIESTLY SEX CRIMES TO BE COVERED UP - OFFICIAL.
A confidential order issued by the Vatican 40 years ago instructing Roman Catholic bishops to conceal cases of sex abuse is set to reignite controversy over the church's treatment of suspect priests.
This is the organisation that preaches morality. Think about it.
You can email your thoughts to the Vatican by contacting its newspaper,
TV station,
or
radio station.
ORDERED PRIESTLY SEX CRIMES TO BE COVERED UP - OFFICIAL.
A confidential order issued by the Vatican 40 years ago instructing Roman Catholic bishops to conceal cases of sex abuse is set to reignite controversy over the church's treatment of suspect priests.
This is the organisation that preaches morality. Think about it.
You can email your thoughts to the Vatican by contacting its newspaper,
TV station,
or
radio station.
Sunday, August 17, 2003
The Observer
reported today that Martin Amis has made it to the Booker longlist with Yellow Dog, despite early rumours suggesting that the book is er, a bit of a dog. Tibor Fischer - who put the boot in to Yellow Dog recently - has failed to reach the longlist with his offering Voyage to the End of The Room. This coma-inducing effort is quite appropriately titled, given that the end of the room is about as far as Fischer's rather pretentious ambitions are likely to take him.
reported today that Martin Amis has made it to the Booker longlist with Yellow Dog, despite early rumours suggesting that the book is er, a bit of a dog. Tibor Fischer - who put the boot in to Yellow Dog recently - has failed to reach the longlist with his offering Voyage to the End of The Room. This coma-inducing effort is quite appropriately titled, given that the end of the room is about as far as Fischer's rather pretentious ambitions are likely to take him.
Wednesday, August 13, 2003
A WEAK HAND AT THE TOP?
Early concerns about the character of the British PM should have been heeded, if one believes this report from 1999. Is Tony Blair really a psychopath?
Early concerns about the character of the British PM should have been heeded, if one believes this report from 1999. Is Tony Blair really a psychopath?
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Monday, August 11, 2003
comment (n). brief critical or explanatory remark or note, opinion.
The Comment section of The McNeil Variations is under construction. Keep on checking.
