5.5.08

Democracy inaction

Guardian - The clunking fightback

Just watched yet another Labour Minister on BBC trying to go with the 'it was bad with the Tories' (um, 12 years ago - not much listening and/or learning in this period, apparently) defence, and what is important is that the guy who IS our PM WAS the 'best Chancellor ever'. Which is about as reassuring, even if true, as being told the Captain of our sinking ship used to be a really good purser.

Good luck with that. I think zero has been learned, and the wrong folk are being listened to.

ps: as a person guided by the power of argument rather than tribal allegiance, might we ever see any mention of other players in the political firmament?

I know it serves the Conservatives well to sit back and bask in the sidelines whilst the incumbent and its media groupies engage in a cannibalistic dogfight, but am unsure if it serves the country's interests well.

And as a 'leading' media organ with a respected reputation (if with well known leanings. Fair enough, there are others who err in other directions) I'd rather hope that having won the election for Bush with overt, obnoxious, partisan meddling, a little less official support should be given to frankly out-of-touch paid commentators who seem perilously close to telling the electorate that they should not be trusted with the vote if they cannot deliver the 'correct' result.

I truly concern myself with the attitude of the liberal elite 'commentariat'. The Guardian or Indy may be dismissed by the actual size of the readership, but their influence is out of proportion due to who they think they are... and represent. However, such as the BBC is another matter.

I do not believe they are playing a double game by giving such prominence to such as Polly T, Jasmin AB or MPs such as Diane Abbott, but it is funny just how badly these outings have gone down and/or served the agenda intended.

Even just on logic. Whilst the Conservatives and Boris have everything to lose now they are tasked to deliver more than words, it is daft to try and raise the spectre of slick salesmanship as a wholly bad thing. We are all, in one way or another, salesfolk. Except, it seems, certain career pols, who do not deem good products combined with clear communication of them as necessary or of value. Speaking of career pols, it is a bit rich for those who never touched a real job in their lives bang on about inexperience running things... for the social benefit of people in real jobs (with unsubsidised housing, waitlists for dental, car and TV tax fees from their own pockets. 'Feel our pain' indeed. What an ass). And in any case, a great leader does not have time to do detail; they hire the best folk around them who can be trusted to handle it, and communicate between the leader and those below (or sideways, in the case of those whom they serve) effectively.

Guardian - All Gordon can do is fight on - and hope his luck turns - As Tina Turner once asked... 'What's luck go to do with it?" Try a little less fighting and a little more getting on with doing stuff that makes sense (as opposeed to this). It's a country that is supposed to be run, not a media popularity contest. I don't have to like my leaders, but I do need to respect them.

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