Internet Commentator

The empty vessel

It's not often that I find myself in agreement with the Times' Matthew Parris but, he just sums up Gordon Brown perfectly:

There is a prevailing view on the Left that the Wizard of Dunfermline East will take us back to the purposes and the prescriptions of “old” Labour.Which is odd, because on these pages Anatole Kaletsky has seen a rather different wizard: “. . . His determined resistance to European tax harmonisation, and even his personal predilection for holidays in America rather than Europe, suggest a preference for US-style free enterprise rather than the European social market model. Brown appears to be positioned well to the right of Blair.”

[...]

In fact the more you read of Mr Brown and the more impressions and predictions you study, the more confused you become about who he really is or what he really plans to do. On one thing, however, almost everyone agrees: we may not know, but he does. Every silence, every dark glance, every frown, convinces onlookers that something big is going on underneath.

[...]

Well, I wonder. I’ve been watching this politician for more than a decade. Here are some random observations — impressionistic notes towards an outline of the mysterious Wizard.

I have never heard Mr Brown say anything interesting, original or new about any aspect of modern British politics. There is little hard evidence for the proposition that he is, in any important way, a political thinker.

As Bertie Ahern can aver, this strategy, of appearing as all things to all men, and not discouraging people from projecting their own political views onto you, can be quite successful for a politician. The problem for Brown and what will probably be his undoing is that this strategy is only effective for the sort of "working the room" type politicans with the personal charisma to win over the voters (as opposed to hacks and political junkies) such as Bill Clinton and, well, Bertie Ahern. Brown finds himself in the unusual position of portraying a wonkish persona without all that to be wonkish about.

[Article also notable for a great quip about Brown by Peter Lilley - "He can brighten a room just by leaving it"]

Filthy Gorgeous

Richard Delevan has a transcript of Jeremy Paxman's ill-tempered interview with George Galloway on the occasion of the latter's election.

JP: Are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in Parliament?

GG: I'm not - Jeremy - move on to your next question.

JP: You're not answering that one?

GG: No because I don't believe that people get elected because of the colour of their skin. I believe people get elected because of their record and because of their policies. So move on to your next question.

JP: Are you proud -

GG: Because I've got a lot of people who want to speak to me.

JP: - You -

GG: If you ask that question again, I'm going, I warn you now.

JP: Don't try and threaten me Mr Galloway, please.

GG: You're the one who's trying to badger me.

JP: I'm not trying to badger you, I'm merely trying to ask if you're proud at having driven out of Parliament one of the very few black women there, a woman you accuse of having on her conscience 100,000 people.
.....

And so it goes on. I have to say, much as I also loathe Galloway with every fibre of my being, and even though I thoroughly endorse Paxman's (later) characterisation of "Gorgeous" as an opportunistic demagogue, the question is preposterous. Ms King was booted out of parliament by her own constituents, she doesn't have any "right" to represent that constituency over their wishes simply because of the colour of her skin. If the people of Bow/Bethnal Green want that rogue as their MP instead of his more able predecessor more fool them. But it is arrogant presumption to complain because some sort of implied rotten borough arrangement was upset.

You call these intellectuals?

There are a number of surprising inclusions in Prospect magazine's list of Britain's top 100 intellectuals which reflect poorly on either Prospect's judgement or the state of intellectual discourse in the UK. There are quite a few bum notes: assorted posers, dullards, charlatans and pseudo-intellectual hacks gatecrashing this list. These in particular caught my eye:

• George Monbiot

• Charles Jencks

• Jeanette Winterson

• Brian Eno

• Will Hutton

• Rowan Williams

• James Lovelock

If you think I am unfair and these deserve to be so lauded, follow the links, wallow in the sloppy thinking and you will soon be disabused of this notion.

[via Marginal revolution]

Also called "Ireland"

Priceless observation by Emily in her list of phobias

Anglophobia- Fear of England or English culture, etc. (Also called "Ireland")

The Political Society

I have a small post over at Samizdata on the implications of the British Electoral Commission's "If you don't do politics..." advertising campaign.

Cage aux Folles

Incredibly, this is not an April Fool: Britain's National Archives today releases details of a planned Cold War era bomb which was to incorporate live chickens!