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:: Wednesday 12 March 2003 ::
For the left it is all about tone.
Reading The Guardian again. It is a duty, otherwise I would not get enough variety in my commentariat. But jeez, this about PM Tony Blair?
The damage done to him is serious, and probably irrecoverable. Even if the war goes "well", there will be no forgiving his refusal to listen to his natural friends and allies.
The quote marks around "well'. And what the? Natural friends and allies? As in, lefties but not Italians, Spaniards, Protugeezers, Nederlanders etc etc.
What Polly Toynbee means is this:
Even if the war does liberate Iraq from Saddam's brutal grip, and quickly, and even if civilians die in numbers far lower than die at Saddam's hand in any quarter year currently, and even if Iraqi exiles volunteer to return home to rebuild their newly liberated country etc etc, even then, Tony, I'm sorry, but we cannot never speak to you again. Your tone, you see, Tony, it is just not respectful enough. When we on the left speak we fully expect not just to be heard but heeded. Shame on you Tony, for not heeding us. Shame.
How easy is it to listen to that sort of commentary and just think: This old bird is mental.
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:: WB 2:28 am [link+] ::
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