Rage, rage against the lying of the Right, and the dangerous distortions of the centre. Grr. And maniacs claim America has a liberal media?
Bah. We’re just as bad: although I’m broadly pro-EU, the European arrest warrant is exactly as dangerous and stupid as the new UK-US extradition treaty. Which is very. There’s a good chance that the European Court of Human Rights will ultimately find in favour of Gerhard Haderer, but it’s still absolutely insane that an Austrian satirist risks being jailed in a backwards third-world kleptocracy for drawing Jesus as a stoned surfer. Just as it’s insane that three British bankers might be tried in a Texan kangaroo court for allegedly defrauding their London-based employer in London.
Speaking of corrupt bankers, dsquared at the resurrected Crooked Timber has a heartwarming piece on why Paul Wolfowitz might not be such a bad choice after all for President of the World Bank.
I love the way that the bankers’ case has been picked up by our press as a cause to champion, and injustice to correct, while the same laws being used to extradite a ‘darkie’ accussed of some connection with another ‘darkie’ connected (somehow) with terrorism are resolutely defended – hell, the tabloids say, why bother with hearings at all – ship ’em out.
Sorry for the ‘darkies’ comment, but this, for me, sums up the current political climate of Britain, driven by The Sun, The Mail and Michael Howard.
Andrew is quite right. Howard and his jackbooted Gauleiters, whe whiff of the gas-chambers trailing from their yarmulkas, are creating a climate of fear not seen since David Blunkett was Home Secretary.
Daily Mail … Rothermere … Blackshirts … supported Mosley …. asylum seekers … Richard Littlejohn .. wibble … froth …
Well, please explain to me how the same paper can take different lines on the same law when people are accused of crimes and attempts are made for their extradition on the basis of the same amount of evidence (none). It seems to me that the significant difference is the colour of their skin.
Just as when the ‘planespotters’ were arrested in Greece and a big newspaper campaign was launched in their favour, yet Guantanamo Brits were held with the full support of the right-wing press.
Of course, you think Tony ‘exterminate the gypsies’ Martin is a political hero (a hero, note, not a tragic victim), so you should have little problem nodding in agreement with The Sun, The Mail and Michael Howard.
Do you remember when Martin was given a standing ovation by the Conservative Party conference? Absolutely remarkable.
And when Michael Howard spoke of him as a member of the ‘law abiding majority’. Truly astonishing.
You have to admit, "Vote Conservative and we’ll let you pick which laws you want to abide by" is a sure fire vote winner.
Hannity is a risible prick, isn’t he? And a journalist and all, who’d believe it?
Does ‘risible’ mean ‘capable of rising’ ?