Every Writ Is A Risk

[poliphilo]

Lord McAlpine is apparently thinking of suing Alan Davies. Alan Davies is quite popular (I think). The more people McAlpine sues the greater the chance he'll light on someone the public really likes- and the worm will turn. Or someone really articulate and clever who will hit back. Then we'll remember that Lord M isn't just a dewy-eyed old codger who has been grievously wronged but also a millionaire Thatcherite who once wrote a book about applying the principles of Machiavelli to contemporary business life. 

Comments

[rosamicula.livejournal.com]

Why should writing a book or being a millionaire prevent one from being protected by the law? Allowing someone to be falsely accused because they are rich is just as repugnant as doing so because they are poor.

I wonder how you would have reacted you been accused of being a kiddly-fiddler before you auto-defrocked, and been smeared in the press, and watched an ever-growing lynch mob forming online. "No smoke without fire, surely. All priests are poofs and poshos and only in it because they want access to soft little choirboys"

Is your Madame Defargish reaction to all of this because you are no longer part of the Establishment yourself?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's the subject of the book that's interesting. Machiavelli and all that. McAlpine's a seasoned pro.

It seems likely it was a cousin of his who did the kiddie fiddling. McAlpine is unlikely not to have known about it. There was a confusion between McAlpines. Yes, he had a bad time for a few days, but he's had his apology and now he's the hero of the hour. What more does he want?

I took a certain amount of punishment back in the day.
"Enemy of Christ, traitor, randy rev"- that sort of thing. I sucked it up.

I was never comfortable being part of the establishment. I joined thinking the church was all Jesus boots and beatitudes. How wrong I was.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's rather what I feel. McAlpine is going turn himself into the villain of the piece if he carries on with this policy of suing the Twitterati.

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

So in other words McAlpine should put up and shut up about his reputation being trashed via the internet?

It doesn't matter what his political alliances are. His name has been smeared. He has a right to sue.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, Lord M is totally in the right, but...

There's more to all this than just one man having his reputation trashed.

A great crime has been committed. The wrong man got fingered for it. But now that man is taking action that (a) diverts attention from the crime and (b) will inhibit people from discussing it. I suspect he knows exactly what he is doing.

And, no, his political allegiances don't particularly matter. I'd be saying the same things about him if he were a Labour grandee.

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

Its possible he does, but its equally possible that he is reacting to being smeared and defamed.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've gone a bit conspiracy theory on this one. I could be wrong.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

I am still wondering if there is not a bonfire under all this smoke?????

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

There is most certainly a bonfire under all the smoke.