Hair-splitting

[poliphilo]

David Milliband was being interviewed by John Snow last night- and doing his best to spread icing sugar over the revelation that his government had known and gone along with the torture of detainees by American agents. Snow used the word "torture" and Milliband demurred, preferring "inhuman treatment". They're all like that these days- our leaders: lawyerly;  show 'em a hair and they split it.  Don't they see how this makes us want to throw fruit at them?

A long time ago there was a TV show called A Very British Coup, which featured- as its hero- a British prime minister- played by the very wonderful Ray MacAnally- who won the love of his people by always telling the strict truth and ' fessing up to mistakes. Would this strategy work in real life or would it- as the politicians all seem to think- be political death? We'll never know, because none of them is ever going to have the balls to try it.

Comments

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

I think it was David Davies who was interviewed on Today this morning by Evan Davies, and was asked whether this was torture. He described what was done to this guy and said words to the effect of "what would you call it?".

I am pleased that our appeal court has allowed this information into the public domain. It makes me hopeful that David Kelly's death and the truth about climate change and CRU might one day get into the public domain.

We are not quite in an Orwellian state yet. Long live their honours, the appeal court judges.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It seems to be getting harder and harder for the authorities to hide things away- what with emails and the internet and all. Of course it doesn't stop them trying- with the result- every time- that they end up looking shifty and dishonest and crass.

[sovay]

Would this strategy work in real life or would it- as the politicians all seem to think- be political death? We'll never know, because none of them is ever going to have the balls to try it.

I think it might go over well. It would be such a refreshing change . . .

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It certainly would.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

In the United States, one politician goes on the television machine and tells the truth, her conservative opponent counters with a blatant lie, and the news monster nods sagely and says, "We'll just have to leave it there". The details change but the end result is always the same: truth is relative and at best just someone's opinion, anyway.

Were this not the case, the Republican party would today be no more than a minor regional political power. It's also one reason why the US is largely ungovernable, right now, despite one party holding the White House and large majorities in both houses of Congress.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The business of politics is being degraded across the western world. It makes one wonder whether democracy isn't in the process of breaking down.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

I honestly don't know. It certainly seems like liberal democracy is on its way out, some days. Reading H L Mencken reminds me, though, that what passes for democracy here in the States may have always been degraded like this.