It is now an archive for my newspaper and magazine pieces. My blog can now be read at: www.spectator.co.uk/stephenpollard
Politics, economics and culture from the master. Unmissable.
Melanie Phillips home page
Melanie Phillips' peerless blog. Read, and learn.
Daniel Finkelstein's Times Comment Central
A daily must-read.
Tim Worstall
Lots of interesting nibbles - and a ruthless swatter of economic gibberish.
Harry's Place
Must-read left of centre blog from writers who understand the threat to the West.
Clive Davis
Always interesting selection of culture and politics, from an Anglo-American bent.
Samizdata
Libertarian blog, packed every day.
Norm's blog
The thoroughly sensible thoughts of renowned left-wing academic Norman Geras, Professor of Government at Manchester. And cricket, too.
Public Interest
Peter Briffa's inimitable take on The Yazzmonster and other assorted demons.
Reform
The public sector reform group; their website is an invaluable source of data and ideas.
Centre for the New Europe
The leading European public policy think tank.
Developed by:
| November | 05 |
| 2004 |
Harry has an excellent post on his reaction to the election - or, rather, to many Brits' reaction to it.
He writes:
If we take the candidates at their word then 99 percent of American voters chose candidates who backed the liberation of Iraq and who are committed to finishing the job and to defeating Islamist terrorism in Iraq and elsewhere.
Quite. I wonder how many people who say how depressed they are by the result of the election actually know what the campaign centred on? Both candidates agreed the need to fight. Both supported the invasion of Iraq. Both agreed the need to fight a war on terror. Kerry was not the peacenik candidate. His message was one of competence - he claimed that he would fight it better than Bush.
Unlike some of those few Brits who do see the need for the West to defend itself, I would not have despaired had Kerry won. He was explicit that he believed in killing terrorists - he said he would do that better than Bush. I just happened to think that Bush is a better leader, had a greater strategic vision and deserved re-election. The main consolation of a Kerry victory would have been the sight of his European supporters squirming when they realised that Kerry was a fighter, too.
MessageSpace
What's this about "defeating Islamist terrorism in Iraq"? I thought the idea was to create Islamic terrorism in countries that hadn't previously suffered from it. Like Iraq. We've been tremendously successful at creating new franchises for Al Qaida, so why spoil things by changing the rules?
*I just happened to think that Bush is a better leader*
Hope you're a better picker of men than you are of horses.
Isn't it amazing how many times people who idiotic comments like CC above don't have the cohones to put their real name to their comment?
Isn't it amazing how many times people who make idiotic comments like CC above don't have the cohones to put their real name to their comment?
The world is no more dangerous after the invasion of Iraq, in fact it is less dangerous for those of us in the west (and Israel), than it was before the invasion.
"Some of we Brits"?
Can't fault your sentiments, Stephen, but someone has to keep an eye on your grammar or else you'll never get a regular newspaper staff job again.
As an American from a "Blue State"- Kerry's state- I have a history with Kerry going back 30 or so years. I've chatted with Kerry at social and business gatherings not once did he reveal anything that would disqualify him from being president in that environment. Even his alleged "less than honorable discharge" was granted amnesty by President Carter.
I think what you Euros may be lacking is what is really happenning in the US. The Mainstream media has duped you inot a false image of Americans. You in fact are deaf to the true debate which occurs on American Talk Radio.
The Democrats (I should say Liberals) hatred for Talk Radio is intense, but for working and commuting Republicans, Conservatives and Libertarians its the only medium accessible during working hours. It is the forum where we organize charities, disaster assistance as well as politcal debate while the Liberals spew hatred and protest.
The USA is not a Liberal country. Its primarily a country of the traditional values of faith and personal responsibility. At the same time the USA is actually 50 countries (which is why we have the electoral system). Massachsuetts has very little in common with California, yet both voted for Kerry. Ohio has very little in common with Texas, yet both voted for Bush. These alliances aren't planned or deliberate but an expression of common interests, this time around.
Understand that in the third debate when Kerry shielded his Gay Marriage response using Dick Cheney's daughter, very few Americans realized until election day that Gay Marriage was on the ballot of 11 states! Obviously the Mainstream Media didn't think that information should be disseminated or broadcast.
Mainstream Media also tried to influence the election with bogus exit polling data, they got caught because they weren't subtle. They also did a disservice to their supporters who, after giving their heart and soul for a cause were about to get rewarded, only to have it ripped away from them. As i said earlier I'm from a Blue state and regardless of politics these people are my friends and neighbors. So you can imagine that I'm glad I won, but I won't gloat.
The backlash against the Mainstream Media will continue. We knew it was bad, we didn't know it was completely rotten.
Get your heads out of the clouds, people. Your two-bit blogs aren't going to replace the big TV networks or Associated Press for aeons, if only because blogging's raw material is almost wholly derived from the despised "mainstream media". You need newsgathering, but blogs are full of what one guy said about what another guy wrote, i.e. gossip. Even Matt Drudge doesn't get the scoop so often these days.
This is like some little-magazine editor fantasising that he's going to surpass the New York Times, or a pub-access TV producer dreaming of whipping Peter Jennings's ass.
Political blogging is a minor circle-jerk activity for amusement only: the latest safety valve of Marcuse's "repressive tolerance". Keeps malcontents in their bedrooms and off the streets. The revolution will not be posted.
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