Just started reading "The Rise of Political Lying" by Peter Oborne

[T_i_B]

Yes I know that he's the political editor of the Spectator, but this book interested me so I've decided to read it. Especially given his excellent documentary "Why Politicians Lie" shown in the run up to the last general election. I'm only half way through so I can't give you a full review just yet but it's very interesting and there is a heck of a lot that DUer's will be able to relate to and there is a lot of stuff in there that you can get your teeth stuck into. :-)

[non sociopath skin]

1. It is a measure of the abomination that is "Blairism" ...

... that more and more commentators of the centre-right seem to be making good sense!

What a good thing that we still have nut jobs like Melanie "turbans-under-the-bed" Phillips and Ann the Man Coulter to help us to keep the faith (what's left of it!)

The Skin

[T_i_B]

2. Whilst the documentary was very even handed IMO

The book does occasionally let slip the occasional pro-tory bit from Oborne. Some of the examples of lies recounted were things that the RW press used to great effect against Labour and whilst the book does start off with Tory lies it is very much preoccupied with Labour lies. Still, all in all it remains a worthwhile read IMO. And I've just finished reading the chapter on the Left's pet topic when it comes to Blair's lies, namely Iraq. The only problem with that is that New Labour's lies over Iraq are big enough to have a book devoted all to themselves!

The gist of it that I am getting so far is twofold, the first point is one that DUer's will on the whole have a lot of sympathy with, namely the need to deal with the RW press, which did such a job of destroying Labour's hopes of election in the 1980's, the second is the need to lie in order to protect loft ideals, which is not something that DUer's will have all that much sympathy with. Especially when you consider that Labour's "lofty ideals" seem to consist of little more then power at any cost and the book seems only to reinforce this perception.

[T_i_B]

3. And I've just finished reading his latest screed

Called The Triumph of the Political Class it's about how power has come to be held by a detached whitehall clique with power residing in the hands of spin doctors and "spads" rather then elected politicians.

I don't agree with all of it. I suspect that it's not such a new development as Oborne makes out, rather the "establishment" evolving, and I also think that the old leftie notions of class are as relevant as ever.

That said, there's a lot of depressing but all too true stuff in there about how the civil service has been undermined and how politicians have in effect cut themselves off from the people they are elected to serve. Also, the chapter on Iraq is pretty good proof of how the media is anything but the leftie anti-war conspiracy that the likes of Melanie Phillips would have you believe.