Wednesday, July 11, 2007
I have a Right to Kick Alastair Campbell. They Haven't
Kicking Alastair Campbell when he's down - he looks like a broken man to me - has become a national sport with the publication of his diaries. I agree with much of what these kickers are saying, most importantly that he was a bad thing for Blair and a very bad thing for British politics. But I have a right to say that without qualification; the kickers haven't. I never had anything to do with the man. These kickers and their bosses grovelled and made deals with Campbell when he was in power. In fact, it was their supine acceptance of his bullying that drove him to ever greater excesses and confirmed his contempt for the political media. If the kickers admit this now, they can kick; if they don't, they can't. The truth is that Campbell's job was all too easy. If it had been more difficult, he might not now be broken and he might not deserve this kicking.
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A blog about, among other things, imaginary ideas - What ifs? and Imagine thats. What if photographs looked nothing like what we see with our eyes? Imagine that the Berlin Wall had never come down. What if we were the punchline of an interminable joke? All contributions welcome.
Bryan, I totally agree - for what it's worth. The hypocrisy of many of those doing the kicking is sad, but then again none to surprisiing.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that they can say all that they like about him. For I'll bet he is laughing all the way to the bank. And holding up two fingers to the hacks on the way.
ReplyDeleteMe, I can't shake the image of a naked Blair standing in his office reading the Daily Mail (has the man no respect? not even a tie?). This helps though. For something a little less scabrous from the same source, this is rather good.
ReplyDeleteIf my eyes do not deceive me you are advertising his book on your website. Why?
ReplyDeleteAm I?
ReplyDeleteGee, thanks for that visual, Nige. In fairness, Blair was probably just trying to follow in the footsteps of Churchill. Sounds like he forgot the cigar and whiskey glass, though.
ReplyDeleteNow Blair has gone it seems to me to be an astonishing indictment on his powers of understanding that the people he surrounded himself with were so unpleasant. I include Campbell, Millar, Cherie and Mandelson in that group, and no doubt there are many more. What an utterly bizarre crew.
ReplyDeleteYes, Bryan. Having looked at it more closely (while supressing the involuntary gagging)it appears to be a Foyles advertisement.
ReplyDeleteA bit like all those people who went to Lord Jeff's Shepherd's Pie parties until he fell from grace and then rounded on him?
ReplyDeleteI'm not revealing my opinion of Lord J here, but it has been near enough the same for about 25 years.