Today’s Guardian Review features the winning entry in this year’s Ben Pimlott Prize for Political Writing, which asked people with too much time on their hands to write 3,000 words or so under the title: “Who do you think you are: Can history help us define British identity today, or is it part of the problem?”. The winning entry is, by virtue of being judged worthy by the funless Fabians, dreary toss and won because it went on about 7/7. So I suggest you read my exquisite failure instead… Read More

We know Blair was influenced by Marx in his youth. What’s not so appreciated is that the mature Blair is also a Marxist.
By this I don’t mean that he’s attacking our freedoms; he is, but this has little to do with Marxism. Instead, I’m thinking of a particular strand of Marxism – one that’s got little to do with infantile leftism, drivel about the labour theory of value or multiculturalism.
No, what I mean is that Blair seems to accept Marx’s theory of history, as summarized here. Read More

Atlantic Rift: Big mouth strikes again

“Clarke combines all the worst authoritarian excesses of the Blair government with the dignity of a Big Brother contestant and the personality and self-awareness of a snivelling child…”

PressThink: The People Formerly Known as the Audience

“You don’t own the eyeballs. You don’t own the press, which is now divided into pro and amateur zones. You don’t control production on the new platform, which isn’t one-way. There’s a new balance of power between you and us… “

Ain’t that close to love?
Re-viewing The Breakfast Club

“Le refus des louanges est un désir d’être loué deux fois.“ (The refusal of praise is only the wish to be praised twice.) —François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld, le Prince de Marcillac, Maxim 149

Disparate though we as a species indubitably are, there is one trait that unites every human being on the planet, from the smallest, most annoying children to the oldest, most eccentric members of the House of Lords. It is not a particularly complicated concept to grasp; it is indeed so concise, so unquestionable, and so devoid of an ability to foment arguments along racial, gender or class lines that the most senior and troubled Guardian columnists have flatly refused to recognise its existence. Read More

Everyone is talking about this. Mike Power: “Paxman should have wiped the floor with her” [my emphasis], Andrew Ian Dodge “man did she stuff Jeremy Paxman”, Guido (curiously silent), Blairwatch.

Like Mike, I think Paxman “should have wiped the floor with” Coulter. But he didn’t. I admire Paxman; he adds to the gaiety of the nation. I’m still disappointed. I can think of reasons why he lost. (Is it a contest? The way Paxman plays, yes it is.) Here they are. Read More

Warnings from America
Grinding migrants into Uncle Sam’s dirt

What divides Britain?
Fear and loathing in Leeds

Britblog Roundup #70