Ron Paul on "swine flu"

Monday, May 04, 2009

Ron Paul on "swine flu"

Putting the "pandemic" in perspective. While the media indulge themselves in the latest "scare", other issues go unregarded. This is self-indulgence, par excellence, the insidious, sustained infantilisation of a media that is no longer able to exercise judgement or discretion.

With the headlines dominated by the latest instalments of the political soap opera, we have the national media today again indulging itself in "second order" issues, while adult reporting and discussion on real issues goes by the wayside. Small wonder, the media is largely unreadable. The grown-ups have been chased out of town by the claque.

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Thirty years ago

Remember this picture? Even if you don't, it cannot have escaped your notice that today is the thirtieth anniversary of the first election won by Margaret Thatcher. Over on Conservative History Journal there is an attempt to start a discussion about the electoral victory, the reforms and the outcome.

Full circle

Mick Smith in The Sunday Times is claiming that the Army is pulling out of combat operations in Afghanistan, handing over to the Americans in order to concentrate on training Afghan forces. 

Special forces will continue to work with the Americans, he writes, while two British infantry battalions will do the training. A third will become a rapid reaction force, based at Camp Bastion, to bail out the Afghans if they get into trouble.

Army chiefs are supposed to be "angry" and "furious" (when are they not) but the plan is actually no bad thing. It has the merit of transferring the casualty rate to the Americans and Afghans, while allowing "Our Boys" to earn their campaign medals from the safety of their fortified camp.

It will also give them plenty of time to practice creative writing, while The Sun should also be delighted. It will make it easier for its war correspondent to file his copy on bikini-clad lovelies toting their guns. And then there are the girls.

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A serious discussion

Instead of complaining about the fact that Gordon Brown was not elected to be prime minister (no more he was and no more was any other prime minister, particularly those who took the position between elections) it might be a good idea to consider whether the system we have, supposedly parliamentary and certainly not presidential should be reformed. After the EU has collapsed, needless to say.

Your Freedom and Ours starts the ball rolling. I hope. Pile in by all means but I shall be ruthless with anyone who writes about Brown being like Hitler/Stalin/Mugabe. People should keep a sense of proportion.