Another contender for the How Shit is Your Media series, this story slips into its own, just.
News is thin on the ground this time of year - excepting of course the odd bit of ethic cleansing. But the Britpress always goes all Jocktastic around Hogmanay.
Yesterday the Guardian splashed a whole page (!) on Jockoland with the exclusive story that Robert Burns (a poet) was a republican, and a democrat too!
What next? Neruda exposed as poet with 'an interest in romance'? Study explores 'Roger McGough - the Mersey connection'? Or Buckowski, was he a secret boozer?
So, to recap.
1. Corporate leaders are visionaries who must be treated as celebrities, minor deities even. They are risk takers, bold and brave and should be paid handsomely for their work. Private enterprise is about smart thinking and risk. Public ownership is hopeless, old-fashioned and discredited.
But, if things go badly, private companies must be given public money to save them. Under these circumstances public ownership becomes not only immediately essential, but the only possible solution for the good of society. If this happens, the govt must pay for but not control the banks we 'save'. To do so would be socialism, and as noted, public ownership is BAD. See above.
2. Climate change is the biggest threat facing mankind. But its essential that the law protects society from anyone protesting about it.
Thank you.
Potentially this piece could have been part of the award-winning 'How Shit is Your Media' occasional series but I reckoned it needed it's own slot. This video looks at the hypocrisy that is currently pouring out of the 'feral' media (sic) about Gordon Brown's much vaunted 'troop withdrawal'. Presumably he will receive the same accolades as a peace-maker as he has done for his brilliant handling of the economy?
The X-Factor 'Heroes' song is where moron culture meets propaganda. There's been various attempts to take down or suppress this video, so please distribute it and this link...
As Organised Rage puts it:
'With the announcement by Gordon Brown that all British troops are to be withdrawn from Iraq by July 2009, we can expect the media to be full of what a great job our boys have done in Iraq. That the whole disgraceful enterprise began with the UK's prime minister Tony Blair sending young men and women to war, to kill and be killed on a wicked lie, will never be mentioned. Nor that the British armies presence in Iraq was bitterly resented by the overwhelming majority of the Iraqi people.'
The same shameful hypocrisy was present last week when British Troops were killed in Afghanistan and the bleating media complained about the use of teenage soldiers. This is what we do. What's the TA? What are the cadets? What the fuck are the British Army doing recruiting in schools across Scotland?
Craig Murray has the right idea: "If that plinth in Trafalgar Square is still vacant, let us erect a statue to Muntadar al-Zaidi, the brave Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush. I gather they have beaten him up very badly indeed. One day there will be a statue to him in Baghdad - possibly quite soon."
Another contender for the How Shit is Your Media series, this story slips into its own, just. 
