Bush's senior policy adviser now cited as the LibDem's new oracle. Seriously.It really says something when the Liberal Democrats' official organ is proudly sporting the words of a US Republican "urging Barack Obama to be more like Nick Clegg".
For the record, the remains of the LibDems are boastfully quoting Michael Gerson, former senior policy advisor to President George W Bush between 2000 and 2006 - that is, someone sitting right at the core of the lethal (literally) neo-con Chain of Command during both the Iraq mess and the build-up to the biggest financial crash since 1929.
Of course, if pressed, Nick Clegg and his dwindling rank of faithfuls would probably tell you that, no, it's Barack Obama that's turned conservative and that, yes, the Bushite Republicans have magically become "progressive" (one of Clegg's favourite words). Just like the previously-evil Tories have blossomed overnight into Clegg's "progressive" wet dream.
And then the LibDems would probably add that, even though George W Bush's tax cuts for upper-income, capital-owning households were the trigger for America's worst record on income inequality since the 1920s, the Republicans were still good at stimulating social mobility.
And yeah, mobility, George W Bush certainly managed.
In the sense that it was thanks to his atrocious inititatives such as the Ownership Society that millions of low-wage Americans moved to homes that they couldn't afford and from which they were soon kicked out. They moved alright.
Not quite social, but still mobility.
For the record, the remains of the LibDems are boastfully quoting Michael Gerson, former senior policy advisor to President George W Bush between 2000 and 2006 - that is, someone sitting right at the core of the lethal (literally) neo-con Chain of Command during both the Iraq mess and the build-up to the biggest financial crash since 1929.
Of course, if pressed, Nick Clegg and his dwindling rank of faithfuls would probably tell you that, no, it's Barack Obama that's turned conservative and that, yes, the Bushite Republicans have magically become "progressive" (one of Clegg's favourite words). Just like the previously-evil Tories have blossomed overnight into Clegg's "progressive" wet dream.
And then the LibDems would probably add that, even though George W Bush's tax cuts for upper-income, capital-owning households were the trigger for America's worst record on income inequality since the 1920s, the Republicans were still good at stimulating social mobility.
And yeah, mobility, George W Bush certainly managed.
In the sense that it was thanks to his atrocious inititatives such as the Ownership Society that millions of low-wage Americans moved to homes that they couldn't afford and from which they were soon kicked out. They moved alright.
Not quite social, but still mobility.
4 comments:
I think I hear more nails being driven into Clegg's political coffin.
Actually, I think it says rather more about you Claude :-)
Look at the first sentence of the post - it's plain and factual, not even expressing agreement one way or the other, let alone pride.
Of course, if you think that the only reason why something is worthy of interest is if you proudly agree with it, then you could read that into the first sentence - but thinking the only things of interest are those you proudly agree with is a rather narrow outlook, don't you think?
So let's look at your headline, Mark. It goes, and I quote:
Barack Obama should be more like Nick Clegg.
See, Mark. The point is the absence of inverted commas (or speechmarks, as some would call them) there.
Sure you will understand why some readers interpret that as "your" (as in that of LibDem Voice) opinion and not, simply, as a plain and factual statement.
Not to mention that Gerson's words really do sound like the most recent version of Mr Clegg.
What's the view from the liberal Titanic, Comrade Pack?
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