Items of interest

For the second time I’ve had to struggle against some strange unnatural feelings of being impressed by David Cameron. None of these urges are based on anything sensible:

1. A year or so ago cycling past him (minus car or security) outside Rough Trade, Ladbroke Grove.
2. Today, Meadbh, Will and I were taking the tube and there was Dave again leaning into the corner of a tube carriage reading a Metro (I think) and regularly clearing his throat. Maybe he was trying to draw atttention to himself. Again, he seemed to be without security.

Both of these moments gave me disturbing urges to vote for the man. I will get over it.

Fantastic deconstruction of the mainstream liberal left’s thinking towards the West, Israel and the US in particular. It argues that we now live in a time that the Left would more likely defend a totalitarian fascist regime, rather then stand up against it and show solidarity towards it’s oppressed. Why? Because of the lazy and vague critique that it is ultimately the West’s fault or that we can’t morally impose our values onto their culture. While these excuses may have a modicum of truth in them - they should not be enough to stop us doing good in the world. Of course, this thinking is what brought us to the current Middle Eastern situation (unless you think it is a guileless conspirarcy all to do with oil and neo-colonialism), so there is no simple answer. Whatever - the book is a bracing intellectual argument, and while I don’t agree with all its points, it’s well worth reading.

Amazon.co.uk - with some great reviews and comments

Into bed with Tony - review in The Guardian (generally negative)

Is Nick Cohen right about the left? His critics reply in The Guardian

Democratiya review

4th Estate

He truly gets out there and is on the front line for his beliefs. This time he’s getting beaten up for his beliefs in Russia by some neo-facists. The police then arrest Tatchell - not the thugs.