NO, REALLY, THE EMPRESS IS WEARING CLOTHES
As if by some collective act of deliberate self-delusion, Britain - or at least its chattering class - has convinced itself that the Prime Minister's wife and Queen's Counsel Cherie Booth is embroiled in sleaze. But she has not done anything illegal, or even wrong. Her agent in the purchase of two flats in Bristol, Peter Foster, has convictions for fraud in a few countries, but there is no suggestion of fraud in this case, and certainly not on the part of Cherie Booth. She has not misled parliament (she is not a member of parliament), she has not perjured herself in a court of law, and she has not set out to deceive anyone.
Cherie's personal appeal for sympathy, after a week wisely saying silent, failed because she just is not likeable. Many times, the Blairs have sought to limit personal attacks by appealing to the right of privacy for their family. But few could see why her son's attendance at Bristol University meant that her financial affairs were not to be examined. The proper response would have been that it is none of the press's business what she does with her money.
The allegation of sleaze is not meant to appeal to rational political choices. Rather it is a style of criticism that substitutes rumour mongering for open political debate. Cherie is loathed because she is the wife of a prime minister who enjoys very little affection from the public or even the political class. Cherie's private eccentricities are a target of ridicule because that is easier than framing an ideological alternative to New Labour. Unable to do that, the Daily Mail, Mirror and other commentators, by a supreme effort of will, have persuaded themselves that the Empress is not wearing any clothes.
WHY DO THEY HATE US?
is the question preoccupying America's elite. Following the Summer summit of academics and the Whitehouse Administration, the Pew Global Attitudes Project Survey 'What the world thinks in 2002' examines the 'discontent with the United States [that] has grown around the world over the past two years.' America's geeky obsession with self-image, though, simply projects its own intense self-loathing outwards. The Pew survey misunderstands its own findings. First off, 'they', in particular Arabs, don't hate 'us', Americans. Arabs in 'conflict areas', Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt have an understandably unfavourable view of America, and to a lesser extent of Americans. But outside of those conflict zones, the reputation of the US increases, and in particular, US technology and culture are well admired throughout the world.
The Pew survey finds that US business practices and ideas about democracy are considered suspect: 'ironically, criticisms of U.S. policies and ideals such as American-style democracy and business practices are also highly prevalent among the publics of traditional allies ... Canada, Germany and France'. But where is the irony? America itself is widely critical its own business practices and 'American-style democracy'. These western allies have only showed themselves better attuned to America's own culture of self-loathing than the naively old-fashioned East Europeans still celebrating a by-gone Reagan era.
Who could watch a year of Hollywood's morbid portrayal of life in America, read its steady supply of cultural jeremiads, its gloomy novels, its cynical newspaper columnists and not have a low opinion of business and politics there? -- James Heartfield The 'Death of the Subject' Explained is available at GBP11.00, plus GBP1.00 p&p from Publications, audacity.org, 8 College Close, Hackney, London, E9 6ER. Make cheques payable to 'Audacity Ltd'