This article, in today's Guardian, has left me speechless at some people's stupidity. If you're wondering why I'm so annoyed, since there are liberals all around us plying their particular brand of foolishness in our newspapers and journals, it's mainly the insipid quality of argumentation and misinformation. BTW, for those of you who don't know, Michael Frayn is a playwright and Richard Eyre was Artistic Director of the National Theatre until 1997.
Anyway, here are some examples: Michael Frayn: "I supported the war with reservations -I may have been wrong - but I don't think that's relevant to the way one votes [...] I'm inclined to think that Blair supported America for honourable reasons. Partly out of sympathy, partly because of a pragmatic understanding that you've actually got to remain on terms with the most powerful country in the world, no matter how repulsive its government is - and it is a repulsive government - and partly because he hoped to be a bridge between America and Europe. That didn't work out but I suspect that was his hope."
I MAY HAVE BEEN WRONG!!! If I were him I would be too ashamed to be interviewed, let alone admit to voting Labour again. As if it doesn't matter that, in a country a long way away, people are being tortured and killed as long as it's for "honorable reasons". The thing with this interview is that Frayn is an intelligent - talented, even - author/playwright/screenwriter. He has no excuse for being so misinformed. What a repulsive liberal.
Richard Eyre: "There are no viable options to Labour because what's the point of voting for a party that doesn't have power and can't achieve power? There are no viable options until we get proportional representation."
Hey, Richard, the European elections - yes, that's right, the very elections that you're talking about - are being held under a proportional representation system ... There is NO EXCUSE for not knowing that. It amounts to a lack of respect to be interviewed for a national newspaper and not know this.
The Green Party gained a seat in London last time, and an increase in their vote could lead to another one. The European elections are very volatile and recent polls show that the UK Independence Party, which achieved 1.72% at the last election in 1999, is polling as high as 19-21%, placing it third. Of course, they are a single issue party and Europe is their issue - that accounts for some of their good showing. But this example also illustrates that a dramatic upturn in fortunes for a small party is possible - effectively tripling its vote from 1999.
On a low turnout (24.0% in 1999 and it has never reached 35%), many smaller parties such as Respect or the Green party have the opportunity to gain seats. If parties can get people to the polling stations then great things are possibble. Ignorance of the alternatives - and even what system one is voting under - do not help in the slightest.
This is what we're up against, I guess.
Simon
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