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February 12, 2007
Glasshouse Lessons
So a sort of peace has broken out in the recent "blog war". Whether it is a temporary peace or something more enduring has yet to be seen. In all honesty such an outbreak of hostilities was inevitable. The Labour Party and this Government have so mired themselves in failed policies and the stench of corruption that to be a left of centre blogger has been to place oneself between a rock and a hard place. Meanwhile the right has delighted in tabloid sleaze and massive, almost masturbatory, ego stroking.
Eventually enough was enough, and the so-called war broke out simply because Tim Ireland decided to call Paul de Laire Staines on it. Out of the woodwork rushed a multitude of Tory astroturfers and sock puppets, a tide which Staines and Dale were more than happy to give free rein to, whilst in the same breath accusing left-leaning bloggers of the very same.
The stench of hypocrisy reached a peak this weekend when Staines attempted to bully a group of bloggers with the threat of libel action over a 20 year old article which was, in itself, not in the slightest libellous. This from someone who has repeatedly bemoaned this country's libel laws, registered his own blog through a company based in Nevis and who has been more than happy to spread smears and innuendo. More details on the weekends outburst of rank hypocrisywill come to light shortly.
In all this people Iain Dale and his ilk have failed to learn the lesson of New Labour. If you are going to place yourself on a pedestal before attacking your opposition, make damn sure that you have a secure defence. One reason for the intensity of venom directed at New Labour is the stupidity of Blair in making such ill-founded pronouncements as "I'm a pretty straight sort of guy", being "whiter than white" and "tough on sleaze". All this without first having put his own house in order.
Iain Dale claims that he wants more open, transparent and accountable politics; and bemoans the public's lack of political engagement. Yet as long as he and others like him continue with disengenius attacks and evasions then the public's disillusionment will continue.
There are lessons to be learned, and if the right doesn't learn them, then the chances of the Conservatives enjoying the sort of honeymoon period that New Labour experienced are slim to non-existant.
You have been warned.
Posted by Clive on February 12, 2007 9:38 PM in the category Politics
Comments
And kudos to you, you're among the few that have called it a 'blog war' rather than taking it too seriously and calling it a BlogWar (TM Hollywood)...
Posted by: leon at February 13, 2007 12:16 AM