Daily Archives: March 8, 2008

Harry’s war

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Hooray for Marina Hyde…

On the one hand, it was nice to see Prince Harry in a British army uniform, as opposed to one of Hitler’s. It’s a little bit like Pokemon, really. I’m hoping he’ll give us a highly collectible Hutu warrior snap soon. Gotta catch ’em all! On the other, is there anyone over Pokemon-playing age who believes it was really worth it? The sheer number of man-hours and money lavished on allowing one young man to experience job satisfaction is mind-boggling. It has to be the most fatuous use of Ministry of Defence resources since Geoff Hoon.

According to the executive director of the Society of Editors, who helped establish the controversial media blackout, it was not designed to mislead readers and viewers but to ultimately give them “a deeper insight into a new side of Prince Harry”. But how completely intriguing. And yet, is he basically still a fairly dim, fairly affable chap, you might ask? It would appear so. But he’s being fairly dim and fairly affable in Afghanistan. Or rather, he was until the news broke, at which point a detailed, prearranged plan to get him out – how many logistical brains are wasted on this nonsense? – was mobilised. So at least we have an exit strategy for Prince Harry, if not for the actual war…

Barack unveiled

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Excellent New Yorker profile by Larissa MacFarquhar…

There are three things that Democratic political candidates tend to do when talking with constituents: they display an impressive grasp of the minutiae of their constituents’ problems, particularly money problems; they rouse indignation by explaining how those problems are caused by powerful groups getting rich on the backs of ordinary people; and they present well-worked-out policy proposals that, if passed, would solve the problems and put the powerful groups in their place. Obama seldom does any of these things. He tends to underplay his knowledge, acting less informed than he is. He rarely accuses, preferring to talk about problems in the passive voice, as things that are amiss with us rather than as wrongs that have been perpetrated by them. And the solutions he offers generally sound small and local rather than deep-reaching and systemic…

IMHO, the New Yorker is the best print magazine there is. (The only publication that comes close is the Economist, which is the only magazine I make sure I read from cover to cover every week.) The trouble with the New Yorker, though, is that it’s generally a Big Read. I used to subscribe to it, but found the mounting pile of partially-read back numbers too reproachful. So subscribing again to the print edition has joined the list of things I am going to do when I win the Lottery. (Another one is to hire a personal tech support guy as good as DisplayLink‘s Dave Hill.)

Getting things done, Daily Mail style

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Interesting column by Martin Kettle…

If you live cocooned and, dare one say it, comfortable on Planet Guardian, then maybe you have not yet fully reflected on why this week’s Daily Mail’s campaign to Banish the Bags has been both so brilliantly effective, orchestrating the endorsements of Marks & Spencer and the prime minister within its first 48 hours, and also so politically interesting. But you should. It’s important.

The Daily Mail did not invent the issue of plastic bag pollution. Paul Dacre’s newspaper is a Johnny-come-lately to a long-established environmental cause. It is 20 years since Labour’s Chris Smith first raised the issue in the House of Commons and six since Ireland and Bangladesh caught the world’s attention by slapping a tax on them. You can find hundreds of speeches by ministers saying something must be done. But until the Mail’s campaign ministers were still – there is no other word for it – dithering.

Once the Mail went into action the outcome was settled. Ten pages on Wednesday, seven more on Thursday, another four on Friday and the job was done. The Banish the Bags campaign was well planned, well focused, well judged, well timed and was executed on a scale and with a ruthlessness that would have impressed Bismarck. M&S was lined up in advance to create a second-day wave with its 5p-per-bag charge announcement. Even Prince Harry could not shove the campaign off the front page yesterday, as Gordon Brown, who now recycles his garden waste instead of his policy announcements, pledged that the government would “step in and act”…

Hmmm…. He’s right about the amazing inability of the current government to assign meaningful priorities and get on with what’s important. But then one remembers that Mussolini got the trains to run on time…