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Guardian Hippy Decca Aitkenhead: Move Over Darling
Sometime in the course of an in depth colour supplement style interview with the journalist incidentally as a house guest in a remote cottage for two whole days Alastair Darling says that THE WORLD ECONOMY is arguably facing the worst downturn for 60 years, and that there is a COMMUNICATION PROBLEM which is leaving people "pissed off". In fact it is a pretty good interview all round.
[Oooh-er! The crazy coiffed Lord Taylor of Warwick wouldn't even use the expression "Pissed off" around midnight in a paper review. Though good egg Vince Cable managed. Warwick said it was "[silence] off" and it "starts with a P". Though at least being confronted with a woman presenter he didn't start his filthy boys' talk.]
But Nicholas Watt and his colleagues probably deserve a slap for turning the fruits of hippy Decca's torturous techniques, extraordinary rendition and floppy repetition into this front page splash. Not least omitting the word "World" as in World Economy from their headline. Their lead has been followed by the BBC and so on. Have these people even read the interview? Or just the news headline?
Obviously parts of the USA/world economy are in a bad way. Perhaps the worst since 1948, 60 years ago. We all catch some kind of cold as a result. Sniffles, man flu or the real deal? Currently looks like it'll be sniffles aggrandised by bored pundits to man flu. Pass the man-sized Kleenex someone.
And clearly people in the UK are pissed off. After all, no-one under 35 has known any real economic pain during their adult life. 63 quarters of growth etc etc. Six or twelve or eighteen months of non-growth is luxury compared to the troubles we've seen. A couple of really bad ones in the last 30 years. Caused generally by the harshnesses and stupidities of unmediated capitalism and Toryism.
No-one likes losing quality of life. But face facts. We're utterly wealthy in international terms, and for a few months or a couple of years we're down-sized to merely being bloody wealthy. The most whining is coming from estate agents and 4x4 drivers. Get over it.
NOSTALGIA: Decca Aitkenhead of course interviewed the accused rapist/cokey beer monster/failure to protect brand John Leslie a month ago, completely failing to follow through with any of the necessary questions on that one. She was rightly castigated for that.
NOSTALGIA TOO: Come back Alistair Campbell. Sort out Labour's sorry communication strategy. Please, pretty please?
10 comments:
There was no word missed out, Chris. You have managed to replace one with another, however.
Here's the quote:
"Britain is facing arguably the worst economic downturn in 60 years which will be "more profound and long-lasting" than people had expected."
Not "thoe world" as you quote but "Britain".
And even in the unlikely example of you being right - why would a world downturn affect Britain anyway? After all, we were repeatedly promised "an end ro boom and bust". No caveats about world events, just "an end to boom and bust".
So, what's the worry?
Oh, and could you tell me when John Leslie was convicted of rape?
I DID NOT say Leslie was convicted of rape. I said he was accused of rape. Are you a complete idiot? Whoever you are? A feeble idiot who won't even take credit for your own thoughts?
Your other comment is just twaddle.
Darling clearly meant the World Economy was facing 60-year worst problem (external) and was not saying Britain's economy had worst downturn (internal). Even the great fibber GOO Osborne WILL NOT claim it is when offered the chance to say that.
It is arrant nonsense that's why. Even Osborne won't risk going that far. In that sense the headline used on p1 is grossly misleading.
The political editor of the Guardian has taken a friendly interview carried out over two days in someone's home and pulled a couple of matter of fact statements out of context.
The other being the idea that people are pissed off with Labour's actions when Darling says they are pissed off because we have not explained ourselves clearly enough.
Quite different.
He clearly does not say that you haven't explained yourselves, he says it is because of your lack of action (a fact that you reported yourself earlier). Of course, that is unless you go back and edit what you said, just as you have inserted the word 'accused' in the piece about John Leslie.
And if it is just about the world economy, why the reference to "2 million unemployed by Christmas". Is that a global figure or does it (as would seem blindingly obvious) refer to the UK?
The BBC are reporting that "Alistair Darling is standing by his comments that Britain is facing its worst downturn in 60 years."
So, he did say it and he is still saying it. He was not misquoted or quoted out of contest - except by you, that is.
1. The BBC should say "the" rather than "its". They are wrong too.
2. It's presentation that Darling says failed not action.
3. I posted "accused racist" from the get go and did not edit that.
You should apologise.
And when exactly was he accused of racism?
Unfortunately for you, Darling appeared on Radion 4 this morning to back up his comments from The Guardian interview. Tyhe BBC reported his exact words. He isn't saying that he was misquoted but you are saying just that. How odd that you should know what he said better than he does.
2 million unemployed by Christmas and that's down to presentation, is it?
You should apologise.
Anon 15.14
Chris never apologises for his frantic efforts to re-write even history that is less than a day old. You should know that by now!
Anyway, keep baiting him - it's great fun to read him wriggling - and you're very good at it!
OK, Diablo, just for you.
I repeat, Chris, when was John Leslie accused of being a racist? I must have missed that one.
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