Causing Blair a Paragraph or Two of Discomfort
I rarely do outright political rants on this blog. In fact, there are surprisingly few full-scale rants on any subject in the archives of English Dreaming, English Rain. Gordon Ramsay deserved one for his initial plans for ruining The Warrington and I will not apologise for any tirade made against some of the turnip-headed twats in the legal profession. However, if you do not like invective or talk of politics, please stop reading this post now as I am about to enter angry outburst mode.
It is fairly apparent to anyone who has read my book Secrets & Lies that I believe Tony Blair is an outstanding liar and hypocrite. Even when judged against the high levels of achievement set in these areas by politicians as a whole, his craven, pusillanimous and dishonest dealings put him in the premier league of contemptible politicos. Even ignoring the war in Iraq, his role in quashing the Serious Fraud Office investigation into the Al-Yamamah deal or the time I personally saw him cowed by the UK representative of one the nastier trans-national corporations, he never fails to provide me with reasons for disliking him.
What always makes his actions seem worse is his self-righteous arrogance. During the point in my life which saw spin doctor Southwell vs. the spin doctors of Blair, several surreptitious pops came from Number 10 on environmental issues. Given my own orientation on ecological matters, I never minded the criticism of big business. However, I always resented the lines designed to make individuals feel as if they had equal responsibility for core environmental problems beyond their democratic ability to affect.
I remember one interview he gave early in January 2007 where he said: ‘Recycling – we do all recycling in Downing Street now which we've changed over the last few years to do.’ The line was delivered with that look of goggle-eyed ‘Golly, I mean anyone who doesn’t recycle is a real rotter aren’t they?’ surprise he tended to utilise when implying his actions were beyond critique. The message was clear, Tony Blair recycles, Tony Blair does his personal bit for the environment.
Well Tony Blair when he lived at Number 10 Downing Street might have recycled, but Tony Blair, the rest of his family and entourage living at Number 29 Connaught Square does not recycle. During the last few weeks I have noticed his household does not put anything out for the Friday recycling collection. Having asked around I discovered that for ‘security reasons’ all of the detritus from 29 is incinerated.
I appreciate the problem garbologists can pose to those with something to hide or just wishing to maintain a reasonable level of privacy. However, I have regularly seen Jude Law’s recycling left out. I am inclined to think that if Law can get away with shredding and still doing his bit environment, so can Blair. Given that the taxpaying public fund four armed police officers to provide 24 hour protection to the front and back entrances to the Blair’s property, there should not be any issue over the sanctity of his blue bag. Even the most ardent practitioner of garbology tends not to want to root through rubbish if they have a couple of Heckler & Koch waving policemen shouting at them.
I know this latest dissonance between public claim and reality is small beer compared to Blair’s lies about mass graves in Iraq or Weapons of Mass Destruction, but it still irks me. I could sell the story to one of the nationals for a few pounds, but I am reluctant to do so. Yes it might feel good causing Blair a paragraph or two of discomfort, but it would also lead to questions being asked about which security personnel leaked details of the rubbish incineration. I do not mind getting a little grief, but I have no desire to cause trouble for a source over the issue. All I can do is live in hope that one day, all of Blair’s more serious mendacity will come back with a bite so sharp and savage it knocks the sanctimonious, smug smile of his face for good.
It is fairly apparent to anyone who has read my book Secrets & Lies that I believe Tony Blair is an outstanding liar and hypocrite. Even when judged against the high levels of achievement set in these areas by politicians as a whole, his craven, pusillanimous and dishonest dealings put him in the premier league of contemptible politicos. Even ignoring the war in Iraq, his role in quashing the Serious Fraud Office investigation into the Al-Yamamah deal or the time I personally saw him cowed by the UK representative of one the nastier trans-national corporations, he never fails to provide me with reasons for disliking him.
What always makes his actions seem worse is his self-righteous arrogance. During the point in my life which saw spin doctor Southwell vs. the spin doctors of Blair, several surreptitious pops came from Number 10 on environmental issues. Given my own orientation on ecological matters, I never minded the criticism of big business. However, I always resented the lines designed to make individuals feel as if they had equal responsibility for core environmental problems beyond their democratic ability to affect.
I remember one interview he gave early in January 2007 where he said: ‘Recycling – we do all recycling in Downing Street now which we've changed over the last few years to do.’ The line was delivered with that look of goggle-eyed ‘Golly, I mean anyone who doesn’t recycle is a real rotter aren’t they?’ surprise he tended to utilise when implying his actions were beyond critique. The message was clear, Tony Blair recycles, Tony Blair does his personal bit for the environment.
Well Tony Blair when he lived at Number 10 Downing Street might have recycled, but Tony Blair, the rest of his family and entourage living at Number 29 Connaught Square does not recycle. During the last few weeks I have noticed his household does not put anything out for the Friday recycling collection. Having asked around I discovered that for ‘security reasons’ all of the detritus from 29 is incinerated.
I appreciate the problem garbologists can pose to those with something to hide or just wishing to maintain a reasonable level of privacy. However, I have regularly seen Jude Law’s recycling left out. I am inclined to think that if Law can get away with shredding and still doing his bit environment, so can Blair. Given that the taxpaying public fund four armed police officers to provide 24 hour protection to the front and back entrances to the Blair’s property, there should not be any issue over the sanctity of his blue bag. Even the most ardent practitioner of garbology tends not to want to root through rubbish if they have a couple of Heckler & Koch waving policemen shouting at them.
I know this latest dissonance between public claim and reality is small beer compared to Blair’s lies about mass graves in Iraq or Weapons of Mass Destruction, but it still irks me. I could sell the story to one of the nationals for a few pounds, but I am reluctant to do so. Yes it might feel good causing Blair a paragraph or two of discomfort, but it would also lead to questions being asked about which security personnel leaked details of the rubbish incineration. I do not mind getting a little grief, but I have no desire to cause trouble for a source over the issue. All I can do is live in hope that one day, all of Blair’s more serious mendacity will come back with a bite so sharp and savage it knocks the sanctimonious, smug smile of his face for good.
Labels: Connaught Square, Jude Law, Recycling, Tony Blair
posted by David at 8:44 PM
11 Comments:
Sometimes it's the simplest thing that breaks the camel's back. I know some smug mugs I'd love to see bitten, as well.
Rant away!
Whew! So there, Tony Blair! :)
Hope you don't mind me dropping in here. This post was fascinating and I thought all your points were right on - especially on the trash-inquisitive going to cans B when confronted with armed garbagesque personnel. Anyway, I really enjoyed your style in this post, your 'angry outburst mode' is pretty damn rational and fun to read with indigination inspiration to spare.
There are so many like that. :(
Personally, i love the idea that his trash is incinerated for security reasons. It just cements the point that garbage is as important in our society as any actual issues.
I wonder if Paris/Britney/Lindsay also incinerate their trash and, if they don't, an article by you might end up helping these poor girls.
It's a terribly sad thing for me, but I've given up on liking any politician because I know it's just a matter of time until I learn to hate him.
After reading Mariana's comment, I have to re-comment and agree-very true indeed about 99.9999999999999%+ of politicians-even if they start out honest, I believe it's the power that surrounds them or the lure of more that corrupts even the best of them.
I think Tony Blair is England's answer to Al Gore. Or John Edwards. Sanctimonious snots, the lot of them. But, points awarded to Blair for projected earnestness and a sense of vivacity, which poor John Major (the last one I remember Before Blair) lacked. Never liked the Mrs. though. Something odd about her.
"turnip-headed twats" - I love that.
I think if Blair really worried about the environment, he could have done a lot more to protect it when he was prime minister! The recycling is a small symptom of the whole of his disregard.
Great rant. :-)
If I had a big red doomsday button which, when pressed, would kill all politicians on the face of the planet, I'd probably end up dying of thirst sitting here pressing it repeatedly with a manic grin on my face, like those poor animals in the Rat Buddha experiments.
This reminds me of the Davros dilemma … ‘To hold in my hand, a capsule that contained such power. To know that life and death on such a scale was my choice. To know that the tiny pressure on my thumb, enough to break the glass, would end everything…’ If I had a big red extinction button for public schoolboys, it would only be the though of James Harborne and Ian Lawson that would stay my hand.
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