Friday, May 01, 2009
Feeding time
With all of Gordon Brown's problems it's heartening to see that his predecessor, the one with that grin and the illegal war under his belt, isn't missed much. Presenting himself to a Guardian audience to champion the benefits of neoliberalism in developing world countries like Sierra Leone was, to put it mildly, provocative on Mr Blair's part. So it's no surprise that this article soon had its comments section closed by exhausted moderators due to the rash of anti-Blair invectives from irate readers. Below are some of my favourites. Notice the conspicuous absence of references to economics and post-war development.
"Look what the cat dragged in." MarkKearney
"You may or may not be right about Sierra Leone but I just cant belive you" thatsonlyyouropinion
"Anyone remember that bit in Juraasic [sic] Park when they lower the cow into the forest full of Velociraptors at feeding time? This article is that cow." 13thDukeofWybourne
"The sight of Tony "rent a cause for $1m" Blair does not fill me with hope." jackoba
"This comment has been removed by a moderator. Replies may also be deleted." Virtually everyone else
It's worth mentioning that a few comments engaged with the scrambled logic of Blair's article and highlighted the effects that neoliberal policies, enforced by international financial institutions like the IMF, had in exacerbating conflict in Sierra Leone by crippling public services and enraging its excluded youth. The British government went along with these policies in its usual slackjawed, complacent, presumptuous manner, so it is no surprise to see him recommending them again here.
By most accounts Blair gets a good reception these days in Sierra Leone due to the role of British troops in routing a violent rebel insurgency that plauged the country throughout the 1990s, a fruitful outcome to a heavily improvised mission that had initially been a rescue operation for foreign nationals, not a humanitarian intervention. Pity that the saint-like glow that success with guns gave him in Africa didn't wear off quicker, though. We all could have been spared another dose of his dubious kindness.
Thanks Tony. Now fuck off
Neither a pack of lies nor a strict moderator can help little Timmy here.
With all of Gordon Brown's problems it's heartening to see that his predecessor, the one with that grin and the illegal war under his belt, isn't missed much. Presenting himself to a Guardian audience to champion the benefits of neoliberalism in developing world countries like Sierra Leone was, to put it mildly, provocative on Mr Blair's part. So it's no surprise that this article soon had its comments section closed by exhausted moderators due to the rash of anti-Blair invectives from irate readers. Below are some of my favourites. Notice the conspicuous absence of references to economics and post-war development.
"Look what the cat dragged in." MarkKearney
"You may or may not be right about Sierra Leone but I just cant belive you" thatsonlyyouropinion
"Anyone remember that bit in Juraasic [sic] Park when they lower the cow into the forest full of Velociraptors at feeding time? This article is that cow." 13thDukeofWybourne
"The sight of Tony "rent a cause for $1m" Blair does not fill me with hope." jackoba
"This comment has been removed by a moderator. Replies may also be deleted." Virtually everyone else
It's worth mentioning that a few comments engaged with the scrambled logic of Blair's article and highlighted the effects that neoliberal policies, enforced by international financial institutions like the IMF, had in exacerbating conflict in Sierra Leone by crippling public services and enraging its excluded youth. The British government went along with these policies in its usual slackjawed, complacent, presumptuous manner, so it is no surprise to see him recommending them again here.
By most accounts Blair gets a good reception these days in Sierra Leone due to the role of British troops in routing a violent rebel insurgency that plauged the country throughout the 1990s, a fruitful outcome to a heavily improvised mission that had initially been a rescue operation for foreign nationals, not a humanitarian intervention. Pity that the saint-like glow that success with guns gave him in Africa didn't wear off quicker, though. We all could have been spared another dose of his dubious kindness.
Thanks Tony. Now fuck off
Neither a pack of lies nor a strict moderator can help little Timmy here.
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