England was prepared for war. After being battered and bruised by the US and Algeria, and limping unconvincingly past Slovenia, the nation awaited its D-Day against the old foe, Germany. The headline writers in the English media couldn’t have scripted it better. But nobody was prepared for the massacre.
Politicians who excel in blathering sweet sound bytes and platitudes dazzle in the media spot light, while the thoughtful thinkers who fail to shine in the personality stakes get left behind.
In this media age Bertie triumphs Cowan, Blair triumphs Browne and Gilmore apparently triumphs all-comers. Yes, sadly the line between celebrity and politics blurred some time ago.
When Tony Blair branded the British media ‘‘a feral beast’’, the backlash was predictable. How could Blair, someone who has closely courted the media, complain about the very beast he so often tried to tame?
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