Rant
Defence secretary Des Browne scaled the pinnacles of delusion with his Conference speech.
Today we are told, British troops may have to recapture some of the ground lost. Helmand cost 70 British lives to win. Not since the first World War have British troops been sacrificed in such numbers in the ebb and flow of futile slaughter. The risk to our soldiers is the greatest since then.
To Des Browne, global warming, disease, starvation are minor world problems. To his hyperbole, "Afghanistan is the noble cause of the 21st century." For some other vain glorious romantics, it was for the nineteenth and eighteenth centuries too.
His selective view of history is that " For decades, this proud nation was neglected by the international community." Start again Des. Afghanistan has been repeatedly invaded by other countries - included by us, three times. Concentrated neglect might have helped them.
He goes on. "But Afghanistan is no longer ignored. Afghans themselves can see a window of opportunity; to be free from occupation; free from warlords; free from the Taliban, and no longer a haven for terrorists."
Why not add eternal life to the wish list? It's as practical as all the others. No mention of 'freedom from corruption' which another Minister is promising.
Occupiers, Warlords, Taliban, terrorists El-Quaida are all lumped together as bad things. One big simple problems to be defeated with a bit more effort.
Most Afghans see us and the Americans as alien occupiers. The Karzai Government is riddled with warlords and controlled by their tentacles. The Taliban continues to grow in strength with every bomb and bullet we use to win hearts and minds. El-Quaida still remain beyond the reach of our guns and bribes. There was only one passing reference to the 60% increase in drugs production. Des said we should get the Afghans to control it. How?
His predecessor spoke of his hope of a 'three year Helmand campaign without a shot being fired'. Des Browne's Bournemouth rant will also return to mock him.
Kindly meant
There are sixty videos on my websites. Some are also on Google and You Tube. On Youtube we has a record of the numbers viewing them.
It's fascinating. The funny one is top with the scary one (to me) second. There is a kick in the tail of the Bettws film is because I tried to be kind and obscure the little problem.
Great to see that local group New State Radio is winning friends. They did a great gig at the Meze is Newport last night. They dedicated the night to the monks in Burma.
My fondest memories are filming May Mendleson and Alun Menai Williams. Any suggestions for new films?
Top 10 videos on Youtube (27th September 2007)
Corpsing in the Commons – 1,527
Fear on the Autoroute – 1,100
Bettws, Newport Lantern Festival – 641
Duffryn Infants School Newport - 615
Newport Wales Personality - 409
New State Radio – Newport – 328
May Mendleson 105 - 203
New Quilt for Malpas - 164
Heart of a lion-sensitivity of a poet - 116
Transporter Bridge 100 years – 104
Mighty Dale
The now vaulting Colossus of the Blogosphere, he once warned me off the Internet.
For sensible commercial reasons, Iain Dale once thought it was mad to publish a book on the net before it was printed. Times were rushed. I was on an urgent mission to Blair. The message was -Don't wreck the London Labour election in the same sway you wrecked Rhodri Morgan's election in Wales. It was too late. He did.
Now I am being led into the blossoming delights of the Blogosphere as an ingenue. Iain Dale reminded me in a kind comment last night about our joint Labour-Tory venture of Dragons led by Poodles.
It was written very quickly and published instantly. A precursor to a blog. Things can only get better.
Panic picture
This afternoon's hysteria about James Purnell's picture forces a correction. I must confess that the picture in yesterday's blog of Anne Widdecombe had been doctored. She does NOT have three heads.
James Purnell is under the lash because someone added him to a picture when he arrived too late for the posed one. If his career falters for this, this will be worst career injustice since PPS Hartley Booth resigned for having coitus non-startus with his researcher. Or as the Tories called it Hartley's seedless jam.
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