[A-List] UK state: Iraq crisis

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Paul Krugman writes:
>
> If this same lack of accountability extends to matters of war and peace,
> we're in very deep trouble. The British seem to understand this: Max
> Hastings, the veteran war correspondent - who supported Britain's
> participation in the war - writes that "the prime minister committed
British
> troops and sacrificed British lives on the basis of a deceit, and it
> stinks."

-----

Max Hastings is a useful bellweather of establishment opinion -- where
"establishment" is taken to mean the hegemonic bloc effectively governing
Britain just now. When he's not writing interesting memoirs bemoaning the
baleful influence of Conrad Black on British journalism, he holidays with
"the three best Conservative leaders who never were": Michael Heseltine,
Douglas Hurd and Kenneth Clarke. All of whom are on the europhile wing of
the Conservative Party and who are, one way or another, cooperating with
Blair in campaigning for UK eurozone membership. Hastings himself supported
Blair from about 1995 onwards when it was clear that the Conservative Party,
as a political vehicle, simply could not act "in the national interest",
despite the best efforts of "Honest" John Major. Thus for Hastings to turn
so publicly on Blair is as good an indication as any of how mightily pissed
off certain key sections of opinion are with their former golden boy, adding
further to the sense of crisis now surrounding this administration and the
likelihood of an earlier-than-planned departure for Tony.

Interesting that Krugman would pick up on Hastings in New York.

Michael Keaney