Top lawyer damns Blair as Bush sycophant over war

Today's Times carries a powerful article by Sir Ken Macdonald, director of public prosecutions between 2003 and 2008, that says Blair was drunk on power when it came to dragging us into the Iraq war, engaging in "an alarming subterfuge with his partner George Bush" and going on to "mislead and cajole the British people into a deadly war they had made perfectly clear they didn’t want".

"In this sense he was weak and, as we can see, he remains so. Since those sorry days we have frequently heard him repeating the self-regarding mantra that 'hand on heart, I only did what I thought was right'. But this is a narcissist's defence, and self-belief is no answer to misjudgment: it is certainly no answer to death."

But he warns that the Chilcot inquiry may turn out to be a whitewash.

"In British public life, loyalty and service to power can sometimes count for more to insiders than any tricky questions of wider reputation. It's the regard you are held in by your peers that really counts, so that steadfastness in the face of attack and threatened exposure brings its own rich hierarchy of honour and reward."

We all knew Blair had a weak character. Why couldn't his own party see it?

See Blair admits war lies

Top lawyer damns Blair as Bush sycophant over war

Today's Times carries a powerful article by Sir Ken Macdonald, director of public prosecutions between 2003 and 2008, that says Blair was drunk on power when it came to dragging us into the Iraq war, engaging in "an alarming subterfuge with his partner George Bush" and going on to "mislead and cajole the British people into a deadly war they had made perfectly clear they didn’t want".

"In this sense he was weak and, as we can see, he remains so. Since those sorry days we have frequently heard him repeating the self-regarding mantra that 'hand on heart, I only did what I thought was right'. But this is a narcissist's defence, and self-belief is no answer to misjudgment: it is certainly no answer to death."

But he warns that the Chilcot inquiry may turn out to be a whitewash.

"In British public life, loyalty and service to power can sometimes count for more to insiders than any tricky questions of wider reputation. It's the regard you are held in by your peers that really counts, so that steadfastness in the face of attack and threatened exposure brings its own rich hierarchy of honour and reward."

We all knew Blair had a weak character. Why couldn't his own party see it?

See Blair admits war lies

Nutcracker advent calendar

Now for a bit of culture. Try out this beautiful advent calendar which gives you a clip of the Nutcracker ballet every day up until Christmas.

Welcome to the Opus Arte Advent Calendar – an interactive calendar that celebrates the magic of The Nutcracker and celebrates Opus Arte’s 2009/2010 cinema season; a season that features the very finest opera, ballet, music and theatre from The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, King’s College Cambridge, Shakespeare’s Globe, Teatro Real, Madrid and the Liceu, Barcelona in cinemas across the country. To see where the Nutcracker is being performed this Christmas season please click on the link provided and enjoy the performances day-by-day!

Nutcracker advent calendar

Now for a bit of culture. Try out this beautiful advent calendar which gives you a clip of the Nutcracker ballet every day up until Christmas.

Welcome to the Opus Arte Advent Calendar – an interactive calendar that celebrates the magic of The Nutcracker and celebrates Opus Arte’s 2009/2010 cinema season; a season that features the very finest opera, ballet, music and theatre from The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, King’s College Cambridge, Shakespeare’s Globe, Teatro Real, Madrid and the Liceu, Barcelona in cinemas across the country. To see where the Nutcracker is being performed this Christmas season please click on the link provided and enjoy the performances day-by-day!

Tiger Woods' nipples banned in Britain

In yet another assault on our freedom of speech, fame-hound Justice David Eady has banned the publication of "any naked part" of Tiger Woods anatomy.

This is the same judge who granted Trafigura a super-injunction not only banning information about the polluting corporation dumping poisonous waste, but also banning information about the existence of the injunction.

Up until this point I sympathised with Tiger Woods as it looks like he has a problem that requires TLC, not being traduced by the press. But his recourse to some of the most draconian laws in the world is pathetic and ineffective, especially as the US media can do what they want with his pix.

So here for your delectation is a picture of Tiger's face and torso including (shudder) a brace of nipples which might or might not have taken a pounding from all his "admirers". If they exist. Allegedly.

Hat tip, the wonderful Craig Murray

Tiger Woods' nipples banned in Britain

In yet another assault on our freedom of speech, fame-hound Justice David Eady has banned the publication of "any naked part" of Tiger Woods anatomy.

This is the same judge who granted Trafigura a super-injunction not only banning information about the polluting corporation dumping poisonous waste, but also banning information about the existence of the injunction.

Up until this point I sympathised with Tiger Woods as it looks like he has a problem that requires TLC, not being traduced by the press. But his recourse to some of the most draconian laws in the world is pathetic and ineffective, especially as the US media can do what they want with his pix.

So here for your delectation is a picture of Tiger's face and torso including (shudder) a brace of nipples which might or might not have taken a pounding from all his "admirers". If they exist. Allegedly.

Hat tip, the wonderful Craig Murray