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Politics: showbiz for ugly, stupid, selfish people

Dan | 05.02.2007 00:50

Perhaps being over-awed by being voted Time Magazines 'Person of the Year 2007' I tried to share the love around. I posted this in support of Brian Haw being Channel4's 'Most Inspiring Political Figure'  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/01/360362.html
Not my first choice perhaps but a damn sight better than Blair among the typically limited 6 options.

Then CorporateWatch chose IM as their number one publication ahead of such undoubted luminaries as Znet, Medialens and SchNEWS.  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/02/361244.html Good call CorporateWatch, take a bow IMCistas, remember to thank your parents in your acceptance speech. Seriously, that is high-praise.

Now, the Observer has asked us to vote in the second annual Observer Ethical Awards, sponsored by Ecover ( 'greenwashing your whites since 1980' ) and I say this is an award too far. "Do you know a young campaigner worth shouting about?" is the tempting headline. Why yes I do. If this was an IM award I'd vote for Joss Garman of Plane Stupid, Greenpeace and Trident Ploughshares. He is as irrescable and daft as Chris from Skins, but with courage, conviction and depth. He is just a name but he is good. Am I going to vote for him in a poll organised by a newspaper that has consistently supported Blairite war-mongering ? In a corporate poll that also asks for my favourite 'green product', 'green politician' and 'green supermarket'. If you do vote you could win a totally unnecessary trip to a Paris restaurant - but it's by train so that is okay. Well, I wouldn't want to insult Joss or limit his chances of surviving a full life-span. There are no products or supermarkets or politicians who deserve our praise, ethically speaking. And even if you disagree, voting for them in the Observer newspaper is like voting for your favourite anti-racist campaigner on the Stormfront website.

How ethical and green was the Iraq war again Roger Alton ? And where have you apologised for supporting it ? If you lower yourself to vote at all in this discredited rag, vote 'Anyone but Roger Alton'. With you and all the precocious hypocritical rich kids who read your rag in charge, bring on climate change.

Dan