Depoliticisation of a Nation

The big story this morning is the collapse of Labour, shouts the BBC.

WRONG!!

The big news is that after 30 years of a neuterd media, chasing quick profits and cheap headlines, replacing fact with speculation, gossip and innuendo, we have totally unaccountable politicians.

They're not debating the economy, they're not looking at how Europe has, through apathy, shifted to the right in the middle of possibly the worst recession for over 100 years.

Conviction politicians have been replaced by caeer politicians. On both sides of the house, whether they're trust fund kids, or privately educated analysts, researchers, consultants or lawyers, we no longer have people who care. Oh, they care about themselves alright, but they don't care about anyone else.

The rise of 24 hour news has given the opportunity to a bunch of careerists, whether in the media or the House of Commons, to 'create' a profile based on a few soundbites and superficial platitudes.

Whilst the recession deepens, and unemployment continues to rise, we are faced with the crowning glory of the Blair Thatcher Depoliticisation project...a government probably to be elected without policy or conviction, who could well win a landslide without having to offer the people any tangible promise of action.

Work calls, having got that off my chest...hope today is good for you all.

Barca expose the Manchester United myth

The media would have you believe that Manchester United sweep all before them. Unstoppable, a runaway train that no mere mortals can stop.

Well, last night they were made to look very ordinary by a talented football side.

United's record against the top teams this season is actually not very good.

Premiership - 5 points from 6 games against the other 3 top sides.

FA Cup - semi-final defeat by Everton.

League Cup - a win, yes. But on penalties against a team who, at the time, were in the bottom half of the premiership. And that was after losing a semi-final first leg against a Championship side.

Champions League - ah, the big myth. Group stage...well if you have seen a weaker group (er, Aalborg??) in Champions League history then I'd like to see it. Quarter-Final - weakest team of the last 8, who could easily have put the game beyond doubt in the first leg. Semi-Final - weakest team of the last 4, and a second leg victory built on a slip by a rookie defender and an (admittedly excellent) free kick given for a foul that never was.

Now don't get me wrong, United are a very good side. 1 down against, say, Wigan then there'll fight their way back. But 1 down against Barca, or Liverpool - they look decidedly ordinary.

A good team, yes. Worthy Premiership champions...probably - I'm no Liverpool fan but I think that they lost it rather than United winning it.

But Greatest Team Ever (copyright Sky Sports) - not by a long way.