Sarah Palin: America having us on....??

Every time I read about Sarah Palin, I shudder in disbelief that someone like her, ignorant and intolerant, could ever be considered a candidate for the Presidency of the United States. America, I have to believe, is having us on...a big laugh at the expense of the rest of the world....at least I hope so!

How is it possible that someone who can't name a newspaper, who considers herself a foreign affairs expert on the basis that on a clear day in Alaska she can see Russia from her bedroom window (or something like that) and who believes that our one true ally is......North Korea, how is it that such a person could be in her current position?

Why have grassroots Republicans embraced her with such naked enthusiasm when senior party leaders reach for the garlic and crucifix at the very mention of her name? Is it really possible that she could actually make it to the White House in the lead position? Or, is it that the American voter enjoys her small-minded rhetoric in the same way they love and accept Joan River's outrageous outbursts, but wouldn't necessarily want her as President?

Sarah Palin strikes me as someone who, when John McCain's people knocked on her door, immediately saw the main chance and grasped it with both hands. But her ego knows no bounds and the woman now sees herself as the saviour of America. The rest of the world can save itself, as she is not too sure where it is.

Sarah Palin lives in a la-la world of her own creation and it would be awful if enough voters were sucked in to take her all the way to the White House. Surely it is not possible?

WikiLeaks: Communication is the key.....

If communication is the key to an open society, then WikiLeaks has done its job! The release of the documents is an embarrassment for the United States of America and in the future foreign powers will be most reluctant to express honest opinions when dealing with it.


The North Koreans may be feeling a little more paranoid today, with the revelations that China, its only friend in the world, consider it a "spoilt child" and would be happy for reunification with South Korea. As China is the only country with real influence over the rogue state, it would be dangerous for the world if their special relationship was to end.


As for the revelations about our own Prince Andrew, the man is such an arrogant over-bearing, cossetted spoilt brat, that any negative comments about him would be like water off a duck's back. The Ambassador who wrote the remarks, Tatiana Gfoeller, stated that the prince spoke "cockily" and "verged on the rude" at a 2008 meeting in Kyrgyzstan with British and Canadian business leaders. Just being his normal self then!


The prince was there in his capacity as Special UK trade representative, a position which allows him to indulge in his love for fast cars, luxury air-flights, endless rounds of golf and royal belligerence, as to the palace born.


Most people in the UK see the prince as a porky parasite, with absolutely no empathy for those he purports to represent on the world stage. He is likely to be totally unconcerned by any negative remarks about him.

Pope Benedict XVI: Condoms and a prick of conscience...

The Roman Catholic Church moves in mysterious ways and always very very slowly, so it should be no surprise that it has taken so long for a Pope to proclaim that perhaps there are times when the use of a condom can be justified.

For the Church of Rome it is a major step forward and for Africa and the rest of the Third World a pipeline in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Did this current Pope, Benedict XVI, have a prick of conscience that so many millions of his flock are infected, dying or already dead because they stupidly followed the Church's teaching on contraception? Never mind the unwanted babies brought into the world because Rome declared a johnny no-go.

Many are attracted to Rome because of the rigid stance it takes on issues of life and death and in a world of uncertainty that is a powerful comfort for many of its' congregation. But there are others who cling to it despite some of its' teachings which they find inhuman and lacking in christian compassion.

Pope Benedict also elected several new Cardinals in recent days, the majority from Europe. Is this to counter-balance the growth of the ultra-conservative right-wing African arm of the Church, which preaches hated and intolerance against those who fail to share its' narrow views?

Could this Pope, the rothweiler of legend, really be the one capable of moving the Church towards a more tolerant era in its' history?

Poor Ireland: Irish eyes closed in humiliation....

Poor Ireland! The Celtic Tiger is no more and Irish eyes are closed in humiliation, as its people come to terms with a shattered economy on a scale beyond the comprehension of most of the population. It is the majority of ordinary everyday people who are paying in lost jobs and repossessed homes for the greed and incompetence of the past two decades.

Successive Irish governments, banks and property barons did well out of the boom that saw houses and office blocks built on every inch of available land. Homeowners were happy too, with even the most modest of homes worth amounts that could never be justified or sustained.

The pressure is now on for Ireland to accept help from the European Fund, something the government is reluctant to do as it effectively means the end of the country's much fought for independence. Those politicians responsible for the mess must surely hang their head in shame, because they have betrayed the people of this green land.

Despite the denials of the Irish government, it is likely that within days a rescue package will be announced that will cost countries like the UK billions - and will allow Europe to lord it over a battered and once free Ireland.

Sally Bercow, The Speaker's Wife: God help him!

Someone, anyone, but preferably her husband, should tell Labour-loving Sally Bercow to keep her mouth shut! John Bercow, her husband, is the Tory MP and current Speaker of the House Of Commons, where he is responsible for ensuring the good behaviour of MPs and lives the life of a prince in recompense. Unfortunately, he cannot even control her and whilst I am not suggesting that all wives should adopt the "Stepford Method", the least this woman could do is stop making her husband look like an overly submissive lapdog. By keeping her big mouth shut and her Twitter finger otherwise engaged, it might help restore dignity to the office of Speaker. (It has been in existence since 1376).

She has supported Phil Woolas, the Labour MP accused of lying about his opponent in the General Election and who has been kicked out of his party. Admittedly, his removal shocked MPs on all sides who would have difficulty throwing the first stone, glass house or not.

What has surprised everyone is that her suggestion a by-election be postponed until Mr Woolas completes the legal process in his defence, was accepted and confirmed by the Speaker hours later. Coincidence or ball-busting pillow-talk? We should be told!

Despite living in gracious style as the wife of the Speaker, Mrs Bercow refused to meet the Pope on his recent visit to the UK and is reported as saying she "didn't like this Pope" and "couldn't get a babysitter". One would have thought that as The Pontiff was on a State visit she could have found a way to be with her husband when he welcomed him to the Houses of Parliament.

Mrs Bercow has declared that her proclamations and twittering are to raise her public profile, but I doubt Labour would see her as an asset, should she ever want to enter Parliament in her own right. Mr Bercow is not popular with Tory MPs who see him as favouring Labour, so are happy to see him embarrassed and humilitated by his gobby wife.

There is nothing wrong with Mr Bercow supporting her, in fact it is an admirable trait, but those self-serving statements don't do him or his grand office any favours.

George W. Bush: Memoir of his life with God and Tony Blair...

Like him or not, George W. Bush has provided us with a memoir of his life that is insightful, entertaining and as honest as a politician can be. What does come across is his belief in God, which an American politician can declare without embarrassment, whereas it is not really the done thing here in the UK.

In fact it scares us to death that our Leaders would justify decisions on the basis of a personal communication with the Higher Power. Tony Blair avoided discussions about his religious beliefs, converting to the Roman Catholic Church only after he stepped down as Prime Minister. One of our current political leaders, Nick Clegg, has long declared himself an atheist, without repercussions. Here in the UK there is no such thing as the religious Right and anyone declaring themselves such would be seen as...well, a bit of a nut.

Mr Bush's Memoirs have received mainly positive reviews here, although he still hasn't really explained why he and Mr Blair were so determined to go to war...any war. The piece about the lack of communications aboard Air Force One during the USA's most horrific moments, were a reminder of the question once raised about nuclear weapons. Having spent all that money, do any of the nuclear weapons stored around the United States, actually work? Or is it just their very existence that is the deterrent?

Tony Blair's reputation here in the UK remains in tatters and is unlikely to recover. One wonders how the US will perceive George W. Bush in the years to come?

X Factor: Allegations of rigged results not good for show

This current series of the X Factor has attracted massive audiences and media coverage. It has even found itself with some genuine talent. In addition, it has been the source of major bitching amongst the judges and a platform for Cheryl Cole's fall from grace as "the nation's sweetheart".

Cheryl has been badly-served this time round, with criticism of her decision not to select Gamul and then her cop-out last Sunday when she refused to nominate Katie or TreyC for expulsion. We have since learned that the decision for her not to vote last Sunday was made by the programme makers who obviously wanted Katie to stay. And they were right.

TreyC may be the better singer, but she lacks star appeal, whereas Katie Waissel may very well be a drama queen, but she does have a certain something. She has also provided the X Factor with multiple stories to feed the media and help it achieve its biggest TV audiences.

It is also likely that this weekend no amount of manipulation will save her from the wrath of the public vote. And this is the problem now facing the show. If she doesn't go the viewers will feel cheated that their votes are being ignored...and if it happened this week, why not next, or in previous series?

Some of the recent publicity has not been beneficial, with reports of skulduggery suggesting that selected acts have received special treatment with vocal enhancement and even bigger clothes budgets. This has been denied, but adds to the impression that all is not above board.

It would be a shame if the programme, with its amazing production values, was to slide down the ratings because the public no longer think it fair. Simon Cowell has managed to resurrect weekend TV, but with this series he has lost control of the media hype. Allegations of rigged results are not good for him or his showcase.

The Coalition Government & UK Students: A reminder of Nick's betrayal...

The Liberal Democrats must be shaking in their boots following the scenes in London, which hadUK students demonstrating against the proposed increase in university fees. Not only did the protests turn into ugly violence and a huge embarrassment for the police, but also a reminder of Nick Clegg's betrayal.

Prior to the General Election he and his party were ferocious in their condemnation of any increases in tuition fees and the quick climbdown, once a party of government, has badly dented Clegg's own credibility. Judging by his stammering performance in the House of Commons last week, he is fully aware of his new status as the man who so easily swapped principle for power.

As each day passes he appears to be fading in stature and things can only get worse as the Liberal Democrats are forced to compromise over even more previously-held firm beliefs. Nick Clegg may attempt to sell his hypocrisy as being in the national interest, but whether voters will buy it is debatable.

Nick climbed into bed with David Cameron to create the Coalition government, but it is the Tory leader alone with a smile of satisfaction on his face. When the cuts really start to bite, the LibDems will be reminded of their broken promises and come the next election the public may show its displeasure by withdrawing support for the lesser and much weaker arm of this government.

Meanwhile, let's hope David can pass on a little of that satisfaction to handsome Nick. Something tells me their buddy relationship will, sooner rather than later, hit stormy waters.

The American Mid-Term Elections: President Obama Shellacked!

The President of the United States, Barack Obama, was badly defeated in the mid-term elections, with the Republicans taking Congress and the Democrats just holding on to the Senate. "I took a shellacking" he declared in what was a humbling response to the election defeat.

When Barack Obama was elected, the rest of the civilised world applauded and paid homage to the American people for their decision to appoint a black man to the highest office in the land. Mr Obama came across as smart, cool and inspirational. A spreader of hope after the conflicts of the Bush era and a man expected to lead America and the world out of the economic gloom.

Unfortunately, the recovery hasn't been fast enough and the Republican Party, in crisis with opposing internal factions and Sarah Palin hovering over it like an eccentric banshee, has somehow managed to rise about itself to take over the House of Representatives.

The Tea Party, so closely related to the Republicans, may have made gains, but many in the USA will have sighed with relief that some of its high-profile candidates failed to gain seats, despite Sarah Palin's backing.

The future for President Obama is uncertain, but perhaps his forced willingness to co-operate with the opposition will lead to a more pragmatic approach to the business of government and, in particular, policies to stimulate the US economy and those beyond its borders.
If his opponents are seen to oppose him just to cause difficulties, it may be seen as not acting in the best interests of the country and voters, worried about their jobs and homes, would be likely to reject such a negative strategy.

It has been suggested that Obama needs to adopt more of President Ronald Reagan's positive outlook and inner belief that all would eventually turn out for the best.

Perhaps he also needs to talk less and do more.

The X Factor: The publicity machine..Master of the media

The X Factor publicity machine has proved itself a Master of the media world, with every medium making efforts to outdo each other in reporting on this latest series.

This series has produced some excellent talent, but it is still the judges who make the show a success and this time around both Louis Walsh and Cheryl Cole should be congratulated on playing their part in keeping those front and centre pages coming! Simon Cowell has done an amazing £120million deal with ITV to keep him, X Factor (and Britain's Got Talent) on air next year and beyond, so he will be happy with the massive viewing audiences the current series is attracting.

Cheryl Cole's image may have been damaged after the Gamu incident, but it hasn't stopped Simon treating her like his favourite goddess, as both laugh, joke and whisper private comments to each other, freezing out their colleagues who pretend not to notice. This series Louis has come into his own, looking frown-free and being bitchy as hell towards his Lord and Master, Simon Cowell. As they are genuine friends, one wonders if Louis has had permission to be so brave!

As for the talent, regardless of their ability, most will fade into oblivion, but there are a couple who could make decent careers, including Katie Waissel, who needs to reduce the tears and the tiresome diva drama.

The X Factor has made for great TV here in the UK and it will be interesting to watch the US version next year. Already the hype has started on who will join Cowell's judging panel, with reports that although Cheryl Cole is one of his choices, the American TV executives are fearful viewers won't understand her accent.

Already the judges here are campaigning to keep their spot on the next UK series.