Gordon Brown and JFK don't, on the surface of it, appear to have much in common. But the Dour One is aiming to emulate his hero by publishing a book in 2008 called Courage of Heroes. Kennedy published a book before he became President called Profiles in Courage, where he profiled eight US Senators (both Democrat and Republican) who had displayed bravery and courage. Brown's book was supposed to have come out this year, but instead he brought out a mind numbingly dull collection of his speeches instead.The blurb on Brown's book (see Amazon) invites satire.
What makes some men and women take difficult decisions and do the right thing against the odds, when easier and far less dangerous alternatives are open to them?
Translation: Why didn't I challenge Tony Blair when it was easier not to?
Why do some people have what Dostoevsky calls the courage to dare, when most of us feel pretty sure we wouldn't be able to match their daring?.
Translation: You're not wrong there, Gordon. See above.
Gordon Brown has hardly taken a political risk in his life, so I'm not sure he's qualified to write the book. The reason why he hasn't copied Kennedy's book in profiling brave politicians is that he'd have to be non partisan - and Gordon Brown is the most partisan politician of modern times. He genuinely can see no good whatsoever in anyone who doesn't share his own political outlook. And that's one reason among many why he will be a truly terrible Prime Minister.
26 comments:
Did I read your posting right - Amazon has it filed under satire?
In between micro-managing the universe, being the best dad in the world, and all the politics, where did he find the time to write this guff?
The hunt should be started for the ghost-writer straight away.....
hang on - you keep telling us that he'll never be PM?
make your mind up.
Of course, JFK didn't actually write "his" book - his dad paid some hacks to knock it out for him.
I think you mean that Ted Sorensen wrote "Profiles in Courage", and John F. Kennedy put his name on the front.
Perhaps he could slip the date further to 2009 - and publish it as a companion volume to his post-election-defeat memoirs?
To be fair, I don't recall Margaret Thatcher being a Prime Minister who was tolerant of those who disagreed with her!
really?
if gordon can't see things as objectively as you say, why was it he and not any of the tory chancellor's prior to him who gave independence to the bank of england?
if that isn't an example of brilliant objective thinking, then i think its you who has the problem with giving objective praise to those of a different idealogical persuasion.
oh, and please keep your cameron brown nosing to a minimum, its undermining the sterling quality of the rest of your blog.
Iain Dale - You're No Norman Lamb!
The preening vanity of new labour politicians knows no bounds!
JFK's original book is pretty hard going. We can excuse Kennedy because he saw off the Commies in Cuba and he was a war hero. Brown is the worst chancellor since Philip Snowdon.
I bet Brown's is really Balls. And crushingly boring. So much for being environmentally friendly. As 99% of the copies will be pulped why doesn't he save some trees and not bother?
Henry Krinkle: I agree Brown is a political heavyweight, but given the gossamer lightness of most NuLab politicians, that's not hard.
I agree with Hutton that Brown will make a f**king awful PM, but I guess we will all find out in due course. Unfortunately
He raises taxes Just For Kicks?
But have you seen what a spin doctor's list of heroes they are?
Mandela (surprise surprise) and Aung San Suu Kyi, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Eric 'Chariots of Fire' Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Raoul Wallenberg, Edith Cavell and Todd '9/11 Let's roll' Beamer.
I blogged on it recently....
Poor old Gordon just doesn't get it. Timing, title and select list all out of kilter. Laughable PR exercise which consolidates his loser image. He will ceratinly be this century's Callaghan. RFK was a 'courageous' bully who took on Teamsters and JEHoover knowing he couldn't lose. JEH responded by inviting RFK to view his dossier and telling Kennedy to f--- off. Which the brave Kennedy did.
It's interesting that the defenders of Brown here seem to struggle for example's of the Great One's greatness after giving the Bank of England its independece. Even this is a poor example of 'courage'. Just after its been elected with a huge majority a government can get away with virtually anything, including taking million pound bribes or employing Charlie Wheelan. Since Blair and virtually the rest of the world has accepted the post-Thatcher economic consensus, it was hardly particularly courageous anyway. More courageous would be delegating something where we still don't all agree on how it should be done (e.g. hospitals). Instead Brown's idea of devolution is to create more quangoes to tell other quangoes and local authorities in even more detail how to do their jobs.
Giving operational (not full) independence to the Bank of England was probably the most overrated decision ever. All it meant was that pre-election booms would be orchestrated by tampering with fiscal policy, rather than monetary policy, which is much more damaging and much more difficult to reverse. The post-ERM monetary policy framework which the Major government had put in place was fully successful working well.
However, Brown was able to spin it very well in the aftermath of a huge election victory to cretinous journalists with no training in economics who wanted to show how new the new government was and it remains the one nuLab reform which is nearly above criticism.
Gordon Brown.... Courage....
It just doesn't sit well, you know?
the druid - Kennedy was a war hero? Oh, pulleeeeeze! He sank his ship practically single handed. This is all part of the manipulation of the Kennedy image.
Well,come on,Croydonian, Todd Beemer was a hero. Aung San Suu Ky. Wallenburg. The rest are fellow travellers.
Anyway, I read somewhere that Broon made the BoE independent because he was instructed to do so by the EU. Makes sense. I do not see Mr Busybody Itchyfingers giving up control over anything of his own free will.
well Gordon put in a stonking performance at Lambeth Town Hall tonight, no media. Harriet was there too as a local MP.
Anyway, I don't know why you're all obsessing. Gordon Brown is not going to be prime minister of Britain.
Verity's right - the BoE decision was not Brown's idea. Clarke would have done it had the election gone the other way, because of the economic stuctures of the EU (*spits*) and UK's being the only politically-controlled bank left. And as Jeff Bloody Wonderful Randall says: One Trick Pony. As I blogged elsewhere today, Brown's other great trick was to snaffle the £100 billion from occupational pensions leaving therein a hole valued today at, erm, £100 billion, thus, by a masterstroke, turning Europe's best pension system into its worst and in the teeth of a known demographic downturn. What a bloody genius. Great man? Do me a favour. The man is a thief and an economic ARSE.
Gordon Brown is not going to be prime minister of Britain.
Yes I hope he`s the Nu Lab trying though , just to make sure.
I must say Croydonian did pick this up earlier and ages and ages ago Dearieme made this funny remark.
'Courage of Heroes'
To be followed by what?
Speed of sprinters?
Flight of birds?
Treachery of Tonys?
Isn`t she amusant
The Stern Report joint press conference today was telling: Blair was effective but lacks credibility, Brown was just dreadful , the undergraduate, pedantic emphasis and tone of his public speaking makes most people I know want to tear their own hair out. Who does he imagine will be impressed by the desiccated recitation of the organisations, institutions and reports he's involved with? (he persists in naming them all in brain numbing, laborious detail!) He has no ear, no wit and I assume the Labour Party has a death wish if they crown him leader. Plus he'll do my head in. Don't know anyone who likes him.
anonymous 12:23 - "the undergraduate, pedantic emphasis...".
The man is fixed in amber at a particular point in his undergraduate career when he was considered clever. That was a long, long time ago. He's a drab thinker. No empathy. No understanding of capitalism. And now "a father".
A thoroughly hateful man. He will never be elected. I knew, on first sight of him on TV, that Tony Blair would be elected and I knew that awful consequences to our civil society and the underpinnings of our ancient, well-hammered-out laws would follow. But Brown won't get elected.
Gordon has double-yellow lines running down his back.
Whenever he speaks he sounds like he's filibustering!
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