Diplomacy and Lies

The London Times, sadly, offers us the following today. "The row over the early release of the Lockerbie bomber ten days ago shows no sign of abating after the Ministry of Justice indicated that the decision to include al-Megrahi in a prisoner transfer agreement had been made with the possibility of trade deals with Libya in mind. The negotiations over a prisoner transfer agreement were part of a wider agreement (trade, oil, nuclear non-proliferation, perhaps?) for the 'normalisation of relations' with Libya as part of bringing them into the international community.''
How awfully sporting of us, and how ineffably stupid our political masters believe us to be. Spin has become an almost mandatory gambit whereby the insecure coax themselves into an Orwellian doublespeak which is delusional, immature and dishonest.

Smokescreening is not confined to the British Isles, however. Hamas has attacked the UN, alleging the organisation planned to teach Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip about the Holocaust, but the UN agency which runs schools in the enclave has hitherto not confirmed any curriculum changes. Calling the Shoah "a lie invented by the Zionists," Hamas wrote in an open letter to a senior UN official that he should withdraw plans for a new history book in the UN schools. Ah. Should he, indeed. I wonder if those labouring under Hamas' bitter and mendacious rule ever wonder if they are being lied to also. The cartoon is clumsy, misleading and, oh, yes. Immature and dishonest.