Current libdem leader had "teeth" that were TOO sharp, with the weight to affect the global foreign policy debate IN PARLIAMENTARY DISCUSSIONS too.
Timing for the alleged dissension in the party this time - though in fact - that "dissension" was entirely a media creation - was in the immediate aftermath of the party conference season, when the attempt was going to have taken place to stitch up the tory leader, in favour of somebody with more of a blind spot for the consequences of deregulations, subprime lendings disasters etc, but talk of the election timing meant all the news was about "torylabour labourtory dothey dont they," etc, so, as the parliamentary session hadnt got going yet - allowing the continuing questioning about the war in iraq to show results, or, say, the expected questions about other libdem MPs good work on the dave kelly case to get raised, low libdem profile, poll figures, werent a surprise.
Odd, then, the "media mood music" picked up all too often by journalists that either dont have, or didnt put aside the time to use their own brains. Ambiguity intentional.
The interviews with what the times, grauniad, etc - or SOMEBODY seemed to try to foist upon the libdems as "the only two people you should think about, were oddly overcareful to "avoid mentioning the war." How often have the public got told we have either got used to or forgotten the war. As often as we have got told its "over". Or to stop asking awkward questions?

But that demo last week - at the sort of awkward time people dont usually turn out for, then with the "police prohibition, bruisers or redflagwavers only please" had such a lot of ALL types of people that the police prohibition was lifted. To that odd media silence you might have expected from some papers about nazi atrocities in the 1930s, or that we are almost getting about the burmese situation.
People aint "forgotten the war", they aint possible to portray as "all commies" or "all pacifists" or all "against our troops". . . .
. . . . then theres the odd case of the westminsterinfluenced young researchers of the libdem shadow treasury team, with their odd influences overcertain of the MPs, their odd blindspots about the warning signals of the "sub prime lending" fiasco thats the tip of the iceberg to a "deregulated" global system - deteriorated almost to a set of dodgy scams with cash laundries - thats under question by most sensible people in the world, after the recent disasters.
The libdems, a lot of them - probably most - DONT actually have their minds shut to the need for a serious look at these global structures. Having somebody in the debate that has the political weight, wit - but also the unquestioned integrity - who might set THAT debate in its foreign policy setting - wars, peace, choices, effects. . . . is something the public might have appreciated, but, it seems, certain vested interests might have seen as a problem.
That doesnt happenOH YES IT DOES GROW UP. Facts, floating "happy-to-remain-nieve" journalist, Facts. Research. But most of all - extra thought. Distrust "the pack" - yes - but also. . . . comprehend the amounts of cash or cover-ups that are involved in all this for some people, when they get a percentage-of-a-percentage-of-a-percentage of, say, some recent arms deal or other, or a longterm "trend" in a combination of different nations budget decisions, or new loophole in "regulations". All those "losses" the world suffered over the recent crashes - that disappears, doesnt it - or might a few people try to keep those disasters happening for the sake of the little gravy trains for them that they hope avoid getting caught in the crashes.
Or mentioned by journalists.
People do spot all this despite the lack of comment.
Its what happens then thats interesting.



Moderate types ask those irritating "radical" types what they were going on about that time they asked them to "shut up". . . .
mmmm