The persistent asceticism of the left

Blair makes one short reference to “examining ones’ conscience” in a television interview, and the British press (in their innnnn-finite “tolerance”) howls about religion, at the mere possibility of the use of the word.

Referring to the influence of a “muscular”, “born-again” style America, they miss the point. US affairs aren’t influenced inordinately by religious institutions or figures, it just doesn’t have a bias against and hatred for them.

Pat Robertson, and the “Reverend” Jesse Jackson each only have one vote, and so do I. The existence of either of them puts no-one at a disadvantage.

The BBC made much of material I didn’t happen to hear in the teaser they’ve been flogging:

«So it must come as no surprise to Tony Blair that his remarks - made on ITV1's Parkinson programme - about being judged by God for his actions in Iraq have sparked a storm of protest.

It raises the prospect of inflaming Arab opinion which often links Christian western leaders with suggestions of a "crusade" - a charge already leveled at President Bush.

Others have asked how a Christian can defend war and “sending soldiers and civilians to their death.»

Never mind the fact that it’s ITV’s scoop. Were the same zeal offered to the “freeing of Tibet”, which truly seeks theocracy, then thoughts of heresy, religiosity, and the like barely figure into the conversation at all.
But if a critic is predisposed to try to make an argument that an elected leader is part of some religious illuminati, their mere mention of “consulting ones’ conscience” is a reason to display ones’ fear.

Perhaps they want a PM, or anyone else for that matter to NOT consult their conscience, and to do little more than stick their finger in the political wind. No?
I think they’d prefer a sort of false meritocracy of civil service experts who pass a governance test that is selected, not elected.

Meanwhile Radio 4 returns to it’s regularly scheduled programming of “All Gitmo, all the time”, and peppers it with round table discussions of why privatizing Royal Mail is bad for social justice™ as if it was the business of a state broadcaster to promote a nebulous, inaccessible cult intent on disempowering the people™ with delusions and failed class theory.