The Machinery of Night

Posted 7:56 PM by Angie Schultz

Bribe or Twist

Those wacky libertarians at Samizdata have unearthed a charming nugget from the British media, specifically the Mail on Sunday. In the "Review" section, a Peter Oborne has an article subtly entitled "RIP Democracy 1776-2004". The pull quote:

America thinks it can tell us about freedom and how the world should be run -- yet its own leader will be chosen by a handful of ignorant bigots who only listen to smears and lies...

Rubbish: most British journalists can't vote in US elections. Brian Micklethwait, who discovered this, is relieved to be unable to find it on line.

Brian also points to a round-up of British TV shows about the election at sunny Blognor Regis. Peter Oborne makes an appearance there, too:

Political commentator Peter Oborne visits America to assess the nation's democratic credentials ahead of the forthcoming presidential election. Joining the campaign trail, he discovers that the process is something of a sham as the most ill-informed people in the country ultimately decide who is to become the most powerful man in the world

I'm a little astonished that the British market can sustain so many shows on a foreign election. A goodly portion of my support for Bush is just a desire to see these people's heads explode if he wins. You think there's any way to get it on Pay Per View?

You cannot hope to bribe or twist
(thank God!) the British journalist.
But, seeing what the man will do
unbribed, there's no occasion to.

--- Humbert Wolfe