Decentism in all its Decency
Norman Geras's opening speech to the Euston Manifesto "Real World" launch:It happened in the days immediately following 9/11. Not just simple-minded, but cold, shameful, appalling responses to the crime that had been perpetrated, parading across the pages of the liberal and left press. You know the terms of it: blowback;...
Nick Cohen, Chair of Euston Manifesto "Real World" launch, in the days immediately following 9/11 (9/16 in fact), writing in the liberal, left press, in a piece titled "Too close for comfort: Standing shoulder to shoulder with the American people should not mean subjection to US policy", argued:
'Blowback' is the jargon word for his well-founded fears. 'We have nothing, you have everything,' the hijackers said in effect to the financial and military élites of the world's hyperpower.
It's not entirely clear to me that Cohen understands what 'blowback' means, he seems to be using it as meaning your technology is blown back into your face, not that it's a penalty for your foreign policy. But then again the latter view is certainly one that he held. Two months later, in his infamous 'Come on you liberals' piece, he declared that:
He [the Prime Minister] has ordered British troops to stand 'shoulder to shoulder' with the US military/He has - and there's no point being prissy about this - pinned a large target sign on this country.
posted by Matthew @ 5/26/2006 03:13:00 PM
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