Airstrip One

Reflections of a Guardian Browser

Peter Briffa get's the pyche of Guardian readers just right in this commentary on Tony Martin:

In my experience, anyone who buys the Guardian - as opposed to read it - I read it, and I'm a sweetie - with any regularity must be a bit psychotic. Speak for more than five minutes to one of these weirdoes and he's already put a price on Dubya's head, denounced Blair as a sellout, and accused the proletariat as cretinous drones being pushed around like sheep by Mr. Murdoch, Conrad Black, and whoever owns the Mail. No one is too bad for them, and aside from their own pristine selves, everyone is corrupt. I think it is this terrible fear/paranoia/sense of his own superiority that makes your average Guardian reader hate the likes of Tony Martin.

If you burgle my neighbour's house then you're in need of help. If you Burgle my house, then you're scum.

Of course this sort of rampant attitude to those with whom you disagree has the (unfortunate) habit of making the peace movement look hysterically anti-American rather than sensibly pro-British and (happily) makes the pro-European movement look like narrow-minded idealogues who take any reservations on the European project as objective evidence of incipient fascism. If only the Guardian were pro-American too.

(Sad to say the Guardian does actually have some very good reporting on foreign affairs, but that doesn't make me a Guardian reader, I'm a Guardian browser damnit.)