This will be a short diary, but it's one that's meant as a breath of fresh air.
After my little rec list rant yesterday, I was heartened to discover that, occasionally, a prominent politician can speak the actual truth in clear, bell-like tones. Unfortunately, I had to cross the fucking Atlantic Ocean to find him, but these days, I'll take what I can get.
The politician in question is named Vince Cable. He's a member of Britain's Liberal Democratic Party, is the MP for Twickenham, and currently serves in Prime Minister David Cameron's government as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. (Quite the portfolio, eh?) Anyway, the Guardian is reporting on one very interesting comment Mr. Cable had about American politics. Appearing on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show, Cable had this to say about the Republicans in the U.S. Congress who are currently playing with fire over the debt ceiling:
So I mean the irony of the situation at the moment, you know looking to markets opening tomorrow morning, is that the biggest threat to the world financial system comes from a few right wing nutters in the American Congress rather than the Eurozone.
Cable was discussing the debt crisis in the Eurozone, but it was remarkable to me to see someone so high in the U.K. government do something that almost no American with any authority or influence seems willing to do -- tell the truth.
So let's celebrate the fact that a prominent high-ranking politician has finally managed to speak the truth about the Tea Party Republicans who are pushing the U.S. to default on its debt and endangering the full faith and credit of the United States government. They are indeed "right wing nutters."
I wonder if Mr. Cable is available for speaking engagements here in the U.S.
(You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming.)