ISBN: 0802140386
Grove Atlantic, 2004
U.S. Journalism prides itself on the belief that all news must be reported in a “fair and balanced” manner. U.S. Journalists portray themselves as chaste chroniclers of world events who would never dare show any emotional concern for any of the topics they cover. They maintain this air of purity even though most savvy media consumers know that personal bias always seeps into the stories. In England, the media has tossed aside this false “objectivism” and openly embrace the political leanings of their journalists. Happily courting like minded subscribers to the appropriate media outlets.
The Guardian newspaper is as synonymous with left-leaning journalism as USA today is to color pie charts. John O’Farrell is a columnist with the Guardian as well as a writer for the TV show Spitting Image and a joke writer for Tony Blair (not the one that is a fake puppet on Spitting image, but the one that is the real puppet of George W. Bush). Global Village Idiot is a reprinting of many of his Guardian columns over the period of time beginning with George W. Bush on the campaign trail and ending on the desert trails leading to Baghdad.
Grove Atlantic, 2004
U.S. Journalism prides itself on the belief that all news must be reported in a “fair and balanced” manner. U.S. Journalists portray themselves as chaste chroniclers of world events who would never dare show any emotional concern for any of the topics they cover. They maintain this air of purity even though most savvy media consumers know that personal bias always seeps into the stories. In England, the media has tossed aside this false “objectivism” and openly embrace the political leanings of their journalists. Happily courting like minded subscribers to the appropriate media outlets.
The Guardian newspaper is as synonymous with left-leaning journalism as USA today is to color pie charts. John O’Farrell is a columnist with the Guardian as well as a writer for the TV show Spitting Image and a joke writer for Tony Blair (not the one that is a fake puppet on Spitting image, but the one that is the real puppet of George W. Bush). Global Village Idiot is a reprinting of many of his Guardian columns over the period of time beginning with George W. Bush on the campaign trail and ending on the desert trails leading to Baghdad.
Mr. O’Farrell takes pains to footnote topics that may not be familiar to an American audience, but what is most striking is how much of American culture has seeped into England. From West Wing and Friends references to Starbucks and McDonalds mentions, and the ever present, universal mocking of France and Germany. The pervasive reach of American culture helps to lesson Mr. O’Farrell’s fear that although Americans are comfortable poking fun of themselves that they may not take as kindly to an outsider pointing out the same faults.
One way he avoids appearing overly critical of the U.S. is by writing about topics that are rooted in English culture, but can easily be understood as similar issues we face in the U.S. The lack of voter participation in elections in “Anarchy and Apathy in the U.K.” The mistrust of immigrants in “Afghan Hounds Welcome; Afghan People Join the Back of the Line” where he wonders, “What is it about the English that makes us love animals and dislike foreigners in almost equal measure . . .
One way he avoids appearing overly critical of the U.S. is by writing about topics that are rooted in English culture, but can easily be understood as similar issues we face in the U.S. The lack of voter participation in elections in “Anarchy and Apathy in the U.K.” The mistrust of immigrants in “Afghan Hounds Welcome; Afghan People Join the Back of the Line” where he wonders, “What is it about the English that makes us love animals and dislike foreigners in almost equal measure . . .
All mammals except asylum seekers that is.” The misplaced funding of defense over domestic programs in “Missile Impossible, Part II” which is basically an expansion upon the old bumper sticker that states, “someday schools will get all the money they need and the airforce will have to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber.” The odd modern concept of living in time of war without homefront sacrifices in “Time to loosen our Belts” where O’Farrell notes, “. . .’Business as usual’ was the slogan that appeared outside bombed corner shops in the last war. ‘Big business even more appalling than usual’ is the axiom of this one.” Change the place names and political parties and any of these essays could easily be discussing life in the U.S.
Mr. O’Farrell also provides a number of essays that give the American reader insights into the issues and struggles being faced by Europeans as they try to come to grips with life as part of the European Union and its individual nations lessening influence in the world. “Vous Etes Dans L’Armee, Maintenant” presents a prescient look at the difficulty of unified European military action noting, “Why on earth would fifteen different European heads of states want to use military force at once—
Mr. O’Farrell also provides a number of essays that give the American reader insights into the issues and struggles being faced by Europeans as they try to come to grips with life as part of the European Union and its individual nations lessening influence in the world. “Vous Etes Dans L’Armee, Maintenant” presents a prescient look at the difficulty of unified European military action noting, “Why on earth would fifteen different European heads of states want to use military force at once—
they can’t all have elections coming up at the same time.” In “Dubya Gets his First Passport” he discusses the similar inability of Europe to wield its combined economic might by asking, “Would America proceed with missile defence in the face of unified opposition from Europe? Would Bush have torn up the Kyote treaty if it meant enduring the wrath of the world’s largest trading bloc? Er, yes he would but that’s not the point.” The essay “French Lessons” tackles the European identity crisis explaining, “There is no such thing as European patriotism. While people can be proud to be Scottish and British, or proud to be Californian and American, it’s hard to imagine us sneering at the continent of Antarctica for being not as good as Europe.” In a few short essays, O’Farrell provides a more comprehensive overview of European political issues than a year’s worth of the scant coverage provided by the American media.
