Their Master's Voice

Uri Avnery, Israeli peace activist and writer, in Counterpunch, has an article about Bush, Blair, their intelligence services and the great political difference of the UK. He points out why the behaviour of the intelligence services in the US and the UK, and indeed in all modern states, whether democracies or not, is essentially the same. But the significant thing is in the degree and nature of fallout in thetwo countries after the deception/mistakes/lies are uncovered:

"Did the Americans get upset when the lie was discovered? Not at all. So the President lied. Big deal. And the CIA helped him to lie. Big deal again. The important thing is that the sons of Saddam have been killed in a "targeted elimination", Israeli-style. How wonderful!

"But in the UK, things work differently. There you have a political class and clear standards of what's 'done' and what's 'not done'."