Sunday, November 26, 2006

When in Saudi Arabia...

TMP policy is characteristically robust in matters of foreign affairs.

Doing business in foreign parts frequently involves paying "commissions" that certain prim Brits regard as - heaven forfend - bribes. The present fuss over £50m in commissions required to secure the £70b order for Typhoon Eurofighters from Saudi Arabia is sadly typical of the type of unworldly and sanctimonious process that has become a natural part of the regime of witless political correctness that has been established during the Blair Presidency.

It's no mistake that the language of diplomacy was deemed to be French for much of the while in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, because the French have the only sane approach in all matters diplomatic, which is "if we don't do it first, then someone else will".

So this seems like a classic moment of pragmatism when TMP's proposed popular phone-in vote should be applied. It would save acres of press debate and get straight to the heart of the matter:

A: "I am happy for my government to sanction a bung of £50m to a Saudi prince and his mates in order to secure 50,000 UK jobs and a £70bn trade deal?"

B: "I would prefer that Britain remained pure and poor, and that the French got the jobs and the money".

Text your replies to 88888: calls cost £1 plus network charges, and remember to ask permission from the person that pays the bill...


And as for those sanctimonious ninnies who will then suggest that this would be the thin end of some nebulous wedge, TMP says: "Bring that wedge on! Let's buy many more deals worth £70bn and save 50k UK jobs".

Foreign trade has been a process of "bribes" and "commissions" ever since the first explorers greeted the local chief with a box of glass beads. Will we ever by ruled by anyone with a sense of perspective and reality ever again?

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