Alastair Campbell’s in a class by himself as a “podcaster”. As former British PM Tony Blair’s spokesman, press secretary and director of communications and strategy – guiding his boss to three terms at #10 Downing – he’s a veritable Man for All Seasons in this season of a changing world order. He keeps his hand in by advising several “progressive” governments in Europe and Eurasia. Not surprisingly, his podcast- The Rest Is Politics: Leading with Alastair Campbell – has roped in a veritable “Who’s who” in politics in front of his mic.
As such, it was a sign of our new rising place in the world when he invited Pres Ali as the leader of “The Fastest Growing Economy in the World” to pick his brains on the big questions of the day. Pressie was the first leader in South America to be selected. Quite a feather in the cap of the young president vying for a second term as head of our fair republic!! The exercise – and we can see it as such – provided a good opportunity to gauge how the president could handle himself with extemporaneous questions from such an experienced insider. All your Eyewitness can say is Pressie handled himself with such an aplomb that he literally knocked the podcaster’s socks off!!
Your Eyewitness was quite intrigued by Pressie’s answers on what gotta be the most pressing issue of our age in international politics – the state of multilateralism in dealing with global disagreements between states. The UN and its various organs, of course, was supposed to’ve been the exemplars in maintaining the comity of nations – but, as Pressie pointed out through concrete examples, hadn’t been able to fulfil its mandate.
Pressie’s examples were three flashpoints – in Ukraine, Gaza & Haiti. He firmly supported the right of Ukraine to defend itself against the 2022 Russian invasion and pushed for Russia’s withdrawal. In this he was being consistent with our stance against Venezuelan bullyism trying to annex Essequibo through historical claims. This was the identical strategy of Russia – which they’d already used to invade and forcibly take over Crimea from Ukraine in 2015. That shows that unless multilateral approaches are supported, bullies will always throw their weight around.
The second was the ongoing Gaza genocide – and Pressie reiterated our long-held position that a “two state” solution was the only viable one. Sadly, even though the UNGSA had voted overwhelmingly to support this, Israel’s been allowed to get away with genocide because of its friends on the UN Security Council standing ready to veto the authorisation of force to stop it! Pressie also called for an expansion of the UNSC.
Quite a bravura performance which could never be replicated by his opponents on the hustings!!
…on threats
With the PPP running through the elections like an unstoppable juggernaut, PNC and LOO Norton’s getting desperate – with good reasons. But rather than displaying any kind of political creativity in his strategy, he’s fallen back on his trademark truculence that earned him his position with the PNC kingmakers. They’ve got no respect for him as a leader – simply as a thug who could speak the “only” language leaders like Hoyte claimed the PPP understood – force!!
So after witnessing diminishing crowds at his meetings in erstwhile strongholds – in comparison to the PPP’s energetic red tsunamis – Norton invoked the incredulous rhubarb about PPP rigging the 2020 elections and warned ominously: “Whatever happen after you rig, it will be your responsibility because we have already decided we had enough of your garbage.” That is a none too subtle warning to unleash violence – on grounds he, Norton – would decide!!
He was echoing his instigator Hinds, who promised “no peace in the valley” since the opposition’s “ready to do battle.”
Neanderthals!!
…on brain power
Your Eyewitness has been bombarded with warnings about the fate of alternative sources of energy being dependent on battery storage capacity – in which lithium plays a big role!!
Now he’s learnt we need lithium to hold off Alzheimer’s!!
