Don’t Menshn The Snowden Desertions

As the debate over the revelations coming from the trove of material obtained by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden continues, there are signs that those screaming for him, Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, David Miranda, and anyone connected with the deeply subversive Guardian to be indicted are losing ground. And one of those screaming the loudest is not happy at the prospect.

Has she got news for us? You jest

Former Tory MP for Corby and East Northants Louise Mensch, now representing the distant constituency of Manhattan Upmarket, has reacted badly to the news that the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog have taken on board the wise advice of John Maynard Keynes (“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, Sir?”) and backed Snowden.

That the Fawkes folks have unequivocally called Snowden “a hero” should not be lost on anyone: Staines has clearly done his sums and calculated that his mainstream media contacts will not disapprove too strongly. Given that these include the Sun, for which he and his pals contribute a weekly column, plus the Mail and Telegraph, all of which have previously condemned Snowden, this is significant.

Indeed, the Tel has even allowed itself to become a conduit for GCHQ counter-propaganda. But Staines’ tame gofer, the odious flannelled fool Henry Cole, also works for the Spectator, owned by the Barclay Brothers, who run the Tel. So there’s another media empire that may be shifting its position. There is good reason to do so: as the Fawkes post points out, the spooks have been behaving very badly.

But lawbreaking and violations of the US Constitution cut no ice with Ms Mensch: “Guido, you misspelled ‘string him up by his knackers, he is a traitor’” ranted the Tory politician who once asserted “Conservative policies deliver liberal ends”. She was also up for a little speculative dishonesty: “where are the damaging stories about any enemy of the US? He has them” she told anyone not yet asleep.

Wibble ... rant ... listen to ME everyone!

Anything put forward which she finds inconvenient is dismissed as “spin”, for which she claims Staines and his pals have fallen (not an easy one to stand up, as the Fawkes rabble may well spin, but also know how to spot it). Their comment on the Guardian’s editor: “it was disgraceful to hear Rusbridger’s patriotism questioned by a Select Committee over him publishing the Snowden story” should put her straight.

The hard truth which Louise Mensch cannot, or will not, take on board is that, as more and more revelations on the spooks’ overreach emerge, less of the media wants to see Snowden, or anyone who has run the material he obtained, indicted. As Staines points out, even Greta van Susteren, a host on Fox News Channel (fair and balanced my arse) has called out the NSA for telling whoppers.

Louise Mensch made the wrong call. And she’s too stupid to take Keynes’ advice.