The Evening Standard has run a story claiming that the Guardian's comment editor, Seumas Milne, is set to get the boot.
This has been greeted with delight by Harry's Place, who along with a number of pro-war, pro-Israeli and right-wing blogs, have had him constantly in their sights over the last few years. They are not used to seeing opinions in the papers other than their own.
The Guardian is unique among British newspapers in that it does give voice to comment that doesn't get aired anywhere else. This is why "leading figures" are gunning for Milne.
The truth however is that far from being "one note", the Guardian is actually known for expressing a wide range of opinion. As Zsuzsanna Clark commented on that post at HP:
'Less one note'! That's hysterical. The Guardian comment pages have over the past twelve months included pieces by: Charles Krauthammer(leading US neo-conservative), Oliver Kamm, John Pilger, Timothy Garton-Ash, Max Hastings, Peregrine Worsthorne, Tariq Ali, Paddy Ashdown, Tony Blair, David Cesarani, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Peter Wilby, Neil Clark, Stephen Pollard, Tony Benn and Mary Kenny. No other comment section in Britain publishes such a wide range of views. Is this why the 'muscular liberals' are so opposed to it?
In today's comment pages, there was neocon Oliver Kamm alongside human rights campaigner Craig Murray. No other paper has such diversity.
I see no point in the Guardian getting rid of Milne with the aim of becoming like the same old bores you can find anywhere else.
IMHO, these hawks are more concerned about the very fact that Charles Krauthammer and likes do have a place along with voices from the centre and the left: a platform where voices can converge freely. If you can not label something as red, green or blue only, if a thing is colourful, that sets off the alarm. Anti-pluralism to its core.
Posted by: Tasneem | 19 August 2006 at 01:15 PM
Who are the "leading figures" gunning for Milne?
Posted by: Sid A | 19 August 2006 at 05:44 PM