Monday 26 May 2008

Angels at the Pictures

'The third place jury prize went to Il Divo, Paolo Sorrentino's portrait of the country's former prime minister, Giulio Andreotti.' reports the BBC. How Mr Andreotti will like that - the discreet third place, but not ineffective or unrewarded.

The only politician alive to hold a candle to Giulio Andreotti is Benedict XVI. They share the complex understanding of power.

Metaphorically power is mercury: some part can be separated from the main body, taken and used for an end, but will remain itself and speed back to the mass, seamlessly reintegrating, the moment its temporary controller lacks the will or skill to use it.

We have a Prime Minister who lacks both, but without the humility to go.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can you possibly be referring to our, er, mercurial Scottish Gorgon?

hatfield girl said...

He's the quintessential wanabee, Nomad. Power lies there, glistening, almost impossible to grasp, and he thinks that because he can see it (as most of us can, but he has problems being most of us) he can use it.

No-one is using power in our country at the moment which, considering the tricky state of the world, is perhaps the greatest betrayal of New Labour. Blair and his followers just wanted to help themselves, and did, and do. Brown in his delusions and incomprehension, will do for us all.

The lights are going out.