Temporary trust
The oldest maxim in politics is that nations in crisis place blind faith in authority, says Simon Jenkins. On 9/11 George Bush's approval rating shot from just 51 per cent to an astonishing 90 per cent. The natural instinct of democracies in trouble is to support anyone in power and pray for him or her to retrieve matters. Fear demands trust in that person. In Britain trust is now vested in the prime minister. But Brown's current standing will for sure decline as crisis turns to long, grinding recession. That is the reason why the Conservatives should not panic and Labour should not lapse into euphoria. That is what both are now doing. Simon Jenkins The Guardian
Full article: All who practise politics are dazzled by the dictatorship of the short term 
Daniel Hannan: US-style primaries for MPs would make them listen
Don't spend
There will be no foundation for a lasting recovery until Britain rediscovers the virtue of living within its means, says Jeff Randall. I despair when retailers, such as John Lewis's managing director, Andy Street, say that "the downturn in spending is irrational". No, it's not. People are steering away from the road to ruin. Shopkeepers can no longer expect customers to sacrifice themselves to rescue corporate profits. Encouraging another burst of mindless consumption, without significant increases in productivity, can, perhaps, palliate short-term financial stress. But in the end, when the drug of excess runs out, the patient is wrecked. One hopes, though does not expect, that Mr Darling has the moral courage to make that clear. Jeff Randall Daily Telegraph
Full article: When money is tight, people spend less. Are you listening, Mr Darling?
The Mole: Labour MPs urge Brown to cut VAT
Drama queen
Should Senator Clinton, by any chance, be looking to make her own mark in the next four years and subtly distinguish herself from the new president, there could hardly be a better perch from which to do it than Secretary of State, says Gerard Baker. Differences between the two during the primary campaign were sharpest over foreign policy. The problem is that the Clintons really can't help it: they have an unrivalled knack for making politics into very personal theatre, an unerring capacity to turn any crisis into a drama, one in which they play all the central roles. Gerard Baker The Times
Full article: No drama? With Hillary aboard? Forget it
Alexander Cockburn: Is this change?
Republicans routed
At least there's one thing that Barack Obama doesn't have to worry about: the Republican opposition, says Rupert Cornwell. What befell Republicans on 4 November has the feel of a Götterdämmerung. An obvious comparison is the rout in 1997 of the Tories, but in some ways the Republicans' plight is worse. The Republicans leave the stage not merely having outstayed their welcome. The very economic philosophy they championed, of deregulation and unfettered markets, is in ruins. Now, in the wounded US, that Republican anathema of big government – or at least activist government – is back with a vengeance. Rupert Cornwell The Independent
Full article: Where can the Republicans go now?
New blog: Sarah Palin's Progress
Dependency is real
Welfare dependency is not rightwing propaganda, says Jenni Russell. The refusal to think about the interaction between good intentions and perverse consequences has long been a blindness of the left. It is beginning to change, notably with James Purnell's willingness to challenge lifetime dependency in the welfare-to-work reforms at the Department for Work and Pensions. But he is seen by some in the Labour government as dangerously radical in approach. At a time when we are wondering how to prime the economy, it's hard to think of a more productive way to invest the nation's money than in rethinking the aims and failings of our welfare state. Jenni Russell The Guardian
Full article: We must dare to rethink the welfare that benefits no one
Tricky moves
The political choreography of the recession is as compelling as anything on Strictly Come Dancing, writes Steve Richards. Brown is driving the politics and has shown once again that he is a sharp reader of movements on the dance floor, sensing the steps ahead. For reasons I have never understood he is persistently underestimated, not least by his opponents. On Monday the tax cuts need to be transparent and clear, not lost entirely in a maze of tax credits and technical adjustments. We have had the interest rate cut and the bail-out for the banks. If a big tax cut does not get people spending, the choreography will change dramatically again. Steve Richards The Independent
Full article: Dancing on the edge of the economic precipice
