To: freedland@guardian.co.uk
Re:
Tim Collin's unreasonable demand
Date: Tuesday, 20 September 05

Dear Editor,
 

I was quite touched by what Tim Collins, the British Army colonel known from the 2nd Iraq war, wrote in last Sunday's Observer in respect of the motivations for going to war ("This is  mess of our own making"): ".  .  .  .  I made certain assumptions that my goodwill and altruistic motivations went to the top. Clearly I was naive . . It is the role of [our] leaders to explain where we are going and why. I, for one, demand to know."


Tim Collins is also naive to believe that our leaders know where they are leading us. They think that they know, of course, and have to convince us, the electorate, that they do, in order to get elected, but in fact they haven't a clue. It took me a long time to realise it, and a very freightening reality to become aware of it is too. Which is why most people choose (subconsciously) not to.

Our politicians are no more blind and stupid than the rest of us, of course (Homo sapiens, indeed! Homo stupidus economicus is more like it): the blind leading the blind.

We need leaders with good vision and uncommon sense, rather than the common sense which, for understandable reasons (see Uncommon Sense vs the Insanities of Normality) is failing us