Polls can throw up some funny things, but this one struck me as particularly odd … at first. The poll of 1,000 people in the business community found that Tony Blair was still the most influential man. Do they really believe those phone calls he still has with Gordon Brown are what translates into Labour’s policies? Surely not. But he did successfully occupy the crucial political ground that the two parties are now fighting over.
After labelling the queen as having no real power yesterday, I was a bit perturbed to see her at the top of the woman’s list. And Victoria Beckham ahead of Harriet Harman? Oh dear.
Full list below.
Most influential men:
1. Tony Blair 20%
2. Gordon Brown 19%
3. Sir Richard Branson 18%
4. Rupert Murdoch 6%
5. David Cameron 5%
6. Sir Terry Leahy 5%
7. David Beckham 4%
8. The Prince of Wales 3%
9. Gordon Ramsay 3%
10.Roman Abramovich 2%
Most influential women:
1. The Queen 37%
2. Margaret Thatcher 18%
3. JK Rowling 11%
4. Victoria Beckham 6%
5. Shami Chakrabarti 5%
6. Elisabeth Murdoch 4%
7. Kate Moss 4%
8. Harriet Harman 3%
9. Cherie Blair 2%
10. Zaha Hadid 2%
Poor England and Poor World! Poor Women so constantly bullied, mobbed and given such a hard time! Think what you will but Cherie Blair is grossly undervalued as are Hillary Clinton and Segolène Royal. Their hour is yet to come, undoubtedly.
Until recently, I would've unquestioningly included Harriet Harman. However, she is a coward and her statements in recent months have helped to distance me from her. One of her weaknesses is that she cannot get herself to support proper democratic voting systems - proportional representation - lest she stands out from her parliamentary pals and loses even the remotest chance of making a name.
It says something for post-modern, contemporary society to place monsters like Margaret Thatcher with an 18% weighting even today while she is reportedly suffering from early stages of dementia of one sort or another.
Why, why can't we all unselfishly discard the shackles of the past and embrace the future? The future will descend with relentless vigour, like it or not. Let us at least be a party to its formation. Aren't we all sick to death with unflinching propagandists of a mythical past, yeah, mythical values that we are all supposed to cling onto as we all sink beneath the waves - rightly, leaving the place vacant for futurism without heart or yearnings for an unspeakable past. For one, I'd hate to have grandchildren to get brow beaten about values from such an ignoble past.
Posted by: Astrid | Thursday, 29 May 2008 at 05:40 PM