You wait ages for a biography of Edward "Teddy" Kennedy and then two come along together! Both - Ted Kennedy by John Farrell (Penguin Press) and Against the Wind by Neal Gabler (Crown) - are expertly reviewed in the current edition of The Economist*.
The review brought to mind similarities and differences between "The Lion of the Senate" and "The Weasel of Westminster" aka Britain's parliamentary super-sponger, Jerry "Jeremy" Corbyn . Firstly, both were born into privileged backgrounds. OK, so Jerry only enjoyed dull, provincial, comfort in Wiltshire and Shropshire rather than the glamorous yachting and partying world of the Kennedy clan but, like the New Englander, he started with many advantages in life.
Secondly, the pair boast reputations as serial shaggers, enjoying erections as much as elections. I will leave it to you, dear readers, to decide what that says about them but I have to snigger when Jerry's crazed pack of unemployed Tweeters keep referring to his "honesty and integrity" as these are not virtues one normally associates with priapic philanderers!
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| Ted - Smart and Savvy |
Thirdly, they have both enjoyed longevity in their respective legislatures. Senator Ted was in the upper house for nearly 47 years. MP Jerry has notched up 39 years in the Commons so far. But now comes the point of divergence since their political records are markedly different.
Kennedy was a politician to his finger tips. A schmoozer and networker he also put in the hard miles to get things done whereas Corbyn is a weirdo loner who has achieved absolutely zilch. Despite his wealth and good fortune - and his personal failings - the American saw acting in the interests of the less fortunate as a moral imperative. The Englishman simply prats around on demos and picket lines. The US Democrat was diligent on Senate matters whereas the quondam UK Labour member is notoriously lazy.
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| Jerry - Scruffy and Lavvy |
Ted was a champion of liberalism who worked to advance progressive ideals. Jerry wallows in a warped philosophical and economical hotch-potch from 150 years ago which has no relevance to our contemporary lives. The Economist lists some of Kennedy's ACTUAL real-life enlightened achievements - expanded voting rights, wider aid to the poor, and increased healthcare access for children. Contrast this with thick as mince Corbyn who has actually done f*** all - for "the poor" or anyone else.
The stats are damning. In the Senate, Ted sponsored 2,552 pieces of legislation and co-sponsored nearly 7,000 others. In the House of Commons, Corbyn has not been responsible in any way for a SINGLE piece of legislation. That's a big fat zero in 39 years (and yet he continues to rake in his generous pay and gold-plated pension payments from UK taxpayers!)
Incredibly, Corbyn's claque claims that The Gammon was somehow responsible for bringing peace to Northern Ireland - a preposterous lie. Just take a look at the indices of the history and political books since 1983 and see if you can find "Corbyn" therein. You won't find him there in respect of Northern Ireland nor, indeed, anything else. His only role in The Troubles was to support Irish Republicanism in general, and terrorism in particular. Whilst there are legitimate arguments for the former stance, few accept that the latter was morally justifiable - or even helpful.
Having Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness round for tea and bigging-up the balaclava brigade does not constitute playing a meaningful part in the settlement process whereas Ted Kennedy (and a number of other US politicians) worked tirelessly for peace - often without Corbyn's pathetic taste for grandstanding.
Leaving aside the personal baggage (which is quite an ask) Kennedy was a doer and Corbyn, er, isn't. I will leave you with a quote (alas unattributed) in respect of The Sponger:
"A left-wing Little Englander, an abrasively nostalgic memorabilia junkie, the left's answer to the late Duke of Edinburgh."
* Please read The Economist review. It is behind a paywall but if you subscribe (as you really should) you can find the current issue here:
https://www.economist.com/weeklyedition/2022-11-12
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| Jerry and "that" wreath! iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com |
