How to... make excuses

Over the long weekend, The Guardian reported on British Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, and his trip to Washington DC, in the final days preceding the invasion of Iraq. Invasion, not war. Politicos, lawyers, commentators, reporters and whatnot to the contrary.

Goldsmith, who had been expressing doubts about the legality of any proposed war, was sent to Washington by the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, to 'put some steel in his spine', as one official has said.

So, Goldsmith goes to Washington. Where he meets, among others, the US Attorney General, John Ashcroft, and Albert 'the Geneva Conventions are quaint' Gonzales, Bush's chief lawyer at the White House. For the whole sorry story, here.

What else? Christmas 1980, I was back in my home town. Went with some mates to see West Bromwich Albion play some other team. I know, I know, the Albion. Our excuse was the Hawthorns ground, although across the municipal border, was within walking distance. An unrememorable game, except for half-time when they paraded the new Austin Metro around the pitch perimeter. The PA going: "If you don't buy this car, your grandchildren won't have a job." Prophetic, indeed. After the Chinese, now some Russian 'baby oligarch' is interested in buying Longbridge.

Too depressing? Guy Browning is usually whimsical.

Excuses are the contraceptives of social life: they allow you to have a relationship with someone without anything too important developing. As with contraceptives, you only need to use one excuse at a time. More here.

Excuses? May be it's the zeitgeist.