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clear="left"/> </div> <div id="mainindexcolumnleft"> <h2>Blog</h2> <div class="entryinindex"> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/open_thread/2008/05/take_the_money_and_run.html" title="Take the money and run?">Take the money and run?</a></h3> <p><strong>Open Thread</strong> <em>May 16 08, 12:00pm</em>: In a politically correct move, BA chief Willie Walsh has decided to forego a 脗拢700,000 bonus. Should other bosses do the same?</p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/open_thread/2008/05/take_the_money_and_run.html">Comments (0)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/open_thread/2008/05/take_the_money_and_run.html"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a> </div> <div class="entryinindex"> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/sunder_katwala/2008/05/top_class.html" title="Top class">Top class</a></h3> <p><strong>Sunder Katwala</strong> <em>May 16 08, 11:30am</em>: Playing the class card with humour is in the best tradition of British byelections. But why can't we talk seriously about the issue?</p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/sunder_katwala/2008/05/top_class.html">Comments (8)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/sunder_katwala/2008/05/top_class.html"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a> </div> <div class="entryinindex"> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/chris_ames/2008/05/oi_foi.html" title="Oi, FOI">Oi, FOI</a></h3> <p><strong>Chris Ames</strong> <em>May 16 08, 11:00am</em>: Is the three-year-old Freedom of Information Act up to the job? Civil servants are using loopholes to sit on data until it stops being embarrassing</p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/chris_ames/2008/05/oi_foi.html">Comments (11)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/chris_ames/2008/05/oi_foi.html"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a> </div> <div class="entryinindex"> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/isabel_hilton/2008/05/before_the_flood_1.html" title="Before the flood">Before the flood</a></h3> <p><strong>Isabel Hilton</strong> <em>May 16 08, 10:30am</em>: The earthquake in Sichuan province has raised fears of an even greater catastrophe if one or more of China's many dams were to fail</p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/isabel_hilton/2008/05/before_the_flood_1.html">Comments (3)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/isabel_hilton/2008/05/before_the_flood_1.html"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a> </div> <div class="entryinindex"> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/seth_freedman/2008/05/the_continuing_catastrophe.html" title="The continuing catastrophe">The continuing catastrophe</a></h3> <p><strong>Seth Freedman</strong> <em>May 16 08, 10:00am</em>: Israel's anniversary celebrations were followed yesterday by a day of mourning for Palestinians, marking 60 years since the Nakba</p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/seth_freedman/2008/05/the_continuing_catastrophe.html">Comments (32)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/seth_freedman/2008/05/the_continuing_catastrophe.html"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a> </div> <div class="entryinindex"> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/brendan_oneill/2008/05/the_fat_freakshow.html" title="The fat freakshow">The fat freakshow</a></h3> <p><strong>Brendan O'Neill</strong> <em>May 16 08, 09:30am</em>: Half-titillating, half-horrifying documentaries about obese Americans are designed to make British TV viewers feel morally superior</p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/brendan_oneill/2008/05/the_fat_freakshow.html">Comments (57)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/brendan_oneill/2008/05/the_fat_freakshow.html"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a> </div> <div class="entryinindex"> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/conor_foley/2008/05/faraway_countries.html" title="Faraway countries">Faraway countries</a></h3> <p><strong>Conor Foley</strong> <em>May 16 08, 09:00am</em>: The Liberal interventionism developed under Tony Blair is not fit for progressive purpose. It's time we found a replacement</p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/conor_foley/2008/05/faraway_countries.html">Comments (19)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/conor_foley/2008/05/faraway_countries.html"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a> </div> <div class="entryinindex"> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/nirpal_dhaliwal/2008/05/queer_as_hip-hop_folk.html" title="Queer as hip-hop folk">Queer as hip-hop folk</a></h3> <p><strong>Nirpal Dhaliwal</strong> <em>May 16 08, 08:30am</em>: A new book uncovers the gay side of rap - but for anyone who's been paying attention, it's been obvious for years</p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/nirpal_dhaliwal/2008/05/queer_as_hip-hop_folk.html">Comments (67)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/nirpal_dhaliwal/2008/05/queer_as_hip-hop_folk.html"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a> </div> <div class="entryinindex"> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/william_harrison/2008/05/victory_sign.html" title="Victory sign">Victory sign</a></h3> <p><strong>William Harrison</strong> <em>May 16 08, 08:00am</em>: Watching rehearsals for Victory Day brought home the remarkable hold the parade of military hardware has on the Russian consciousness</p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/william_harrison/2008/05/victory_sign.html">Comments (8)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/william_harrison/2008/05/victory_sign.html"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a> </div> <div class="entryinindex"> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/isabel_ortiz_and_anita_kellesviitanen/2008/05/abandoning_asias_poor.html" title="Abandoning Asia's poor ">Abandoning Asia's poor </a></h3> <p><strong>Isabel Ortiz and Anita Kelles-Viitanen</strong> <em>May 16 08, 07:00am</em>: The Asian Development Bank is meant to alleviate poverty - but its new strategy has little to say on the need for social protection</p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/isabel_ortiz_and_anita_kellesviitanen/2008/05/abandoning_asias_poor.html">Comments (6)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/isabel_ortiz_and_anita_kellesviitanen/2008/05/abandoning_asias_poor.html"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a> </div> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/weekbyweek/2008/05/11-week/" title="This week's posts"><strong><big><big>Previous posts</big></big></strong></a> <br/><br/><br/> </div> <div id="mainindexcolumnright"> <div id="mainindexcolumnrightinnerleft"> <h2>Editors' picks</h2>  <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/dylan_loewe/2008/05/mccains_iraq_fantasy.html"> <img alt="frontpicture_fullsize.jpg" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/frontpicture_fullsize.jpg" width="380"/></a> <div class="caption"><p><em>The brown stuff</em> by Steve Bell</p></div>    <div id="topstory"> <span class="pickentrytitle"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/politicalbooks.booksnews" title="When it comes to kissing and telling, you can't beat this 15th-century gadget">When it comes to kissing and telling, you can't beat this 15th-century gadget</a> </span> <p><strong>Simon Jenkins: </strong>The flood of memoirs has again proved the worth of the book as a receptacle for almost all the human imagination can devise</p> <span class="pickentrypermalink"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/politicalbooks.booksnews">Comments (13)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/politicalbooks.booksnews"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a></span> </div> <div class="pickentry category_story_2"> <span class="pickentrytitle"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/gordonbrown.worklifebalance" title="Goodbye, good times. Now Labour has to show just whose side it is on">Goodbye, good times. Now Labour has to show just whose side it is on</a> </span> <p><strong>Polly Toynbee: </strong>Faced with an economic downturn, Gordon Brown must spread the pain fairly - not carry on squeezing the low-paid</p> <span class="pickentrypermalink"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/gordonbrown.worklifebalance">Comments (80)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/gordonbrown.worklifebalance"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a></span> </div> <div class="pickentry category_story_3"> <span class="pickentrytitle"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/israelandthepalestinians.religion" title="A prophet perplexed">A prophet perplexed</a> </span> <p><strong>Benny Morris: </strong>Herzl's dream has been realised, but with the kinds of conflict and society he never foresaw</p> <span class="pickentrypermalink"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/israelandthepalestinians.religion">Comments (42)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/israelandthepalestinians.religion"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a></span> </div> <div class="pickentry category_story_4"> <span class="pickentrytitle"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/worklifebalance.workandcareers" title="Flexi-time: a 'win-win' for both Beatrice Webb and Yvette Cooper">Flexi-time: a 'win-win' for both Beatrice Webb and Yvette Cooper</a> </span> <p><strong>Michael White: </strong>What could be more Brownite than extending flexible working time among Britain's hard-working families?</p> <span class="pickentrypermalink"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/worklifebalance.workandcareers">Comments (22)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/worklifebalance.workandcareers"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a></span> </div> <div class="pickentry category_story_5"> <span class="pickentrytitle"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/ukcrime.ukguns" title="Weapons we can't handle">Weapons we can't handle</a> </span> <p><strong>Mark Lawson: </strong>This spate of stabbings defies simple remedy, with knives so available and anger so inevitable</p> <span class="pickentrypermalink"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/ukcrime.ukguns">Comments (25)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/ukcrime.ukguns"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a></span> </div> <div class="pickentry category_story_6"> <span class="pickentrytitle"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/economicgrowth.economics" title="It was not such a 'nice' decade, after all">It was not such a 'nice' decade, after all</a> </span> <p><strong>Alexander Chancellor: </strong>The problem with such good economic times is that they are very depressing for those who do not share in them</p> <span class="pickentrypermalink"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/economicgrowth.economics">Comments (11)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/economicgrowth.economics"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a></span> </div> <div class="pickentry category_story_7"> <span class="pickentrytitle"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/helen_carter/2008/05/champion_of_the_vulnerable.html" title="Champion of the vulnerable ">Champion of the vulnerable </a> </span> <p><strong>Helen Carter: </strong>Pauline Campbell believed that there was something cruel about sending sick people to a place of punishment </p> <span class="pickentrypermalink"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/helen_carter/2008/05/champion_of_the_vulnerable.html">Comments (44)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/helen_carter/2008/05/champion_of_the_vulnerable.html"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a></span> </div> <div class="pickentry category_story_8"> <span class="pickentrytitle"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/dylan_loewe/2008/05/mccains_iraq_fantasy.html" title="McCain's Iraq fantasy">McCain's Iraq fantasy</a> </span> <p><strong>Dylan Loewe: </strong>The Republican candidate now says US troops will leave Iraq by 2013 - a disingenuous ploy that is as unrealistic as his previous position</p> <span class="pickentrypermalink"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/dylan_loewe/2008/05/mccains_iraq_fantasy.html">Comments (62)</a> · <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://technorati.com/search/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/dylan_loewe/2008/05/mccains_iraq_fantasy.html"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/technorati15x11.gif" width="15" height="11" alt="Technorati logo" class="technorati"/></a></span> </div> </div> <div id="mainindexcolumnrightinnerright"> <div class="yellowcolumnwidget"> <h2>Today's Guardian comment</h2>   <div class="yellowcolumnwidgettwocolumnlistingleft"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/cyclonenargis.chinaearthquake"><img class="yellowcolumnwidgettwocolumnlistingpicture" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/naomi_klein_130x60.jpg" width="130" height="60" alt="Naomi Klein"/></a> <br/> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/cyclonenargis.chinaearthquake">Naomi Klein</a></h3> <p>The natural disasters in Burma and China have loosened the repressive grip the countries' rulers exert on their people</p>  </div> <div class="yellowcolumnwidgettwocolumnlistingright"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/gordonbrown.worklifebalance"><img class="yellowcolumnwidgettwocolumnlistingpicture" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/site_imagery/polly_toynbee_130x60.jpg" width="130" height="60" alt="Polly Toynbee"/></a> <br/> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/16/gordonbrown.worklifebalance">Polly Toynbee</a></h3> <p>Faced with an economic downturn, Gordon Brown must spread the pain fairly - not carry on squeezing the low-paid</p>  </div> <div class="yellowcolumnwidgetfooterlink"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/todayspapercomment.html">More comment from Friday's paper</a></div> </div> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/category/us_elections_2008/"><img alt="CIF_US1_btn.gif" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516042417im_/http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/CIF_US1_btn.gif" width="300" height="64"/></a> <br><br> <a 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