Tough liberalism
Naomi on Moqtada

Good piece by Naomi Klein on Moqtada al-Sadr in today's Guardian. It's written from a liberal point of view, of course, but it's sharp, considered and alive to political complexities. Makes a refreshing contrast to the moralistic baying that characterises so much of liberal "thought" these days. And it's worth reading just for the dressing down she gives to feminist posturing from Nick Cohen and Christopher Hitchens.

I must confess that I've always been a touch snotty about Naomi Klein – No Logo came out at a time when I was reading Baudrillard obsessively, so I was kinda underwhelmed by her thesis. And she does tendency to wibble on the Big Theoretical Issues – "changing the world without taking power" and all that. But Iraq has sharpened her up significantly – check out her recent call to "bring Najaf back home".

Stop press: the BNP has narrowly failed to get a second council seat in Dagenham. Results: Labour 1085, Nazis 934, Tories 410. Big up to Unite for doing all the hard work.