Bile and Hostility

Mike Hosking is a professional journalist and, as such, he presumably wants to be read – and not only read, but taken seriously and believed.

It is surprising, therefore, that he seems not to have grasped a basic principle – that someone whose every utterance is obviously coloured by an ever-present prejudice and ulterior motive will find that his opinions are eventually discounted, on the ground that they reflect his undeclared prejudice and motive rather than any attempt at a proper analysis of the subject at issue.

Those who can bring themselves to read his offerings will recognise the point I am making. Whenever he comments on the government’s handling of the pandemic (or any other government policy or action), it is immediately apparent that his first purpose is to express his dislike (verging on hatred) of the government and determination to undermine both its efforts and its continued existence.

Not surprisingly, his readers are not slow to pick up on this. They will accordingly dismiss his attacks as par for a very familiar course – and they will conclude that they do not need yet another demonstration of what they know already, that Mr Hosking doesn’t like our current government very much.

Sadly, a number of regular “commenters” in the Herald’s pages seem to be afflicted with the same disease. What they offer us is far from reasoned and dispassionate analysis but, rather, a blast of bile and hostility directed at the government. As a consequence, we learn more about them than about the government.

Bryan Gould
9 September 2021