I was sorry to read today that Joseph "Erap" Estrada, the former president of the Phillippines, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for corruption. I have a soft spot for Erap. He is the only politician I have ever interviewed who actually fell asleep during the interview.

It was in the mid-1990s and Estrada was vice-president at the time. He was also enormously popular with the poor in the Phillippines - largely because he had played a series of heroic roles in low-budget thrillers. He was clearly the coming man, so getting an interview with him was quite a big deal. He had a large office, full of note-taking flunkies. They were as horrified as I was, when the great man nodded off and began to snore during the course of our interview. But I can’t really blame him. It was hot; I was asking a lot of damn fool questions about development and foreign policy. He might have had a few at lunch. He has a reputation as a world-class drinker and womaniser. Eventually I was ushered to the door by a staff member who said:  "I’m sorry about that, but I could tell the vice-president was very interested by your questions until he fell asleep."

Meanwhile, I am still in Washington - meeting, eating and reading improving works. I was particularly struck by the latest edition of "The National Interest" - not so much by the articles, although they are all excellent (naturally) - but by the make up of the magazine’s "advisory council". I see that Conrad Black is still an adviser. This is commendably loyal of the magazine, since Black has a few legal issues at the moment. It could also be a little awkward, since Henry Kissinger is the magazine’s honorary chairman. The two men have had a spectacular falling out. Kissinger was a board member of Black’s Hollinger company - but refused to stick up for Black when the going got rough.

But there is an even more interesting potential clash, awaiting the next meeting of the Advisory Council. Listed next to each other are John Mearsheimer and Daniel Pipes. Mearsheimer is co-author (with Stephen Walt) of a critical and highly controversial study of "The Israel Lobby", which has just come out in book form. Pipes is criticised by name in the Walt-Mearsheimer book, for allegedly persecuting academics who are "unsound" on Israel. His website is currently running a batey riposte to the book.

Here is a request to the National Interest magazine. Can you invite me along to the next meeting of your advisory council? I’d love to watch.

September 11th, 2007 in Current Affairs, Media | Permalink