Wow…I never thought I’d be blogging here about Gordon Brown but having just watched his talk from TED in Oxford earlier this year I was genuinely moved to do so.
During some media training I did (I know, it failed) a few years back a journalist from the BBC told me that Brown was the smartest person he’d interviewed or met. I’ve always pondered that given his lacklustre performances we regularly see on TV etc. It shows how much our impressions are formed by the media as I thought this performance was brilliant. He spoke passionately, excitedly and with humour. For 18 minutes I was actually transfixed by our PM. He was really rather good and he seems to understand the power of the web to change the world. Okay you can argue that he made lots of bold statements and action are how we should be judged but one pure delivery, it was the best I have seen from him.
We're at a unique moment in history, we can use today's interconnectedness to develop our shared global ethic -- and work together to confront the challenges of poverty, security, climate change and the economy
Previously, had Brown been speaking at my local pub giving a talk I wouldn’t have gotten up to go hear him but having watched this 18 minutes, I’d now be off my sofa and in the front row.
That’s the power of TED. It brings the best speakers, and minds in to the world right in to your living room.
I was there along with Herb at TED Global and was astonished that Brown managed to get two standing ovations. This was the persona we never see, he was funny, engaging, relaxed, smart and you might even suggest visionary.
Sadly, he was also dishonest and disingenuous - for all his talk of a global ethic, he's presided over a profoundly unethical foreign policy, with his hands covered in the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, the purported intellect behind a corrupted system of global finance and most tragically, without the courage to seek a fully democratic mandate.
To hear Chris Anderson describe Brown as one of the most significant democratic leaders was laughable - I chose to sit out both standing ovations...I consider myself progressive and centrist, but Brown's performance at TED was even more satirical than Rory Bremner's cutting impersonation three days later.
Most of the Brits at TED I spoke to about Brown (from all political persuasions) were appalled by his shameless appropriation of historic tragedy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/imran/3761884968/) as some kind of sick counterpoint to his own policies.
Gordon Brown is a hypocritical fool. More standing ovations for him here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QapZI2cLQQ
just to say my post is a comment on his orating capability, not his politics!
I was unimpressed first time I watched it but have to admit after a beer and a pizza to feeling a bit more ready to listen. There are some important ideas in here and some good points. I just wish that there were a greater opportunity to actually bring about change.
Sure, I understood that Steve...and he's actually a pretty good orator in this piece...more broadly, it's a sad illustration of a once promising, idealistic leader who simply lacks credibility.
It's also illustrative of the weaknesses and strengths of TED's format :)
good point Imran, I hadn't really considered that when watching TED.