http://manyangrygerbils.typepad.com/many_angry_gerbils/2006/03/oliver_kamm_the.html

Because he’s connected – why else? He may be a banker himself (I think I spelled that right), but his uncle is Martin Bell, the former BBC correspondent and independent MP. I imagine casa Kamm has had hot and cold running editors in and out since he was a chabby. His mother is also a well known translator.

I just can’t see why Harry’s Place thinks that article is so wonderful. The paragraph you’ve quoted acknowledges one of the great mistakes post 9/11: bin Laden demanded the US withdrew from Saudi Arabia, and by golly they did. Way to go when facing down terror. OK thinks this is a good thing. Holy fucking cow.

I grant you she is indeed “vaguely contrarian” (a good thing), but – and perhaps I read too much into her writing – she generally seems to be making a valid social, cultural or political point in my view (and I’m talking here about her proper Tuesday opinion pieces, rather than the short Saturday columns which can be hit and miss).

I’ve only quite recently begun reading her column, but she generally makes sense to me, and does so with a glorious dash of cynical, yet vaguely absurdist, humour. All in all I think she’s probably the best actual writer that the Guardian have on their staff, though everything in that paper is overshadowed (in my view) by George Monbiot’s informative and righteous pieces.