Alpesh Patel guested on the newspaper review this morning on BBC World Service before BBC1 kicked back into life with BBC breakfast....Simple core message from Alpesh - things ain't changed much in the Middle East since Lwrence of Arabia.
Using democracy and the lack of it as the club with which to beat the papers into submission, he repeatedly attacked the political systems around the world which prefer to let the West act in their own back yard rather than stand up themselves, and further argued that fighting over oil supplies isn't such a bad thing, as international trade and security go hand in hand.
At least that's what I think he said...
The BBC presenters seemed taken aback, but I actually have to be in Alpesh's camp on this one.
Whether I agree with him or not his opinion was clear and unequivocal, and refreshing because of that.
Now, bring on tonight's Keiser Report on Russian Today...
