First Robin, now Mo. It’s almost as if God were finishing off all the likeable people who disagreed with his man Tony. Sadly, this leaves Michael Howard and Norman Tebbit alive indefinitely.
Speaking of Norman Tebbit, what the fuck was that disgusting old bigot doing being interviewed respectfully on the Today programme this morning? What, are they going to give soft-soap interviews to the reanimated corpses of Enoch Powell and John Tyndall next week?
If Tebbit or Powell said anything a tenth as hateful and stupid as the sort of thing you say here every day, you might have a reason for outrage. Grow up.
Oh, and can we all just once be spared the inevitable "Oh, you’ve missed thirty different levels of subtlety here – and five thousand brilliant injokes per sentence! If you see anything offensive at all, worth taking seriously for a moment and arguing with, you’ve simply missed the point."
I actually agree with John here. I can’t think of any politician of the 1980s who did more harm to our country than that old bigot. He’s in the Telegraph today saying that if his cricket test had been applied then the 7/7 bombings would have been prevented. Stupid as well then.
Matthew, what exactly is Tebbit’s "cricket test"? I must have missed that (I really don’t pay attention to anything the old fool says to be honest) and it sounds hilarious.
Jim, years before Muslim-bashing became the fashionable dinner-party game it is today, Norman articulated the thoughts of cabbies everywhere by suggesting that Britons of Indian, Pakistaki or Bangladeshi descent be asked which cricket team they supported, the idea being that they should, in the interests of good citizenship, integration etc, support England rather than the team of their country of origin or ancestry.
As you would imagine, this careful exercise in promoting social cohesion was usually carried out under laboratory conditions by highly-trained social scientists, and wasn’t at all a coded signal for thugs to confront people in the street.
Oh and Tory Boy, I’ve just taken the opportunity to look at your site, emblazoned as it is with your cherubic features. Sir, you are a cunt and a pointy-head, and it is you who needs – literally – to grow up.
But well done for such a patronising comment!
Yes, as said above basically Tebbit said that the loyalty of British Asians should be judged by whether they cheered for England at test cricket, or their former country.
Today he tells us that the attacks of July 7 and 21 might not have happened if his test had been followed.
Tell me he wasn’t earning his BBC fee off his wife’s injuries again…
Mind you, I doubt the IRA cell who blew him up supported England in the cricket, so he might have a point in an obvious and trivial way
Thanks HIOP / Matthew. It sounds roughly as bonkers as I was expecting. Presumably it only applies to people with dark skin though, right? He’s not going to turf out all the Australians living in Earl’s Court is he? As for me… I’m not even sure Ireland has a cricket team!
More on Mo Mowlam: see here.
Well the Beeb have given plenty of airspace to George Galloway, and unlike Tebbit he’s a real racist. (Where Jews are concerned, though Jews don’t count as a race with rabid lefties.)
Jim, Ireland does have a cricket team – it’s XI was once graced by that cricketing legend Samuel Beckett.
I might add, a Kiwi friend of mine has two children raised over here. Of course they support (i) the All Blacks and (ii) ‘whoever’s playing against England’. The Chingford Skinhead doesn’t seem to mind this sort of thing – presumably because they’re white.
"He’s not going to turf out all the Australians living in Earl’s Court is he?"
That’s the only bloody way he’d get my vote…
Nick, despite finding cricket unbearably dull, I think I’d have turned out to watch Beckett play. Just for the anecdote.
But to drag the thread back on-topic, it’s obviously sad news that Mo Mowlam has died. But I never really understood (as with Robin Cook) the public perception of her as being one of the principled firebrands of The Left. Power corrupted them both, just as it does almost everyone who gets close to it. We’ve just set the bar so low these days, that those who retain the merest shred of decency are hailed as Greats.
Best comment on the Tebbit Test:
http://www.pootergeek.com/?p=1687
Do please note that the accusation that Galloway is an anti-Semite was an aggravating factor in the damages awarded to him from the Telegraph; it has thus been found to be false on the one occasion it’s been tested in court and if he sued someone for calling him one he would probably win.
Nick, despite finding cricket unbearably dull, I think I’d have turned out to watch Beckett play. Just for the anecdote.
I doubt anyone would have appreciated it at the time – his Wisden years were 1926 and 1927, a decade before his first novel and nearly three before Waiting for Godot made his name.
He did make one memorable comment in the 1920s, though – he was teaching at a prestigious school in Dublin and was summoned to the headmaster’s office for his generally lackadaisical approach. On being reminded that he was supposed to teach "the cream of Dublin", he replied "yes – rich and thick". He didn’t last long.
Getting back on topic, while I’m not normally given to wild conspiracy theories, if Clare Short carks it over the next week I might change my mind…
If Tebbit or Powell said anything a tenth as hateful and stupid as the sort of thing you say here every day, you might have a reason for outrage.
So, using logic, I conclude that John "might have a reason for outrage", which is quite a concession there Peter.
Dsquared – he is one, though.
"What, are they going to give soft-soap interviews to the reanimated corpses of Enoch Powell and John Tyndall next week?"
At first glance I read that as John Lyndon for some reason!
I was just about to protest he’s not dead and then had the delicious thought pop into my mind of a Thought For the Day spot from the chap!!
Trivia question: Has Today ever had to bleep a guest out?
Chris B, no, because it’s live.
I might add, a Kiwi friend of mine has two children raised over here. Of course they support (i) the All Blacks and (ii) ‘whoever’s playing against England’.
Wouldn’t the entire population of Scotland fail Tebbit’s cricket test, given their tendency to opt for (ii) whenever the situation presents itself? Case in point: many Scots openly backed Argentina in 1986, which almost certainly constituted an act of treason in Tebbit’s eyes.
Chris B, no, because it’s live.
But presumably they have the technical wherewithal to delay transmission by 5-10 seconds if they think a guest is likely to swear? I seem to remember Saturday Night Live doing something similar when Richard Pryor hosted an edition.
So who else would be on the list of those likely to meet with a "fatal accident" soon, apart from Shorty? Anybody taking bets?
So who else would be on the list of those likely to meet with a "fatal accident" soon, apart from Shorty? Anybody taking bets?
George Galloway is probably safe – he’s more use to the Government alive than dead.
HIOP, Tony Benn’s been way too visible in the media of late. He’s next for a visit from the bastid-squad. He thought leaving the House would save him… but little did he know!
Tam Dalyell should probably watch his back too, for all sorts of reasons.
I think all the BBCs news programmes’ live coverage now has a delay so editors can take out scenes that are distressing for viewers. Doesn’t apply to the radio though.
Maybe Gordon Brown’s about to leave a beautiful corpse? (Not that I’m a fan of the arch-monetarist, but just looking at it from Tony’s POV.) Outside parliament, the smart money’s got to be on John Pilger.
Tony seems to be having them popped about one a week, so prolly the next load of tributes will be around next weekend…
My money’s on Ciare Short. Stroppy, ex-Minister, Iraq war.
These things always happen in threes.
PS – congratulations John – your penchant for bad language has fallen foul of the corporate firewall and access is no longer allowed from my currrent employer.
Wouldn’t the entire population of Scotland fail Tebbit’s cricket test, given their tendency to opt for (ii) whenever the situation presents itself?
Michael – I was travelling in Scotland during the 2002 World Cup & watched the Brazil gamne in Torridon. The only hostility I ever encountered was from teenagers who had clearly never set foot outside Wester Ross in their lives & for whom Edinburgh was about as relevant as the dark side of the moon.
Ah, but who were they supporting?
Errm, they were all wearing yellow & green vests & were too busy dancing the samba to respond to my questions . . .
Laban – neat anagram BTW – you should be working, not playing around with blogs. And, having seen your site, oozing as it is with racist innuendo, I’m happy that I say what I mean.
Now do some fucking work you lazy bigoted cunt.
I’ve seen your site too. The language is as offensive as John’s – only Johns site is amusing.
No offence.
Now do some f****** work you lazy bigoted c***.
Ha ha! This from the man who call me childish. What a sophisticated argument. What an extensive vocabulary. Which charm school did he go to, one wonders.
Some might think that the combo of New Labour being abroad and Old Labour dying like flies is pretty desirable.
"…Old Labour dying like flies is pretty desirable. "
Ah yes, traditional British values. Is it Gerald Haworth who wants you to leave the country? Or Alan Howarth? These Tories are so confusing. Maybe they’ll all get cancer & die soon, eh?