Wednesday 4 January 2006

Reaching for my revolver

I guess that I must be middle class - using the term "class" in its common but wrong sense. I'm an owner-occupier, have a degree and a professional qualification, and even wear a tie now and again. I also agree that Jamie Oliver is a good bloke:
JAMIE Oliver is the biggest celebrity influence on Britain's middle classes, ahead of everyone from David Cameron to Sir Trevor McDonald, according to a new style guide.
But then I read in my paper that:
David Cameron, an Old Etonian, is in second place for wooing middle England when he ousted David Davis to win the leadership of the Conservative Party.
Come on now guys: the Scotsman shouldn't start an article about "Britain" and then suddenly be writing about "England". That's the kind of sloppiness that we associate with newspapers published in the hometown of Jamie and "Dave". Was the Scotsman sub-editor having his tea break?

Anyway, I'll let them off this time because I was even more outraged by the next bit:

And the millionaire anti-poverty campaigner Chris Martin, the lead singer of easy-listening rock band Coldplay, came third for bringing such issues to a wider audience.
Let's get this straight: when I see the terms "millionaire" and "anti-poverty campaigner" used in the same sentence, I reach for my revolver unless absolutely convinced that the millionaire in question is campaigning against poverty by advocating more capitalism. Rarely is that the case.

2 comments:

David Farrer said...

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24 February 2007, 20:18:12 GMT
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David Farrer
Oops - now corrected!

25 January 2006, 19:26:17 GMT
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Anton Sherwood
Seems to me the sentence that mentions the revolver has a sign error.

21 January 2006, 13:26:03 GMT
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Kenny McCormack
Yes, David Cameron is beginning to make some in Labour sound positively liberal by comparrison. 
 
However it reminds me of what people said when Blair took Labour rightwards, who else are the left gonnae vote for? If Cameron takes the Tories leftwards who are the right gonnae vote for? 
 
Not really sure about Camerons sincerity, Blair has been squatting on the Tories centre ground for a long time, and I think Cameron believes he has to win that ground back by whatever means necessary.

8 January 2006, 14:46:12 GMT
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David Farrer
Ragnar: 
 
Franklin Roosevelt "advocated more capitalism" through his New Deal, including a federal job-making program that got people some spending money that they spent on things that got the American economy rolling. 
 
But that's not capitalism! Capitalism requires no government spending other than (possibly) a system of courts, police and military to protect the citizenry. 
 
Read America's Great Depression for more details. Or indeed anything by Murray Rothbard for a proper understanding of capitalism. 
 
Normally I vote Conservative but I am becoming very pissed off by the collectivist nonsense being spoken by David Cameron, the new party leader.

8 January 2006, 09:34:50 GMT
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dave t
PS Talking of Salmond The local SNP in Moray selected Richard Lochead to stand in what is normally a safe SNP seat once Maggie Ewing retires in 2007 so that Salmond now goes to the top of the North East list and has a better chance of getting in. Also Lochead does not have to stand aside now to let Salmond in. 
 
PPS Thankfully they did not select Annabel Ewing of the Scottish Nepotist Party....phew! Close escape for Moray there!

7 January 2006, 20:03:53 GMT
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dave t
We all know David's a Libertarian with a dash of old school charm and excellent reading habits but with an unfortunate tendency to strip off at rugby matches at Murrayfield. In other words NOT your average SNP supporter....

7 January 2006, 20:01:11 GMT
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Ragnar Danashold
I guess it depends on what you mean by "advocating more capitalism." For instance, Franklin Roosevelt "advocated more capitalism" through his New Deal, including a federal job-making program that got people some spending money that they spent on things that got the American economy rolling. Voila! However, there are many conservatives who say Roosevelt was the begining of Socialism in America. 
 
BTW, this is totally unrelated, but what party do you belong to? I'm going to hazzard a guess and say...Conservative?

7 January 2006, 19:42:59 GMT
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David Farrer said...

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Devil's Kitchen
Eton is an excellent school despite the fact that its Provost is a Scot. 
 
That same Scot was the headmaster when I was there. He was also Blair's housemaster at Fette's, but I assure you that Eric "Plums" Anderson is a very fine man. And his wife is lovely as well. 
 
DK

6 January 2006, 14:08:15 GMT
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dave t
Oh.My.God. Who needs Chris Martin when we have........."George Galloway has turned up in the Big Brother House along with the likes of Michael Barrymore and Dennis Rodman. Questions include: is Galloway donating his fee to charity and if so, will he be able to prove it? Will he continue to draw an MP salary whilst sitting around the BB House? How the heck does he think he represents his constituents when he is never in his area?" 
 
Add this to the 'You canna mak it up' files.....

6 January 2006, 04:53:44 GMT
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Kenny McCormack
"To be completely fair to messrs Martin and Salmond, I understand they think you and your regular readers are all moon-howling dicks." 
 
:lol: Don't be ridiculous! Chris Martin doesn't read Freedom & Whisky! He is too busy making "Turgid arena rock", and I can't see wee Eck reading anything that might challenge his bigoted class warrior views.

5 January 2006, 19:21:25 GMT
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Andrew Ian Dodge
I suspect the clue is the description of Coldplay as 'easy listening'. My arse. Turgid arena rock, with a propensity to render comatose all those within 15 miles would be more accurate. 
 
Its more like M.O.R ie middle of the road. Music meant to offend or excite no one doomed to be played in less than imaginative waiting rooms until hell freezes over. Using the word rock anywhere near the name Coldplay is almost blasphemous to the gods of rock & roll/. 
 
I so wish that Chris Martin could get involved in a Glitter like escapade so we would never have to listen to his turgid output again.

5 January 2006, 12:23:01 GMT
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The Bagged Bear
I rather suspect the Hootsmon sub/reporter was having a dig at that awfully nice millionaire Chris 'saint among men' Martin.  
 
I suspect the clue is the description of Coldplay as 'easy listening'. My arse. Turgid arena rock, with a propensity to render comatose all those within 15 miles would be more accurate. 
 
I'm rather disappointed that you're reaching for your revolver though. Surely unlocking the gun case and dusting down one of the fine side by sides crafted by Messrs James Purdey and Sons would be more appropriate.

5 January 2006, 05:44:05 GMT
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Stuart Dickson
Eton is an excellent school despite the fact that its Provost is a Scot.Salmond is a risible little weasel who will never lead Scotland out of welfare-dependency on its superior Southern neighbour.

5 January 2006, 04:48:24 GMT
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Kenny McCormack
Class is something only morons are bothered about, take for example Alex Salmond of the SNP: 
 
http://www.snp.org/snpnews/2005/snp_press_release.2005-12-07.7787274638 
 
The election of David Cameron as Tory leader offers nothing new for modern Scotland says SNP leader Alex Salmond.Commenting today (Tuesday) on the election of David Cameron as the new leader of the UK Tory party SNP leader Alex Salmond MP said: 
"With David Cameron as leader the anti-Scottish Tories have gone back to the future by dressing up a blue blooded Old Etonian as new age. 
"The Great Great Great Great Great Grandson of William IV has as much relevance to modern Scotland as horse drawn carriages and snuff boxes." 
 
So when asked why new Conservative leader David Cameron has no relevance to Scotland, Salmond replys that it is because of what school he attended. 
 
No wonder Niall Ferguson bitches about the country when this is the sort of crap that comes out of the mouth of the leader of Scotlands main opposition party. Who said class war was dead?

5 January 2006, 01:38:50 GMT