Weekend links.
No theme again this weekend, so we may as well get straight into it. My "hypocrisy machine" post has been mirrored over on Lib Con, where there are some comments should you be obliged to delve in, Lenin quotes Alan Dershowitzon how the Palestinians played a "significant role" in the Holocaust, Paul Linford says the real power now lies with Peter Mandelson, Flying Rodent summarises the CBI's stance on Diaego, David Semple thinks that very occasionally the politically correct have a point, Pigdogfucker is his usual self on Obama giving a medal to Harvey Milk and on deporting Gary McKinnon, the Heresiarch sees that Simon Singh has been denied leave to appeal against Justice Eady's definition of "bogus" and John B has good things to say about the pretend buffoon.
In the papers, or at least on their websites, Edward McMillan-Scott further embarrasses David Cameron over his new European friends and Marina Hyde presents an alternative to the latest Iraq inquiry whitewash. Polly Toynbee and Matthew Parris have opposing, if both eloquently and excellently argued views on legalising assisted suicide, while Amy Jenkins pleads to be allowed to go when she says the time is right. The Graun has a perceptive leader on the romanticising of WWI, and Nick Clegg fears Gary McKinnon won't come back if deported to the States.
As for worst tabloid article/comment piece of the weekend, for once Amanda Platell isn't the default winner. She's certainly nominated, both for her missing the point entirely on assisted suicide and for once again commenting on the death of a young woman where she obviously should have known better. The Mail also a full article on much the same subject. The Sun has yet more letters from the "evil" mother of Baby P, and also once again fails the stop giving attention to trolls test, but there could only be one winner. The prize has to go to AN Wilson, for what may well be the most horrendous article this blog has ever commented upon, advocating the sterilisation of the likes of Theresa Winters, and indeed, the entire "underclass". It's not the advocating of such a policy so much as Wilson's repeated sophistry and intellectual dishonesty in doing so. He complains throughout that he isn't proposing much the same as the Nazis, so much so that you think that even he's having trouble convincing himself of that fact. In a piece strewn with logical fallacies and ignorant comparisons, these are just a couple of parts that stand out:
Except that is exactly how totalitarian regimes imposed their wishes on individuals: they invoked the will of the people, or to bring it up to date, Harriet Harman's court of public opinion. To not do so would be to threaten the life of the nation itself, a dystopian future in which the underclass rule, as AN Wilson predicts. Yet even more troubling is Wilson's complete pessimism, in which he views the offspring of the likes of Winters as being exactly the same as their parents, stuck in their same rut for the rest of their lives, unable to break free, and which he does in the most distasteful terms:
Criminally minded, ineducable children, unlikely to have an interesting thought or do a useful deed. It's hard not to think that it's the other way round entirely.
In the papers, or at least on their websites, Edward McMillan-Scott further embarrasses David Cameron over his new European friends and Marina Hyde presents an alternative to the latest Iraq inquiry whitewash. Polly Toynbee and Matthew Parris have opposing, if both eloquently and excellently argued views on legalising assisted suicide, while Amy Jenkins pleads to be allowed to go when she says the time is right. The Graun has a perceptive leader on the romanticising of WWI, and Nick Clegg fears Gary McKinnon won't come back if deported to the States.
As for worst tabloid article/comment piece of the weekend, for once Amanda Platell isn't the default winner. She's certainly nominated, both for her missing the point entirely on assisted suicide and for once again commenting on the death of a young woman where she obviously should have known better. The Mail also a full article on much the same subject. The Sun has yet more letters from the "evil" mother of Baby P, and also once again fails the stop giving attention to trolls test, but there could only be one winner. The prize has to go to AN Wilson, for what may well be the most horrendous article this blog has ever commented upon, advocating the sterilisation of the likes of Theresa Winters, and indeed, the entire "underclass". It's not the advocating of such a policy so much as Wilson's repeated sophistry and intellectual dishonesty in doing so. He complains throughout that he isn't proposing much the same as the Nazis, so much so that you think that even he's having trouble convincing himself of that fact. In a piece strewn with logical fallacies and ignorant comparisons, these are just a couple of parts that stand out:
The difference between Nazism and what I am proposing is simple. Totalitarian regimes imposed their wishes on individuals. In the case of Theresa Winters, the boot is on the other foot.
Except that is exactly how totalitarian regimes imposed their wishes on individuals: they invoked the will of the people, or to bring it up to date, Harriet Harman's court of public opinion. To not do so would be to threaten the life of the nation itself, a dystopian future in which the underclass rule, as AN Wilson predicts. Yet even more troubling is Wilson's complete pessimism, in which he views the offspring of the likes of Winters as being exactly the same as their parents, stuck in their same rut for the rest of their lives, unable to break free, and which he does in the most distasteful terms:
This country faces many problems. And chief among them is the fact that our worst sink schools are filling up with criminally minded, ineducable children - who will, in turn, be unemployable and simply grow up to become prison fodder.
...No school will ever educate them. No employer will ever want to pay them wages. Future generations of honest, taxpaying citizens will have to carry them - and all the social problems they will bring with them - as an unwanted, indeed hated, burden.
As individuals, stuffing their faces with junk food, blowing what passes for minds with alcohol or drugs, they are unlikely to have an interesting thought, do a useful deed, or have a relationship which is not abusive or damaging to others.
Criminally minded, ineducable children, unlikely to have an interesting thought or do a useful deed. It's hard not to think that it's the other way round entirely.
Labels: weekend, weekend links, weekend round-up
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'Horrendous' doesn't even begin to cover it. I initially thought it was a satirical piece.
Posted by
Louise |
Sunday, August 02, 2009 7:12:00 PM
Why does it seem to be increasingly clear that we're going to have to live the entire 20th century over again? Only this time, just the bad bits?
Posted by
nomad |
Monday, August 03, 2009 4:49:00 PM
nomad:
If there ever was a time for a Marx quote, I think this is it.
"History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce."
Posted by
Oriel boy |
Friday, August 07, 2009 1:13:00 AM
Performing a Google search to see what sort of reaction the Wilson article generated, the top link was to Wilson Sterilization Equipment of Birmingham, Alabama.
Posted by
Andrew Bartlett |
Monday, September 14, 2009 5:05:00 PM