IN THE INTEREST OF BALANCE: AMERICA IS NUMBER ONE!
Ok now we've got that out of the way we can talk about real issues. In the previous week, the independent columnist and author Owen Jones (or as a friend of mine likes to call him "The Thinking Gay's Crumpet") wrote a column explaining just how terrifying the recent expansion of power in the US really is.
In the wake of Bush's administration, the president of the United States can now hold people indefinitely, arrest people without a warrant, imprison people without a trial, torture prisoners and order the killing of any US citizen without due process. Yes, all of those powers were confirmed under dubya. But Obama has handed virtually none of this power back and there are those who still claim that he is the most liberal, left wing, socialist and divisive president ever.
Unfortunately, Jones does have a point. Citing his article, in "The Five" section on Fox news, their pundits spoke of his comments rightly making clear that the expansion of power is extremely frightening and and has potentially destructive ramifications. Or as they glibly put it, what he really means is "Death to America." Yes, what a perfect over-simplification of everything in the article: Jones points out the dangers of having too much power subject to abuse, and Fox news explains all it means is america must be destroyed. I don't know who could have better simplified the problem, except maybe a 6 year old.
They then went off to explain that america is awesome and people on the left only hate them for the power they wield. Of course. The problem isn't America's colossal expansion of how it can infringe on civil liberties, it's that people hate it for being awesome. The kind of in depth analysis that could only come from a complete ignoramus. Greg Gutfield thinks that "the only solution is for America to start assuming our awesome and stop apologising for it". I have a better suggestion. Why not stop insulting whoever has anything critical to say about you and take an board what is said before dismissing it out of hand. In other words: stop claiming you're the most 'awesome' country in the world and start acting like it!
Eric Bolling then went on to claim that Obama is the head of the occupy movement, Dana Pierno claimed it is better to be feared than liked, and Andrea Tantaros called Jones a schoolchild who had never heard of Hitler or Mussolini or that America helped defeat them, before calling Germany the most influential economic power in Europe and saying America had to police them.
Now, I'm not here simply to defend Jones- unlike what some would tell you, I daresay he's a big boy and doesn't need my praise or defence. I'm just here to cite some strange rhetoric from The Five.
So for the sake of balance for balance's sake, let's respond to some of these points. If you get to claim Obama is the head of the occupy movement, we get to make comparisons between Bush and Saddam Hussain. If you get to claim it's better to be feared than liked, you don't deserve any respect. If you think Jones is a schoolchild when he's nearly 28, I get to call you an infantile bimbo who doesn't know how to use the education she has.
Next on the agenda, however, since we need to respect America and say how awesome it is all the time, let's list a few places where America does rank number one. CO2 emissions: America has the highest rate in the world, ahead of China. Rape: America has the most occurrences of rape in the world ahead of Kenya. America sells more weapons and instruments of destruction than any other country. America has the highest crime rate in the world above the UK. They have the highest divorce rate in the world. There are more people in prison in the US than any other country. One in 38 people in the US is in prison. Harold Pinter was right co compare the prison system to the Soviet gulag, except for one thing. Russia ranks number three in stats of most citizens in prison meaning that america now ranks several times worse than the number of people in the gulag. So way to go, America, in these areas, you really are number one!
Now, don't get me wrong. The above makes me sound quite anti-American, but trust me, I am not. I am only deeply concerned and wish that the right wing media in America would really look at these concerns and not pretend they don't exist. Because the wars the US and UK put on the credit card thanks to Bush and Blair were fought on a pack of lies and the lid has been blown off it. And if a country wants respect after so many mistakes, it has to earn it and not just expect the fear of others because their missiles are bigger than everyone else's.
Tuesday 28 August 2012
In the Interest of Balance: Royal Flush
IN THE INTEREST OF BALANCE: The Sun must be rebranded a 'special interest' rag. It has been virtually inescapable all week: the nude pictures of Prince Harry getting naked and grinding up against a girl in Vegas that were sold to and published by The Sun newspaper. That's right the most perverse image anyone in the UK has seen since the combination of the words 'The Sun' and 'Newspaper'.
When this story hit the front page, I was heartened by a number of people of my generation all responding the same way in the face of this 'outrage': 'Who gives a shit?!'
Seriously this should not be such a big deal: he's a young man having a wild night out and letting his hair down... and in the process letting his family down. We've all had nights like that. It just isn't photographed by some over-eager celebrity hunting twonk with a phone who then sells it for thousands to a newspaper.
Since the newspaper has been in serious trouble with the press complaints commission, with many people, including royals, complaining that the story is not in the public interest. Here's the thing: virtually none of the stories in The Sun are in the public interest. We need look no further than the appalling coverage of the Hillsborough disaster that lead to the paper not being sold anywhere in Liverpool: a completely fabricated story executed in a most offensive way, exploiting the dead and knowingly insulting their families, their friends and their memory. Therefore, I think it only right to rebrand the paper a special interest paper, since it sure as hell isn't public interest.
However, I think the problem goes deeper than this. The minute the faux-outrage machine tabloid published the story, the irony was clear... and could be found on page 3.
The buck does not stop with the papers in this story. The fact that so many people were apparently outraged by this story, I think, is very telling about this country's attitude to sex, sexuality and nudity. I found myself wondering why we were so uppity pretending to be shocked and asked myself are we such an infantile people that any display of nudity or sexuality is greeted with reactionary disgust and childish tittering. Unfortunately, the answer I found myself reaching is yes we are.
Why were we so 'outraged' at the content of the image? The fact that some wannabe paparazzo snapped the photo on a mobile phone: that should be an outrage. The fact that they then tried to sell it: that should be an outrage. And, yes, the fact that The Sun newspaper bought it and ran it on the front page: that should be an outrage.
I'm going to do the criminal here and compare this nation with France. I know, I know, we like to insult France all the time in this country, because... well, it's fun. But bear with me here. Through the course of history, the European country that has seemed most comfortable with all things sexual has been France. They gave us erotic literature, art, lingereé and told us what to do with our tongues. They've been fine with nude beaches and, in recent years have had elections in which the candidates have been unmarried with children or non exclusive. Even their attitude to gay sex has rightly been way in advance of ours. Our laws criminalising homosexuality were repealed largely between the 70s and 80s. When did France decriminalise homosexuality? 1795!
You know, when I started to look into this, I thought the fact that we seem to be turning into a nation of busybodys was a new thing. But looking at it in this light, I realise this isn't true. It's just a new thing that the media is turning into a bunch of people acting like busybodys: pretending to be outraged just because a royal got his clothes off. Frankly I have no problem with the young Prince's actions, but when attitudes like this explode across the press, we must wonder what we thirst after more: morality or a good scandal we can sink our teeth into.
When this story hit the front page, I was heartened by a number of people of my generation all responding the same way in the face of this 'outrage': 'Who gives a shit?!'
Seriously this should not be such a big deal: he's a young man having a wild night out and letting his hair down... and in the process letting his family down. We've all had nights like that. It just isn't photographed by some over-eager celebrity hunting twonk with a phone who then sells it for thousands to a newspaper.
Since the newspaper has been in serious trouble with the press complaints commission, with many people, including royals, complaining that the story is not in the public interest. Here's the thing: virtually none of the stories in The Sun are in the public interest. We need look no further than the appalling coverage of the Hillsborough disaster that lead to the paper not being sold anywhere in Liverpool: a completely fabricated story executed in a most offensive way, exploiting the dead and knowingly insulting their families, their friends and their memory. Therefore, I think it only right to rebrand the paper a special interest paper, since it sure as hell isn't public interest.
However, I think the problem goes deeper than this. The minute the faux-outrage machine tabloid published the story, the irony was clear... and could be found on page 3.
The buck does not stop with the papers in this story. The fact that so many people were apparently outraged by this story, I think, is very telling about this country's attitude to sex, sexuality and nudity. I found myself wondering why we were so uppity pretending to be shocked and asked myself are we such an infantile people that any display of nudity or sexuality is greeted with reactionary disgust and childish tittering. Unfortunately, the answer I found myself reaching is yes we are.
Why were we so 'outraged' at the content of the image? The fact that some wannabe paparazzo snapped the photo on a mobile phone: that should be an outrage. The fact that they then tried to sell it: that should be an outrage. And, yes, the fact that The Sun newspaper bought it and ran it on the front page: that should be an outrage.
I'm going to do the criminal here and compare this nation with France. I know, I know, we like to insult France all the time in this country, because... well, it's fun. But bear with me here. Through the course of history, the European country that has seemed most comfortable with all things sexual has been France. They gave us erotic literature, art, lingereé and told us what to do with our tongues. They've been fine with nude beaches and, in recent years have had elections in which the candidates have been unmarried with children or non exclusive. Even their attitude to gay sex has rightly been way in advance of ours. Our laws criminalising homosexuality were repealed largely between the 70s and 80s. When did France decriminalise homosexuality? 1795!
You know, when I started to look into this, I thought the fact that we seem to be turning into a nation of busybodys was a new thing. But looking at it in this light, I realise this isn't true. It's just a new thing that the media is turning into a bunch of people acting like busybodys: pretending to be outraged just because a royal got his clothes off. Frankly I have no problem with the young Prince's actions, but when attitudes like this explode across the press, we must wonder what we thirst after more: morality or a good scandal we can sink our teeth into.
Wednesday 1 August 2012
Mind The Gap
Up to now, Oswald has been happy to assist Zazu in reviewing and editing his posts, however tonight, its my turn to post an entry. I've decided, to rival Zazu's convention of In the Interest of Balance, to create relevant entries on Satirical Silliness. Thankfully, with the Olympic Games upon us, it seems as though Christmas has come early for satirists.
Tonight, I read the following article on BBC News:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19060095
Overcrowding? On Public Transport?! Surely not. Those outside of London will surely recognise this as a regular phenomena on many trains run during peak hours. Students and anyone boarding the train last minute may find themselves in squatting in corridors, like some technological beggar. I fortunately have had the comfort of a seat on most occasions, but I have known to take up standing room on a train where, in theory, capacity would allow a seat for me. Why does this happen? Because people catching earlier or later trains than they've booked tickets for would be expected on those trains. Similarly the assumption of open return tickets mean that capacity would be available- except on the more popular routes and timings when everyone opts to travel.
Rather than a rant though, I want to query where are all the Health and Safety officials? They seem to have vanished? UK citizens are daily confronted with the challenges and issues around prohibitive regulations along the lines of Thou shalt not block the Fire Exit and Hold the Handrail whilst on a moving walkway. Have these rules been waived in order to accommodate the Olympics to avoid penalising foreign nationals? If so, can we please have more foreign nationals visiting on a regular basis but only as long as someone holds compulsory queuing lessons as part of Citizenship.
However, this whole situation, as Mornington Crescent players will know, could easily have been avoided by the Wellington Manouevre, rather than playing Hobsons Gambit to bisect a trilateral, thus entering into Nip. If playing by Parker rules, don't forget to collect £200.00 as you pass Go
Tonight, I read the following article on BBC News:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19060095
Overcrowding? On Public Transport?! Surely not. Those outside of London will surely recognise this as a regular phenomena on many trains run during peak hours. Students and anyone boarding the train last minute may find themselves in squatting in corridors, like some technological beggar. I fortunately have had the comfort of a seat on most occasions, but I have known to take up standing room on a train where, in theory, capacity would allow a seat for me. Why does this happen? Because people catching earlier or later trains than they've booked tickets for would be expected on those trains. Similarly the assumption of open return tickets mean that capacity would be available- except on the more popular routes and timings when everyone opts to travel.
Rather than a rant though, I want to query where are all the Health and Safety officials? They seem to have vanished? UK citizens are daily confronted with the challenges and issues around prohibitive regulations along the lines of Thou shalt not block the Fire Exit and Hold the Handrail whilst on a moving walkway. Have these rules been waived in order to accommodate the Olympics to avoid penalising foreign nationals? If so, can we please have more foreign nationals visiting on a regular basis but only as long as someone holds compulsory queuing lessons as part of Citizenship.
However, this whole situation, as Mornington Crescent players will know, could easily have been avoided by the Wellington Manouevre, rather than playing Hobsons Gambit to bisect a trilateral, thus entering into Nip. If playing by Parker rules, don't forget to collect £200.00 as you pass Go
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