The two billion of us who grew up in current or former Commonwealth countries are told to see England as a bastion of all we are supposed to hope to be. Even Americans, who got out long before anybody thought to include Imperial subjects in the same sentence as British subjects, have an umbilical fascination with England. Even more so in some respects. I have never met an African, Indian, Australian who follows the goings on of the British royal family with as much vicarious interest as do some Americans. Africans have Mandela. Indians have Gandhi. Australians have the Bee Gees. I guess Americans need something to fill the void that TV simply cannot offer.
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5 comments:
Can I be the first one to reference a Prince album? Please? Can I?
“The aristocratic rebel, since he has enough to eat, must have other causes of discontent.”
So said Bertrand Russell. Or Adrian Mole.
However, as relatively trivial as the English source of discontent is, it's telling that the proposed solutions to the unrest (cutting the internet, blocking mobile phone access) is straight out of Mubarak's playbook. If any good can come out of the riots, it's to remind those in free countries that their leaders won't balk at considering the methods of a dictator.
But it's okay when we do it of course.
And you are so dropped over that Bee Gees line!
I personally do not see much wrong with burning down London -or Liverpool for that matter.
I love to loot as much as the next guy but I am a bit old for looting and besides I am in Mexico at the moment and am somewhat preoccupied with sunning myself.
Not only that but the bus ride from Heathrow is a bit longish and where would I put a looted TV anyway what with the stupid new luggage rules.
When I fill out my census forms I insist that we are colored - I put down in the "Other" section: "Pink"
When you look deep enough we are all pink somewhere.
I really liked the article, and the very cool blog
I don't know whether the protest or Prince album came first but I know that Prince isn't the first thing I think of when anybody mentions purple rain.
Garry, it's nice to see you back. You can riot in Mexico but I doubt it would be on the news outside of Mexico.
Ernest, some of us are more pink inside than others.
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