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The banker loving, baby-eating Tory party thread (regenerated)


blandy

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Rory Stewart - Lord of misrule Boris Johnson: an amoral figure for a bleak, coarse culture

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Bower concludes, therefore, that those of us who criticize him – as I am about to do – are narrow-minded, prudish, inadequate or envious.

Perhaps it is envy. Johnson is after all the most accomplished liar in public life – perhaps the best liar ever to serve as prime minister. Some of this may have been a natural talent – but a lifetime of practice and study has allowed him to uncover new possibilities which go well beyond all the classifications of dishonesty attempted by classical theorists like St Augustine. He has mastered the use of error, omission, exaggeration, diminution, equivocation and flat denial. He has perfected casuistry, circumlocution, false equivalence and false analogy. He is equally adept at the ironic jest, the fib and the grand lie; the weasel word and the half-truth; the hyperbolic lie, the obvious lie, and the bullshit lie – which may inadvertently be true. And because he has been so famous for this skill for so long, he can use his reputation to ascend to new levels of playful paradox. Thus he could say to me “Rory, don’t believe anything I am about to say, but I would like you to be in my cabinet” – and still have me laugh in admiration.

But what makes him unusual in a politician is that his dishonesty has no clear political intent.

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Johnson may have a bust of Pericles on his desk.

But he is not, as he pretends, a man suffering from akrasia – someone who struggles, with shame, to live up to the ideals of a complex classical civilization. Rather, he is an amoral figure operating in a much bleaker and coarser culture. And it is in his interest – and that of other similar politicians around the world – to make that culture ever coarser. But unless we begin to repair our political institutions and nurture a society that places more emphasis on personal and political virtue, we will have more to fear than Boris Johnson.

This last line is something we must heed also when considering the US and the fact that, even though Trump may be beaten by Biden, there is still a huge number of people willing to vote for Trump and thus, potentially, any future Trumpian candidate.

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10 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

Take a bow, Romford, you elected a raging prick.

 

 

 

Given the original picture that's been edited had a swastika on it, I wonder if we might be seeing a whip-enforced, ashen-faced apology later today.

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I read the article with the full quotes, and I disagree with the outrage. The British government should do what's in the best interests of the UK, and that involves poking neither side with a stick while votes are still being counted.

We can't affect it, the US doesn't give a shit what we say. At best we'll have no effect, at worst we'll actively antagonise them when we still want a trade deal. Staying quiet and letting them sort it out is the right course of action IMO. It's not like it's a regime that is successfully undermining democracy and stealing the election, in which case perhaps we should take a firmer line. As the spokesperson says, the US has several checks and balances in place for this, and Trump throwing a tantrum isn't worth us passing comment on. 

Edited by Davkaus
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On 06/11/2020 at 13:23, Davkaus said:

I read the article with the full quotes, and I disagree with the outrage. The British government should do what's in the best interests of the UK, and that involves poking neither side with a stick while votes are still being counted.

We can't affect it, the US doesn't give a shit what we say. At best we'll have no effect, at worst we'll actively antagonise them when we still want a trade deal. Staying quiet and letting them sort it out is the right course of action IMO. It's not like it's a regime that is successfully undermining democracy and stealing the election, in which case perhaps we should take a firmer line. As the spokesperson says, the US has several checks and balances in place for this, and Trump throwing a tantrum isn't worth us passing comment on. 

If we can’t actively and loudly state that votes should be counted in a fair election because it might effect our ability to get a trade deal then our position to get a trade deal really can’t be very strong. 

Do get the point on keeping quiet though, as it makes no difference, it’s fair.

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41 minutes ago, snowychap said:

 

Read this earlier and though it was yet another u-turn. It is a shame that there isn't an election anytime soon. At the rate Boris is going, I would hope that he would get kicked out pretty sharpish.

However, I think Corbyn & Labour played the how no-deal Brexit issue so badly last year. If they formed the Government of national unity with the Tory "rebels", they could have simply got the issue sorted (one way or another) and then gone to the polls. But no, for whatever reason (think the rumours were Corbyn insisting he should be PM over say someone for more neutral like Ken Clarke) that didn't happen despite having the numbers. Unfortunately this played into Boris & Cummings hands who in essence pushed the same narrative as in 2016 and managed to swing enough significant seats to pull the large majority in the commons. All because the opposition could not organise itself effectively. I hope Starmer et al appreciate this and if/when an opportunity comes around their seize it better than Corbyn did. 

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7 minutes ago, Genie said:

I’m confused why the old footage of Biden, who has Irish heritage, saying “I’m Irish” is going viral? 

Because we have taken back control.

We don’t have to play by Ireland’s rules, they’re small and insignificant.

We don’t have to play by the EU rules, we beat them in World War II.

Hell, we don’t even have to play by the rule of International laws and agreements, we have Trump on our side.

With the U.S. backing us to the hilt, the EU and the Irish can do one. We’re Great BritEngland, we score when we want.

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