Optimism Fading?

I'm trying to drag myself out of depression, but this morning my sociology class foresaw the collapse of society within the next century, and the newspapers (the broadsheets, naturally) detail nothing but how governments are either faffing about talking bollocks or being downright hypocritical.


Talking Bollocks 1

"Is this the same man that two weeks ago told the Daily Telegraph 'I am and always have been a Conservative to the core of my being?' One week ago he's the heir to New Labour and today he is a liberal Conservative," Mr Blair taunted, adding to laughter from Labour backbenchers, "No wonder he's against ID cards"

Great to see a mature debate on ID cards...

Talking Bollocks 2

The speech had been proceeding for perhaps twenty minutes when a messenger hurried on to the platform and a scrap of paper was slipped into the speaker's hand. He unrolled and read it without pausing in his speech. Nothing altered in his voice or manner, or in the content of what he was saying, but suddenly the names were different. Without words said, a wave of understanding rippled through the crowd. Oceania was at war with Eastasia! The next moment there was a tremendous commotion. The banners and posters with which the square was decorated were all wrong! Quite half of them had the wrong faces on them. It was sabotage! The agents of Goldstein had been at work! There was a riotous interlude while posters were ripped from the walls, banners torn to shreds and trampled underfoot. The Spies performed prodigies of activity in clambering over the rooftops and cutting the streamers that fluttered from the chimneys. But within two or three minutes it was all over. The orator, still gripping the neck of the microphone, his shoulders hunched forward, his free hand clawing at the air, had gone straight on with his speech. One minute more, and the feral roars of rage were again bursting from the crowd. The Hate continued exactly as before, except that the target had been changed.
Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Part II, Chapter IX

Will they be publishing a daily updated list reflecting which groups are in and out of favour? I'd hate to be someone still singing praise of the Mujahadeen when this comes through...

Hypocritical

Labour's Colin Burgon hailed "the shift to the left that has taken place in Latin America... He said: "It would be bad news for all concerned if we allowed our policy towards those countries, especially countries like Venezuela, to be shaped by a really right wing US republican agenda." Mr Blair said: "It is rather important that the government of Venezuela realise that if they want to be respected members of the international community they should abide by the rules of the international community. I also have to say with the greatest respect to the president of Venezuela that when he forms an alliance with Cuba I would prefer to see Cuba a proper functioning democracy."

I'd like to see the West's Arabian allies become proper functioning democracies (unlike this country) - he also has the cheek to lecture other states on "the rules of the international community" *cough*. I join Chàvez in telling TB to go to hell, or as we would say in our own vernacular - fuck off.

Hmm, that feels much better...


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