Clubbed to Death

[hatebox]

Oh Blair, Clarke and 313 other MPs, you really are a plethora of cunts aren't you? I was still seething from ID cards (Parliament had been doing so well, what happenend?) but then this for good measure. Like punching an animal in the head after you've broken its legs. Please, please, History... do not let this generation go down as 'when it started

Comments

[strat_o_bastard]

I guess patriotism means different things to different people. There is no 'Great Britain', only the idea of 'Great Britain'. I hate the flag waving, immigrant-hating, Sun-buying stereotype, but Britain is more than that, and being proud of traditions, if not historical events (most of the empire), and proud of the relatively recent explosion in cultural diversity are certainly reasons to be patriotic.

Also, 'plethora of cunts' is a beautiful phrase.

[hatebox]

Exactly, it's those intangible concepts that really matter. I'd like to think I'd go to some quite extreme (but always passive-aggressive) lengths to protect those. But who am I kidding? I'm a wimp. I'll just laugh/scowl at it all but ultimately comply. And so it happens.

Still, the old saying 'a true Patriot protects their country from the government' remains as true as ever. And hey, maybe it'll result in some great art. Remember what Welles said in 'The Third Man' about Switzerland and the cuckoo clock...

[strat_o_bastard]

Oscar Wilde once wrote that 'patriotism is the virtue of the vicious', and I believe it was Thomas Jefferson, or at least someone equally revered and important, who said that 'a little rebellion now and then is a good thing'.

Make of that what you will.

[hatebox]

Err.. [attempting to remember a relevant quotation]...

"All governments without exception are liars and muderers."

That's why I'll never be a leader, I wouldn't want to so the second part. Because, y'know, I could EASILY be the PM if I wanted to.

I once had an interesting discussion with a guy on patriotism, and remember pointing out that to actually be proud of your counrty borders on lunacy because you did absolutely nothing to achieve that status (I conveniently left out all the immigrants and refugees). So for the sake of argument I suppose a good patriot can be a person who believes in an ideal (agh, been watching too much Batman!) that is significant to their country but also universal, and is prepared to fight for it. [sheds a tear] God save the Queen!

However what constitues a worthy ideal is very subjective, as the cartoon row has demonstrated. 'Islamic' terrorists probably think they're great patriots.

Christ, this point, like my life, is going nowhere.

[hatebox]

The above quote was Bill Hicks, I forgot to say