Five questions meme

[iainjcoleman]

I'm blowing the dust off this LJ because katlinel tagged me with her five questions. As is traditional in this little game, let me know in comments if you'd like five individually hand-carved questions of your very own.

1. Which dead politician would you most like to have a chat with and why?Niccolo Machiavelli. He would have some excellent stories. Also

Comments

[philmophlegm]

I find I agree with you on many of these points

[iainjcoleman]

I was actually tempted by Cicero, but in the end I had to plump for Old Nick.

That's a good point about the "most read" section. It's a very valuable resource for the BBC to use in allocating its news coverage, if they're willing to use it. It's clear that the Daily Mail's online version is strongly influenced by its readers preferences as revealed through page clicks, hence the prominent sidebar specialising in breaking news about Carol Vorderman's bum, Rihanna's curves and the shopping practices of assorted Kardashians.

My wife keeps trying to persuade me to give Battlestar Galactica a proper go, and perhaps she will wear me down. I can't say I'm massively enthusiastic, though. The one episode I did see in its entirety was about an election on board the space fleet and, although I don't remember many details of the story, I do remember my incredulous fascination at the almost total lack of understanding of how electoral politics actually works. Perhaps if I'd seen a different episode I would be less antipathetic towards the show.

[kalypso_v]

I'd go for Cicero as dead politician and Machiavelli as dead civil servant.

[iainjcoleman]

Imagine the slash.

No, on second thoughts, better not.

[kalypso_v]

You just wanted to plant the indelible image in my mind, didn't you?

Didn't Machiavelli say something about whiling away long Saturday evenings in exile by holding imaginary discourses with long-dead Roman politicians in his head? So maybe he got there first.

[iainjcoleman]

His fixation with Livy is now cast into a new and unexpected light.