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By jump the ladder (Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 08:59:12 PM EST) (all tags)

The Guardian's Clarke County letter writing thing is pretty much a troll playing both sides. This amused a lot on the way into work today. Delusions of adequacy?

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Tres Amusing | 27 comments (27 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

I want to know by Herring

(6.00 / 1) #1 Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 09:15:53 PM EST

exactly who at the Grauniad thought this was a good idea?

It is terrible by nebbish (6.00 / 1) #4 Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 10:23:36 PM EST

Everything that's wrong with meddling, condescending, patronising, yoghurt-knitting Guardian readers (and this is from a Guardian reader. God knows what everyone else thinks about it).

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It's political correctness gone mad!
[ Parent ]

: This is true by Herring (3.00 / 0) #6 Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 10:35:47 PM EST

I am a Guardian reader out of habit, but it is sometimes embarassing - especially the weekend stuff. If you ever get a chance to listen to The Sunday Format on Radio 4 (sorry, no stream available now) it does an excellent job of taking the piss out of Sunday papers. Fucking hilarious. There were a few MP3s about but I can't locate any now.

[ Parent ]

I find the level of hostility surprising by squigs (3.00 / 0) #2 Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 10:06:10 PM EST

Okay, so people don't want to be told what to do. I can understand that. I'd even expect just about any letter to have the opposite effect from that intended. But Why does anyone care so much? If they receive a letter from a concerned foreigner, why not just ignore it? It's only a suggestion.

They Care by jump the ladder (6.00 / 1) #9 Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 11:27:32 PM EST

Because the national patriotic myth is based on overthrowing 'foreign' rule. So a letter from the same 'foreigners' advising them which way to vote is offensive to them.

I mean I think it's silly personally as I'd be more curious than offended by someone sending this sort of letter but I'm not a septic tank.

[ Parent ]

Plus by jump the ladder (3.00 / 0) #10 Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 11:35:31 PM EST

It's a bit codescending, the whole idea. I mean it's saying that the foreign Guardian readers have some sort of insight to the election that the Usians don't.

[ Parent ]

But they doooo! by squigs (6.00 / 1) #11 Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 11:41:29 PM EST

Guardian readers are the intellectual elite. They know what's best for the working classes.

As they sip their champagne...

[ Parent ]

not quite by martingale (3.00 / 0) #13 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 12:15:56 AM EST

Guardian readers have more experience with democracy than Americans, so it's a matter of offering sound advice to enable Ohio to accede to its rightful place among the freedom loving people of the world.
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$E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
[ Parent ]

So The US by jump the ladder (6.00 / 1) #14 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 12:22:48 AM EST

Is similar to Iraq and Afghanistan where more experienced freedom loving foreigners 'guide' them to the right result.

[ Parent ]

: of course! by martingale (3.00 / 0) #16 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 12:38:18 AM EST

...or are you saying that the UK doesn't have the democratic tradition and experience necessary to help America out of its difficulties? Not all Americans are to blame for their current predicament ;-)
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$E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
[ Parent ]

Have you seen a US film in the past half century by lm (3.00 / 0) #20 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 01:37:55 AM EST

Ever notice how the good guys are always the bad boy rebels?

The average US citizen's natural inclination to getting advice from anyone, but especially foreigners from a country that used to `oppress' the US, is make an obscene gesture and to do exactly the opposite.

There is no more degenerate kind of state than that in which the richest are supposed to be the best.
Cicero, The Republic
[ Parent ]

we can thank dean for that by martingale (3.00 / 0) #21 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 02:15:46 AM EST

More precisely, the other Dean ;-)
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$E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
[ Parent ]

: In part, yes by lm (3.00 / 0) #23 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 02:22:22 AM EST

But I dimly recall something about a tea party in Boston Harbor that happened well before Jimmy Dean was a glimmer in his father's eye.
There is no more degenerate kind of state than that in which the richest are supposed to be the best.
Cicero, The Republic
[ Parent ]

The three broad camps of letters by gazbo

(6.00 / 3) #3 Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 10:21:08 PM EST

The moon-worshipping vegetarian hippies who think it's a brilliant idea, because they know that the only people who'd write would say "BUSH IS TEH EVIL".
The gun totin', steer wrestlin' redneck Christian fundamentalists who not only probably support Bush, but would frankly like all these foreign varmints to FUCK OFF.
The educated non-loonies who respond with a level of wit and irony that should embarrass the fuck out of the Guardian.

In their own ways, I enjoyed reading all of them.

"Engarde!" cried the larvae, huskily. - Scrymarch

: IAWTP by Phage (6.00 / 1) #7 Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 10:51:11 PM EST

Some of the category threes were classics.

It's like magic realism, but not shit. - Scrymarch.
[ Parent ]

Hey. by ambrosen (3.00 / 0) #5 Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 10:24:37 PM EST

What are you doing reading on the bike into work?

Being lazy by jump the ladder (3.00 / 0) #12 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 12:07:43 AM EST

I cycle in 2-3 days a week only. 50-75 miles a week is enough.

[ Parent ]

Only teasing. by ambrosen (3.00 / 0) #15 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 12:31:44 AM EST

Actually, come to think of it, what are you doing going in to work :)? Thought you'd already finished.

[ Parent ]

Last week of it by jump the ladder (6.00 / 1) #17 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 12:39:44 AM EST

They're making me work my notice :(

[ Parent ]

Define "work" [n/t] by Herring

(3.00 / 0) #19 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 01:25:17 AM EST

[ Parent ]

: I imagine, by ambrosen (3.00 / 0) #22 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 02:17:50 AM EST

that the definition includes being in the office, though. For him, anyway.

[ Parent ]

one upmanship by martingale (3.00 / 0) #8 Sun Oct 17, 2004 at 11:16:44 PM EST

Yeah, yeah, it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Remind me again why Britain is willing to place British troops under US command?
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$E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$

Attention USians by komet

(5.80 / 5) #18 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 12:50:29 AM EST

Is there some sort of law in the US requiring you to state "if it weren't for the US, you'd all be speaking German" at least once a year? Of course, if it weren't for the English you certainly wouldn't be speaking English. You'd probably be speaking German... not that there's anything wrong with that.

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<ni> komet: You are functionally illiterate as regards trashy erotica.

Overblown feelings by Gedvondur

(6.00 / 1) #24 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 02:59:19 AM EST

Of having done something semi-right at least once often lead to the proclimation of "We won WWII! We won WWII!"

The truth of the matter (as a USian) is that while it was a magnificent effort, we were late to the party, and when we did get there we acted like a bunch of dicks. (Comments directed at the European war, not Pacific)

Our treatment of the British is particularly unkind. Take a movie like Saving Private Ryan. Is there ONE British soldier pictured? One Free French? Any Canadians? Austrialians? Indians (east)? Poles? From that movie you would think that America fought the war alone.

What was that other movie about a submarine that captured an Enigma machine.....I don't remember. Those grass fuckers in Hollywood made it an American sub, when it really was a British sub.

Did America help? Hell yes! Was it the only reason the war was won, as seems to be the popular opinion in the States? Hell no!

I don't doubt that victory would have been much more in doubt without American intervention, but I also do not belive for a second that an invasion of Britian would have succeeded after 1941. I think that the British and the Russians would have won eventually anyway, albeit at greater cost and hardship, especially to the people of the British Isles.

Gedvondur

"I have a high threshold for taking it in the bum..." - MissTrish
[ Parent ]

It was Omaha Beach by georgeha (6.00 / 1) #25 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 06:07:16 AM EST

IIRC, about the only Brits there were the landing craft helsman.

The uboat film was a total lie, of course.

[ Parent ]

Very true by Gedvondur

(3.00 / 0) #26 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 06:23:22 AM EST

But they did traipse across most of France during the movie.....I imagine that there were some Free French and British about.....

Gedvondur
"I have a high threshold for taking it in the bum..." - MissTrish
[ Parent ]

: Nah, only about 10-20 miles inland by georgeha (6.00 / 1) #27 Mon Oct 18, 2004 at 06:27:58 AM EST

I reckon a French resistance operative could have been added, but I don't think too many Brits or Canadians were in the vicinity.

[ Parent ]

Tres Amusing | 27 comments (27 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback


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