The Languid Goat Is Always Thin

[liadnan]

Not that this really has anything to do with anything, I merely happen to be flipping through this book ("the world's strangest proverbs").

I've just been watching Yes Minister: the devil you know, the episode in which Sir Humphrey gives what remains, some 20 years on, an accurate summing up of the politics of the European Communities. I found myself wondering what Sir Humphrey would have to say about Protect and Survive Preparing for Emergencies: what you need to know, a hard copy of which dropped through my letterbox, and probably through that of most of youse who are in the UK over the last couple of days.

It's actually, in some ways, funnier than its notorious spoof.. "the Fire and Rescue service has become equipped in recent years to decontaminate large numbers of people quickly. This involves showering with soap and water and then dressing in temporary clothing that would be provided..." (as an aside, I do wish they'd employ people who are capable of writing grammatically correct English).. go inside a safe building... Of course there are always going to be particular occasions when you should not "go in" to a building, for example if there is a fire." Score one against the social darwinists I think. And why is "go in" in inverted commas?

The real point though, is that my own response is simply "fuck it". I'm buggered if I'm going to skip one drink so I can afford to buy a tinfoil hat, if you see what I mean.

I lived in centralish London during the last major period of IRA attacks. There's have been a certain irony, given my family history, if I'd been caught in one of their bombs, but I doubt the murdering bastards would have cared. We became used to it and went on with our lives, and I intend to do the same now.

Unlike many of my friends, I would indeed not be remotely surprised if, tomorrow or the next day, I was sitting in my office and a major bomb went off nearby. The RCJ has to be a major target, and Britain is obviously on the hit list, in my opinion. But I refuse to live my life concentrating on that possibility. If I land in the middle of it, I do: nothing is going to prevent that, so in the meantime the only answer is carpe diem. Nor am I prepared to look suspiciously from the corner or my eye at every Arab on the tube. (by the way, did you all see this story?) It's far more useful to go and read some history, particularly the history of the period immediately after WWI, in order to understand how the hell we arrived here. Then it might be easier to work out how to arrive somewhere else.

It was a similar train of thought that sent me looking for a translation of C.PCavafy's Waiting for the Barbarians the other day. It was the end I was thinking of: "Now what's going to happen to us without the barbarians/Those people were a kind of solution."

Barbarians capable of killing thousands of innocents are indeed around, nevertheless, we should resist those who seek to use them as a form of solution.

So fuck it all, I'm off to Istanbul next week. Hurrah.

Before that happens, I have one major and one minor hearing to attend to. The major one involves pleading fraud (for the non-lawyers, pleading fraud in civil cases is along the lines of taking the shit out of the frying pan and fanning the fire with it.. um is that what I mean?), so I guess I'd better get back to work... But The Lyon's Den is on, and I'm sucked in.

Comments

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

IStanbul...
*sighs*
Have fun. How long would you be there for?

And thanks for the link to that story about Blunkett. That man fascinates me...

[liadnan]

They don't have a copy of the original cartoon (Bearded Arab-Looking Terrorist Instructor Laden With Comedy Bombs Surrounded By Terrorists-In-Training, speech bubble "Now, I'm only going to show you how to do this once").. it was in the print version, which I had, quite coincidentally, bought as the village shop had run out of the Observer.

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

I somehow find that stern teacher bit rather funny - 'if you don't get it the first time, we'll kick you out!'

But froma different perspective, I wonder how we are going to get out of this fix. Everywhere I look, it seems as if battle lines are being drawn, and positions crystallised.

[liadnan]

To be honest I did find the cartoon (which is used in emergency services and civil service etc training, not for the public) showed an admirable retention of some kind of sense of black humour...

[nicnac.livejournal.com]

Have a great time in Istanbul - travelogue when you get back?

[dr-lovely.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Good idea. Am amused by "preparing for emergencies". Am also very much looking forward to the republican party conference that will be happening just a little way from here very shortly.

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

Oooh! That is something I'd like to witness. Though I'm not sure if it would make me laugh, or send my blood pressure rocketing through the roof.
Would still rather go to Istanbul though.....

[liadnan]

The Republicans are having their convention in NYC? Isn't that a slightly odd decision?

[dr-lovely.livejournal.com]

Yes, the Republican Party Convention 2004 is going to be held at Madison Square Garden. Demonstrations are expected.

I guess Missouri is already won, so no point going there. They just voted 70% for an amendment to the constitution to ban gay marriage you know (fucking Missouri, they should all be shot).

I wonder what the few left wing Americans who say things like "America is still great, we're just under temporary bad management, he only got in cos he cheated" are going to say if Bush wins again, eh ?

[liadnan]

Inevitably..

[(Anonymous)]

Nobody wants the convention here. There are hardly any Republicans in NYC anyway. Lots of protests planned. Things might get a bit hairy.