| Friday, March 30, 2007 |
| WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT IT? |
 One time, they let ME into the houses of parliament. The fools! Just about every other time I have been down there I have been protesting outside it, nevertheless, this time I was in there.
I won't tell you why I was there other than to say we were meeting a Member of Parliament about something in order to be not listened to in the way that only those people can not listen to you.
After arguing with her for a while, we got a little tour. There were some Japanese tourists taking the tour with us. After having the various rooms explained to us we got to the statue of Winston Churchill. It was shortly after this that I nearly got thrown out.
The tour guide was going on about what a great man he was and every point she said in his favour I interjected with one against him...these included...
- Rather bad treatment of the suffragettes
- saying that he was "strongly in favor of using poisoned gas" against "uncivilized tribes" and "recalcitrant arabs"
- saying this "I do not agree that the dog in a manger has the final right to the manger even though he may have lain there for a very long time. I do not admit that right. I do not admit for instance, that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia. I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly wise race to put it that way, has come in and
 taken their place.". He was referring to the Palestinian conflict.
- Being at least partly responsible for the pointless slaughter at Gallipoli in World War 1
- Using the army against British protestors who were marching because they didn't have any food.
- Denying the fire brigade access to a beseiged building so the protestors had to choose surrender or death
- It wasn't actually him that was speaking during those snippets of speeches you have heard. They were recorded by an actor to be broadcast on the radio.
There is a lot more I could have mentioned too. The whole time I was saying all of this the tour guide was getting more and more agitated. It was rather funny actually.
All in all, I would just like to point out that not all people in the UK think he was a hero. In fact, a lot of us are quite pleased he is dead.
On the news and things over here people still like to invoke the spirit of Churchill. Well I for one don't like invoking the spirit of bigoted imperialist thugs.
Oh, and we managed to smuggle a bottle of vodka in too which I thought was good at the time but knowing what most of them are like you probably get funny looks if you DON'T have a bottle of vodka.
Also also, a wee reminder that all the films are available for download on you right.
For some info about Churchill Mickey Z's old article on the subject is a reasonable starting place.
Labels: Churchill, Parliament |
posted by michael the tubthumper @ 3:55 pm  |
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| 8 Comments: |
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In the US, politicians like to fantasize about WWII, a “simpler” time, and compare Bush to Churchill—in regards to the man and not the memory, the comparison is a good fit.
Anytime someone speaks out Neville Chamberlain's name pops up. Western history doesn't seem to reward diplomats, the good or bad.
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People don't just fall for the syrup they drizzle on us in the name of history. We know and the information travels at the speed of light to enlighten the masses about the true nature of these criminal leaders. Glad the gov survived your visit - or maybe not.
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mary, i wish i could agree with you on that but churchilll is still regarded by many as a hero in this country. in a poll a few years ago that MILLIONS of people voted in he was a clear winner for number one ever british person.
i wish people didnt just fall for it but a lot them do.
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Wow. I have to say that I had no idea about ANY of that regarding Churchill. I like to believe I'm well read on history, but it seems that's not the case. Thank you for adding to my own knowledge.
And, thank you for the Bill Hicks quote on my blog. It's brilliant.
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Churchill was a bastard all right. As you point out, he gassed the Kurds long before Saddam did.
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A wee technical query about the links to your videos - what is the advantage of using the tinyurl links? It creates the disadvantage of us not knowing whether we're linking to another page or downloading a file. Can I suggest you also consider posting the file sizes? Cheers.
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Churchill is still a total hero here in the Czech Republic. I'm not sure exactly why, but there is a square named after him here in my quater of Prague, and a larger than life bronze statue of him stands in the middle of it. It is a replica of the original that the communists tore down. The original artist made the head on the new one. O.K. , too much information...
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Name: michael the tubthumper
Home: Glasgow, Scotland
About Me: Tub-Thumper - 1. A speaker or preacher who for emphasis thumps the pulpit; a violent or declamatory preacher or orator; a ranter. This blog will be a combination of reasoned posting somedays and an occasional rant.
28 years old, I write and research for a couple of websites and also do my own stuff.
See my complete profile
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| Thumping The Tub Video |
I have made a few short movies. Here are links to free downloads for them all in the order that I made them (as far as I can remember). Please feel free to use, distribute, disagree with, shout at etc etc
Praise The Lord and Pass The Ammunition
This was a REAL song from World War 2. I was so stunned by it I had to make a movie
How Far Is It From Here to Nuremberg
This is my attempt at a video for the excellent, if worrying, David Rovics (see links) song
What You Like
I believe the word for this is "splenetic". Only 20 seconds long.
Imperial Measures
What is going on in Iraq? Some things you knew, some you didn't. A couple of bits of info are out of date now.
Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here is a 6 minute film about the unprecendted rate of animal extinction we are currently experiencing
Gorillas and us
I don't like creationism, neither did Douglas Adams
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U.S. MONETARY Cost of the War in Iraq - other people are spending too, and the human cost is much higher
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| some of the blogs I look at |
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| Arse of the month |
The inaugural 'Arse of the month' award goes to our very own Scottish First Minister Jack (Joke) McConnell. He seems to spend a lot of his time sucking up to english politicians and yet it appears they don't even know his name. Follow the link to see..
NODOBY KNOWS ME
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| It's All Gone Scottish |
A list of some other Scottish sites and blogs most of which, if not all, are pro-independence. I don't agree with content on all of them obviously. Some are Scots at home, others abroad.
The Scottish Patient
Kim Ayres
Our Scotland
average tosser
1820
big stick small carrot
J. Arthur MacNumpty
World of Jack McConnell
The Firefox Chronicles
Independence 1st
Radio Free Scotland
Scots and independent
Scottish Independence Guide
TCOAW
Small Nation
Inveresk Street Ingrate
Radical Glasgow
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If you like this site and think it is time to start getting informed here are a few real favourites of mine that will help you blow away the corporate and government propaganda you are constantly bombarded with. It is added to every so often.
politics and the english language
Beyond Hope
the gore exception
your tax dollars at work
a cultural chernobyl
choose life (not trainspotting)
shooting an elephant
a war crime within a war crime...
the menace of liberal scholarship
the modern era of law
naming the problem
the four ages of sand
a news revolution has begun
come september
money is the cause of poverty
countering corporate power
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In the US, politicians like to fantasize about WWII, a “simpler” time, and compare Bush to Churchill—in regards to the man and not the memory, the comparison is a good fit.
Anytime someone speaks out Neville Chamberlain's name pops up. Western history doesn't seem to reward diplomats, the good or bad.