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Joyce McMillan: Was Sarkozy in same Britain as the majority of us?



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Published Date: 29 March 2008
By Joyce McMillan
TO THE gym, on Friday morning, to blow away some of the week's cobwebs; only to be confronted, on the Sky Television screen, by the placid-looking face of one Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways.
He had been called to the bar of the media to account for the shambles which broke out on Thursday at Heathrow Airport's new Terminal 5, which, within a few hours of its royal opening, developed such severe problems that scores of flights had to be c...



The full article contains 916 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 28 March 2008 9:41 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Joyce McMillan
 
1

Senga Jean,

Scotland 29/03/2008 00:39:42
Terminal 5 is UK writ large. Scotland would be simply a better place if it were INDEPENDENT. Let is join the world is my simple message.
2

donald,

glasgow 29/03/2008 04:46:54
I don't want to be Joyce McMillan's Perfidious Britain.
3

Viewfromwales,

Abertawe 29/03/2008 06:45:35
What a powerful article.

Of course, there are still many communities where the lifestyle is healthier and more fulfilling, but unfortunately the scenario described by Joyce McMillan is becoming more pervasive and squalid.

I am particularly concerned by the number of people that I know personally who hold down multiple low-paid jobs to make ends meet, and the effect that has on their families, while their financial pressures far exceed the so-called official inflation rate.

There really is a divide between the majority of people and the Government class, that seem oblivious or in denial.
4

Gilmartin,

Philippines 29/03/2008 07:00:56
A superb article. The political class in this country is out of touch with reality,blinkered by political correctness and sing the same song of Marxist multi-culturism. They ignore the needs of ordinary white people while they rush to kow-tow to the demands of pushy johnny-come-lately immigrants.
My vote is going to the British National Party at the next election- being white, middle-aged and male the LibLabCon cartel has nothing to offer me.
5

Colin Wilson,

Aberdeen 29/03/2008 08:22:35
Let's get Scotland out of this mess as soon as we can.
6

thinking,

Scotland 29/03/2008 08:30:17
#1 'Terminal 5 is UK writ large. Scotland would be simply a better place if it were INDEPENDENT'

For Terminal 5 read Scotland's Parliament building!!!
7

jdships,

29/03/2008 09:00:33
5 Colin Wilson,

If you think "government class" does not exist in the SNP as well as all other parties you must live in a different world to the majority .
Wake up and look round you

8

M.T.,

29/03/2008 09:59:57
A good article

"hard work has become not a pathway to growing prosperity and fulfilment, but a draining struggle to keep the mortgage company at bay"

Not only that, under the Labour Government, courtesy of the Working Time Directive, work has been made illegal.

9

Colin Wilson,

Aberdeen 29/03/2008 10:17:37
Re #7 : "If you think "government class" does not exist in the SNP...."

Actually I don't think that.
10

mr angry,

ayrshire 29/03/2008 10:36:09
Excellent article, sums up Britain to a tee, we can only hope that the SNP can changes things and not end up being corrupted like Labour have. Something ahs to change or this country will disintegrate completely.
11

jdships,

29/03/2008 10:42:54
9 Colin Wilson,

An honest man to boot !

Wher do we go from here ?
I am suspicious of Salmond as much as I am of Brown
Both are control freaks , both steeped in self gratification
12

Colin Wilson,

Aberdeen 29/03/2008 11:09:53
Re #11 : we don't necessarily go anywhere for now.

However, there's a tendency at work here which was explored very well, in a non-political context, in the 70s film "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". There is a tendency for institutions, which are originally created for the benefit of everyone, to be subverted so that they operate instead as ends in themselves that only serve the people who run them. Of course it isn't all black and white, but when the line is crossed at which the institution's own well-being takes priority in most situations, the it's time for it to be closed down and replaced.

"Institution" here could be anything, including the Labour Party or the SNP. In the film, it was a psychiatric hospital. When MacMurphy (the main character) was admitted as a patient, they were faced with a dilemna in that he was good and healing for other patients but also extremely bad for the hospital itself and its orderly running. In the end, the hospital's interests took priority, and MacMurphy (who wasn't especially ill) was controlled by a gross and brutal abuse of psychiatric treatment.

The Labour Party has long since passed the point where its and its bosses' interests take priority over those ordinary people. It (like that hospital) needs to be closed down and replaced. Although the same tendency must inevitably exist in the SNP, I don't believe that it has yet crossed the line of being wholly or mainly self-serving.

If it ever does then, of course, like Labour it'll have to go.
13

Richardinho,

29/03/2008 11:16:08
Zarkozy supposedly takes Blair as his role model. Looks like he's trying to pull off his trick of being popular abroad whilst being universally despised at home.
14

British Military Vet Veritas,

Ulan Baton Mongolia 29/03/2008 15:06:59
A snide article written from a jaundiced perspective.
15

Truely English,

29/03/2008 17:26:25
Why are all the main spokespersons on the television news for BA and BAA from Scotland?
16

Tris,

29/03/2008 23:29:00
#4 Gilmartin.... do they have BNP in the Philippines? How fortunate for all the right wing nutters out there.

Excellent article. I recognised the Britain I live in in it. I don't think for a minute that the French people will let Sarko take them down this route.

Les manifestations suiveront!

I feel sorry for the English. Red Tories, Blue Tories and that's about it. We have an alternative. Most of my English friends are envious of me living here, and one is going to "emigrate" and join us.

We have a future.
17

bumpkin,

30/03/2008 00:18:26
The tragedy of miss Hogg taking her own life should be a wake up call before its too late.
The tide of inspectors must be stopped, they are unneccessary box tickers who failed at their chosen profession, and go about hounding those that can do the job.
Many more have died thanks to the inspectors, like the farmer killed by a cow during an unnecessary eartag inspection.
Some die because valuable time for machinery repair or maintenance is wasted filling in forms.

Lives are ruined as frustrated managers have little family time,and marriages dissolve.
The failure of T5 is symptomatic of box-ticking britain,fill in the form, forget about the work.

Scotland must become independant, not because we could be better off, but because we need to isolate ourselves from the coming crisis in england.
18

John B Dick,

Rothesay 30/03/2008 22:24:17
The SNP lobby is right this time. We don't need independence, but we need better a government system than one in which a prime minister can dominate his party and through that parliament with whatever daft fashion takes his fancy regardless of the practical consequenses.

We already have that better parliament in Scotland.

Donald Dewar told me 50 years ago that "a Home Rule parliament would be an opportunity to try out ...[solutions]" to all the defects of the Westminster parliament of which I complained. I'm sure he will eventually be proved right, but it will be a generation after independence and the further decline of r-UK without Scotland's renewable energy. Not quite what Donald had in mind.

 

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