Jesus fvcking Christ! What is fvcking wrong with this country?

[WES]

What's wrong with mocking an item of clothing women (we are told) wear voluntarily?

By saying what he's said, he's shown just how thoroughly people will over-react to the mildest possible mockery of Islam. Had he condemned it in the rather pious terms I did, it wouldn't have shown up the insane disparity between the comments and the reaction anywhere near as effectively.

The reaction is the whole point. I doubt Boris gives a flying one about Burkas per se. He's interested in showing just how insane Number 10 and the left-wing tories will go if the sacred cow of Islam is even mildly laughed at.

Had Corbyn mocked the appearance of Hasidic Jews in the same way that Boris mocked women who wear the burka you and many others would have accused him of anti-Semitism.

Monty is right, it was really stupid. Using your criticism would have been much more effective and would generated just as much of a reaction. The people who want someone like Boris in No. 10 would have been much happier with a debate over the burka and what it represents than a debate over how much of an idiot Boris has been, I think.

[7sisters]

Had Corbyn mocked the appearance of Hasidic Jews in the same way that Boris mocked women who wear the burka you and many others would have accused him of anti-Semitism.

Monty is right, it was really stupid. Using your criticism would have been much more effective and would generated just as much of a reaction. The people who want someone like Boris in No. 10 would have been much happier with a debate over the burka and what it represents than a debate over how much of an idiot Boris has been, I think.

There is a broader point here in that this country has completely lost it's sense of humour over the last twenty years.

Humour has its many of its roots in the p1ss taking of others. There's a line of course but this obsession with offense has, in many cases gone beyond. The absurdity is that people still think and react the same way. I also find it odd that the people most outraged are the white middle classes.
Likening a burkha to a pillar box is mildly amusing. I'm sorry but there it is. Should I choose to parade about up and down my local high street wearing a pink wig and then deem it offensive because I over hear someone ripping it out of me, should I then go running to report a hate crime. Where does it end.
It's the gingers I feel sorry for because it still appears ok to rip it out them.

[Burney]

Had Corbyn mocked the appearance of Hasidic Jews in the same way that Boris mocked women who wear the burka you and many others would have accused him of anti-Semitism.

Monty is right, it was really stupid. Using your criticism would have been much more effective and would generated just as much of a reaction. The people who want someone like Boris in No. 10 would have been much happier with a debate over the burka and what it represents than a debate over how much of an idiot Boris has been, I think.

:sigh: No, it wouldn’t have provoked the same reaction.

The whole point of the mocking comments was that they were the bait. He was relying on his opponents being stupid enough to seize upon them, thinking it could be a way to stop him. Instead, they’ve put themselves at odds with the membership and public, turned Boris into the de facto champion of the grassroots and made themselves look like PC, multi-culti, Islam-loving opportunists into the bargain. And all just before Conference.

The best thing about Boris’s plan is that it relied on Number 10’s endless capacity to do the wrong thing in any given situation- which it duly has.

Oh, and the Corbyn comparison is nonsense. Corbyn has a track record of anti-semitism as long as your arm, so of course such comments would be seen as antisemitic. No such history or context exists with Boris and muslims.

[WES]

:sigh: No, it wouldn’t have provoked the same reaction.

The whole point of the mocking comments was that they were the bait. He was relying on his opponents being stupid enough to seize upon them, thinking it could be a way to stop him. Instead, they’ve put themselves at odds with the membership and public, turned Boris into the de facto champion of the grassroots and made themselves look like PC, multi-culti, Islam-loving opportunists into the bargain. And all just before Conference.

The best thing about Boris’s plan is that it relied on Number 10’s endless capacity to do the wrong thing in any given situation- which it duly has.

Oh, and the Corbyn comparison is nonsense. Corbyn has a track record of anti-semitism as long as your arm, so of course such comments would be seen as antisemitic. No such history or context exists with Boris and muslims.

You're assuming that the same sort of public sentiment that resulted in Trump being elected is beginning to manifest itself in the UK.

I am unconvinced. I think politicians still need to be taken seriously over here, I don't think the public is quite that ready to thumb its nose at traditional politics and traditional politicians in the way that the Americans were.

Boris isn't going to be elected PM by turning himself into a mini-Trump.

[Burney]

You're assuming that the same sort of public sentiment that resulted in Trump being elected is beginning to manifest itself in the UK.

I am unconvinced. I think politicians still need to be taken seriously over here, I don't think the public is quite that ready to thumb its nose at traditional politics and traditional politicians in the way that the Americans were.

Boris isn't going to be elected PM by turning himself into a mini-Trump.

'Traditional' politics is already toast. The only people who haven't caught on to that yet are traditional politicians.

[Monty92]

You're assuming that the same sort of public sentiment that resulted in Trump being elected is beginning to manifest itself in the UK.

I am unconvinced. I think politicians still need to be taken seriously over here, I don't think the public is quite that ready to thumb its nose at traditional politics and traditional politicians in the way that the Americans were.

Boris isn't going to be elected PM by turning himself into a mini-Trump.

A mini-Trump? Calm down now. Boris' overall comments on the burka were straight out of the progressive feminist playbook - he blamed the patriarchy for ****s sake! And then said he didn't actually support it being banned because that would be authoritarian.

In other words, Trump's position would be the precise opposite.

[WES]

A mini-Trump? Calm down now. Boris' overall comments on the burka were straight out of the progressive feminist playbook - he blamed the patriarchy for ****s sake! And then said he didn't actually support it being banned because that would be authoritarian.

In other words, Trump's position would be the precise opposite.

The mini-Trump bit was a reference to the 'letterbox' comment, which was very Trumpish. And Burney's point seemed to be that that was exactly what he intended.

[Ash]

You're assuming that the same sort of public sentiment that resulted in Trump being elected is beginning to manifest itself in the UK.

I am unconvinced. I think politicians still need to be taken seriously over here, I don't think the public is quite that ready to thumb its nose at traditional politics and traditional politicians in the way that the Americans were.

I think you'll find that this has already happened.

[Burney]

I think you'll find that this has already happened.

I'm not quite sure what planet WES has been living on for the last three years if he thinks the public is yearning for traditional politics.

[WES]

I'm not quite sure what planet WES has been living on for the last three years if he thinks the public is yearning for traditional politics.

I didn't say that the public was. I understand some of the dissatisfaction and you can see evidence of it. The point I made was that I don't think that it is as extreme as it was in America. I don't think the UK is ready to elect a mini-Trump because he is one.

Britain just hasn't gone that far yet.