South Ealing Minicabbie: Pops Up on Newsnight

LONDON: How strange. Having completed almost the full list of Do-It-Myself tasks at Dr Huq's bijou des res in Ealing South I request my host to rustle up a local driver to get me to Euston on time.

In fact we drive down to the rank at "Olympic Cars" and the nominated driver - BP-rally-trained - climbs into Rupa's own battered car to speed us both to the terminus.

We arrive with fifteen minutes to spare following top navigation and extraordinary defensive driving. All the while some wild talk of SUN "paps" and a strange sibling-esque rivalry was working itself out between driver and host.

INTERMISSION

MANCHESTER: Very odd later to spot what looked like the very same mini-cabbie (left) on the television. Being interviewed in a Newsnight investigation into the Blue Men who were riding shotgun (or shotokan?) on the Olympic Torch.

Apparently Dr Huq's chosen cabbie had also been one of the Londoners who got to jog with that very torch aloft, had been jostled by a scampy protestor (BBC, YouTube, yet knew nothing much (that Newsnight interview) about the provenance of the "blue men".

LOL has a new proposal: Are these boys in blue actually a preview of a Boris Johnson police state bicycle thief snatch squad?

ANALYSIS

Looks like China is scoring own goal after own goal with this Greek Torch. Sportifs, celebs and even Ealing cabbies have conspired with the Chinese government to make their country a bit of a laughing stock.

The original Blue Men (above) were a radical theatre troupe from New York - as seen at PS122, and the Green room in Manchester - but they were (a) very good indeed and (b) "sold out" beautifully when the top dollar offers came in.

I'm not sure the Blue Men of the torch will achieve such greatness with their sticky fingers (this not this) and kung fu (this not this) fighting displays alongside their charge.

Please do try to remember that this torch is an Olympic Torch with some fine connotations. This is not an Imperial Chinese Torch of horrors. And try to recall what happened to the USSR/CCCP not so long after they hosted the thing.

Basically Russia lost their whole empire within a decade.

Remember too some of the more unfortunate activities of Imperial Britain in 1908 and 1948, never mind the USA in their various years as Olympic Hosts.

CONCLUSION

China are making a right Horlicks of the whole thing. Like The Great Dictator, but on a tour of self-imposed slapstick schtick.

Relying really on host countries doing heavy police. Adding a further layer of "fast as lightning" mysterious kung fu boxers and thuggies. And naturally meeting protest upon protest. Perfect ... if the aim is to debunk your own reputation worldwide.

They could hardly do more to disgrace themselves. It is our duty to provide them with a stage on which to do this. Judas was necessary for "Cheeses" (see comment from "JuanKerr") to get his and save us all. The same applies here. But with no fault whatsoever for the co-conspirators, most of whom are taking the chance to empathise with the protestors and criticise Mother China.

New Maoist New China: Have begun to let on that there are actually protests. Contrary to various reports that they are suppressing that. Screen grab below.



UPDATE 10:12 AM TUES: YouTube comment from Chinaupup (who is roundly smeared and insulted at that user page) :

Stop western media distortion, stop western style violence and stop attacking the peaceful olympic torch,stop lousy political act,this series of violent protests and riots make us clear who are destroying our chinese peaceful hope and olympic spirit. Now you western let us know your the false faces and we'll remember them from you forever.We chinese will never forget what you have done to all chinese. such as:distortion,attack,historical trespass,arrogant behavior and violience.

Is this is what Paul Mason would call a Zhongnanologist or the opposite? Being "China Up Up" or "China U Pup".