Posts
Transport of Delight: Redneck Joining Rosa Parks?
History is made. Iain Dale tells us the story of how the West Was Won. Likely to go down in the annals of passenger transport race relations along side fellow American Rosa Parks?
I think not.
How obnoxious. To tell someone in so many words to shut up or fuck off on a Tube Train, and then be surprised when everyone else in the carriage thinks you're a right cow.
Probably didn't deserve the spittle in the face. But who knows? We weren't there.
The partisanship and hatred of the quoted retelling demeans Mr Dale's blog. So soon after he ran another unsupported, partisan anecdote of a Tory lying and being welcomed into a Labour PPC's family meal.
Standards really are slipping. "in so many words" has been added for clarity as Diablo is acting dim in comments.
10 comments:
A spit in the face would probably be considered to be common assault and a criminal offence - and it would almost certainly fail the test of a defence to such a charge (can you think of any circumstances in which someone spitting in your face could be considered to have acted reasonably or proportionately in their defence?)
I have to say that I find the increasing anti-american sentiment rather embarrassing ... I don't agree with George Bush's Republicans on many things - and I don't agree with the Democrats on many things either - but we do share a common history, language and many other things. But disgareeing with the American Government is one thing ... becoming prejudiced against Americans because of their Government is another.
Don't disagree with any of this Evan. However, even the limited information given about her own behaviour in Iain's anecdote does give cause to wonder the level of provocation involved in the event.
The information is both partial and partial. Incomplete and biased.
It may be that there was a verbal assault, some racism or an off remark about Asians (or Muslims), perhaps even some unreported threats or actual contact from Iain's heroine. We just don't know.
One might assume that this informant considers herself 100% behind Bush and the USA State, that most other Americans wouldn't have risen to conspiracy theories which have a certain amount of traction left, right and centre, and that by standers shocked by the shut up or fuck off opening gambit have NONE of the anti-American sentiments ascribed to them.
We just don't know. Every word of the testimony could be correct without that testimony coming close to reflecting the totality.
I think Iain is completely missing what's missing here.
If anyone - including Iain's friend - wishes to post a full account of what occurred here I'd be glad to host that. I'd love to hear from witnesses and proponents both.
"...To tell someone to shut up or fuck off ...."
She did not write those words, according to the report on Iain's blog. Why are you suggesting she did?
You really are an "unreliable witness" aren't you, Chris?
These rather silly rants of yours expose something about you (and a lot of what you write) that is worrying. Do find the alleged behaviour of the writer's protagonist acceptable in any way? Why do you immediately jump to the conclusion that what she has reported did not happen in the way she described?
Is it because you are pathologically unable to accept that there might be more than one alternative to the narrow (and prejudiced) view that you have of the world?
I am sure you will tell us - at great length.
Diablo: I paraphrase, obviously; and so does Iain's witness, also obviously. This "SUorFO" was however the sentiment. Not acceptable in a public space even if one does belong to the world's last super power, albeit on the way down.
Iain's witness did not describe the events completely in any way shape or form. There is so much missing that it's untrue.
"Iain's witness did not describe the events completely in any way shape or form. There is so much missing that it's untrue."
You are becoming even more bizarre in the way you respond to your commenters' responses. You seem incapable of rational thought.
Come on Diablo, spit it out. Do you think Iain's witness has given a complete account of the origins, escalation, and finale of Tube Rage?
Do I really need to give valuable time to people who don't care if I live or die?
Could fisk the redneck's testimony I suppose? Or offer a fly on the wall report of that dialogue in full?
It would be exceedingly difficult for mere words to amount to 'provocation' at all.
Of course if you compared a Jew to a concentration camp guard, depending on the circumstances, the defence might work - but that's a different story ...
We don't really have enough information Evan. That's my point.
Our American cousin might well have committed verbal assaults (though prosecutions are rare!), or behaviour likely to lead to a breach of the peace, or incitement, or who knows what else.
The BTP and the CPS might be persuaded to take the case of the alleged spittle forward but this would be costly and unlikely to be very productive. An official caution - possibly for both parties - might be more likely.
We don't have much information. It is all from one direction. the gaps in it scream "I contributed", to me at any rate.
We don't even know the extent of the "spitting". Could range from vehement spraying a la Spitting Image Roy Hattersley to a great hack followed by projectile grey-green snot, accurate at 10 metres, thanks to Al Queda spitting practice at the girl's madrassa.
I'm still eager to hear from other witnesses and protaganists.
And why is she a redneck Chris? Are all Americans who don't renounce their country rednecks? That cheap and stupid insult tells me everything I need to know.
Tadaaa! Yep wssjunku ... I have about as much right to call this Dale friend a redneck as she has for recounting a tale of woe with all her own contribution to the escalation either euphemised or left out. That's exactly my point.
What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Post a Comment