My Sweeney vs Scientology post quickly devolved into a debate on Anti-Americanism in the UK. Vikram, with whom I disagreed in the comments section, would no doubt love the following post on EU Referendum:
It is not often one whoops with joy listening to the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, but Jon Humphrys interviewing John Bolton, former US ambassador to the UN, this morning was a sheer delight. (You can listen to the piece here.)
From Humphrys we got the usual BBC droning, with forthright responses from Bolton. Eventually though, after a run of sneering negativity over Iraq, Bolton had had enough. What did it was the suggestion that the US was “a busted flush”, Humphrys calling in aid George Soros.
“Are you kidding me!”, responded Bolton. “This is a man of the extreme left. I am sure you will find a great deal in common with him, as would many others on the continent.”
A sniffy Humphrys was not going to take that lying down though. On the attack, he demanded: “Do you make the assumption then that because one asks questions – perfectly valid questions about the conduct of American policy - one is on the extreme left?”
Bolton was unfazed: “I can see it from the content of your questions and the perspective from which you’re coming and from the direction that your questions are taking. If you tell me you’re a conservative, I would be happy to accept it.”
That really got Humphrys going: “I would tell you that I’m neither conservative, nor left wing not right wing, nor middle wing, because…”
A laughing Bolton took that in his stride: “You have no views at all. Your brain is empty, you have no views at all…”
Attempting to muster all his majesty, Humphrys was almost squeaking in indignation: “I have an awful lot of views, Ambassador, a view for every subject under the sun but I don’t express them during the course of my interviews. I ask questions… That’s what interviewing is about… You’ll have heard of a thing called devil’s advocate… Maybe they don’t do it like that in the United States, but…”
“I know, you’re a superior Brit as well!” rejoins Bolton.
You can see why he really pissed them off at the UN.
Via Anorak.
John R. Bolton is a distasteful character in anyone’s book. Another hero, who like George W. Bush served in the National Guard managing to avoid serving in Vietnam even though he was in support of the war. He must have thought that he was worth saving from the risk of death or injury while others weren’t.
NeoConCommunist:
What a spactacular moron you are!!
God Bless John Bolton.
As if this is an anomoly. Could you even in your most wildest dreams picture an American journalist berating someone from Britain it that same manner? Of course jounralists typically come in the same ilk, American or European. Really what we’re up against is brutal left wing authoritarianism at the helm of trust fund brats. Don’t you see it that way? Isn’t this what anti-Americanism is all about. There is nothing to defend hypocrites who defy the hand that feeds them. Western European society lives and breaths thanks to U.S. soldiers, NOT the U.N. or even the EU.
“Western European society lives and breaths thanks to U.S. soldiers, NOT the U.N. or even the EU.”
I think you might be getting a bit carried away Vikram. We backwards Europeans appreciated your (eventual) help in the Second World War, but to suggest the existence of the entire free world is thanks to the US and the US alone is frankly nonsense. It’s also very insulting.
NeoConCommunist and Simon,
I agree with your points as for Vikram D’Souza. America does not involve its soldiers in any war without any interest for its nation, America came to the aid of Europe after all those Jews were gassed by Hitler, when they could have stopped the gassing by acting early. Do you know America was aided the Nazi regime with banking and technology. Do a bit of research and you will find out.