Mental health warning: the following video contains scenes of a particularly cretinous cretin exercising his special talent, and some of you may find this too painful to watch.
Hat tip: Anthony Cox
Simon Blackburn on his top ten myths. I’ve chosen just one I found interesting, and agree with most (I somewhat disagree with number 10). Paulie, Shuggy, and the, now rural, Chris Dillow will probably like number 5.
1. The myth of meaning
2. The myth of religious belief
3. The myth of British values
4. The myth of the scientist
5. The myth of management
6. The myth of democracy
7. The myth of culture
8. The myth of equal respect
The belief that everyone deserves equal respect and that anything else is discriminatory and elitist. The truth is the exact opposite: discrimination is a virtuous activity and elites are to be admired. The very few human beings who are good at anything, whether football or playing the violin or writing or painting, form an elite and deserve respect for their excellence. Other people either deserve sympathy for trying and failing, or should be ignored if they have not even tried.
Respect is not the same as toleration. I am lucky if my neighbours tolerate my singing when in the garden, but they would have to be tone deaf to respect it, and if they did then of course they in turn would forfeit my respect as music critics.
There are people whose chosen lifestyle disqualifies them from any respect at all, such as celebrities, although a more charitable view is that they deserve respect for the amount of publicity they can bestow, which is why they get into nightclubs and Downing Street. Religionists know in their hearts that they are always teetering on the edge of being ridiculous, and are therefore nervous about respect and constantly insist on it.
9. The myth of choice and competition
10. The myth of the public service ethos
Blair’s new portrait will hang in Portcullis house because “Politicians’ pictures cannot be hung in the Palace itself until they have been out of office for two full terms”. Personally, I think it would look nice hanging above Gordon Brown’s desk.
