Saturday 10 December 2016

Revisiting a few topics.

Further to my comments on Theresa May's very expensive trousers the other day, I have read today that Nicky Morgan, former education secretary, critic of the trousers - "I don't have leather trousers. I don't think I've ever spent that much on anything apart from my wedding dress." - has been excluded from a select group invited to a private meeting at Downing Street between a group of Conservative MPs and the Prime Minister. She was initially invited but since trousergate has been deselected.

Oh dear!

Mind you, I bet the PM will get more wear out of the expensive trousers than the MP did out of her wedding dressing.

Poor Theresa May; she doesn't seem to have much luck with colleagues. Boris Johnson goes out and just speaks his mind or maybe just says out loud what others say quietly behind closed doors. There is a lot of talk about how refreshing it is to have a politician who does not mince words. Others say that it was okay for Boris Johnson to say whatever he liked, express his own opinions when he was Mayor of London but as Foreign Secretary he needs to speak with the government's voice and toe the government's line.

When does outspokenness tip over into rudeness?

Like our Boris, Donald Trump has been able to speak his own mind completely freely, indeed seems to make a point of doing so, but when he becomes president he might have to tone things down. Some express doubts about his being able to do so. We shall see.

And then there is Nigel Farage who now seems to have global ambitions. He sees himself negotiating trade deals with Donald Trump or possibly finding a solution to the Middle East conflict. "I'm not suggesting I can do everything but I'm quite good at bringing people together." Is he a man with a vision or a man having visions?

According to John Crace's digested week in today's Guardian, the Supreme Court has an overpriced cafe and a gift shop where you can buy Supreme Court teddy bears and baseball caps. Who knew? and is he being serious? I know that museums and art galleries come equipped with an obligatory gift shop but does the Supreme Court really have one?

In this world of media domination, possible government by tweet, and similar things, I should not be surprised at the intervention of actors in world affairs. However, I continue to be astonished. The latest to step up and comment about things political are the Mexican actor, Gael GarcĂ­a Bernal, and actor whose films, such as "The Motorcycle Diaries", I have very much enjoyed and the director Pablo Larrain. They have stated their belief that "a climate of tension in the US could trigger political violence, even war" and say that Latin American cinema must challenge the "racism and hatred" embodied by Donald Trump's ascent to the White House.

Good for them!

But maybe they should be careful. That man is notoriously quick to take offence. Just take a look at this story.

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