Daniel Hannan, a British Member of the European Parliament, decimates Prime Minister Brown here for presiding over Britain's rapid economic decline. It is enjoyable not just because of the blistering attacks and gifted delivery, but because it reminds me of why Britain was once great.
For on full display here is that wonderful Tory tradition of English Parliamentary debate, that natural ability to cut and thrust through your political opponent until he is reduced to an inadequate heap - the body language says it all, as Gordon Brown diminishes into a rather uncomfortably brave smile. Tories of yore did not just participate in debates, they reveled in them - it was their one and only vocation. Although a self-proclaimed Whig, Mr. Hannan here is putting on a show worthy of an old fashioned Tory. My my, what wonderful, wonderful stuff.
I could have done better.
ReplyDeleteGentlemen,
ReplyDeleteIt is always easy to say you could do better when you're not the one standing up there doing the delivery. This is especially true when you can hide behind anonymity.
Of course, there are things that the MEP could have done better, but it still is a great speech.
That said, Mr. Hannan's status as a tory is highly questionable. Our editor has even asked how low tory can you be and still be a tory.
If you check out the interviews with Neil Cavuto and Glenn Beck, you'll notice that he flirts with American democracy. He even goes so far as to suggesting that "we the people" in a document is better than "His Majesty."
He's not a Tory, he's most definitely a Whig, which is what I said. I merely stated that he was reveling in debate like a true Tory Englishman.
ReplyDeleteDear "Lord Bolingbroke":
ReplyDeleteHow could I have missed that? My sincere apologies!
Yes, I wanted to cheer his speech but then was a little disappointed by his interview on Glenn Beck in which he praised Jeffersonianism and said how much better the US Constitution was for starting out with the words "We the People..." whereas the Treaty of Rome begins with the phrase, "His Majesty the King of the Belgians..." However, that said, I am in agreement with his statement, in that interview which he associated with Jefferson, in the preference for de-centralized authority. I agree with his comment that the more remote power is concentrated the worse the decisions become and while I would not have his same taste in opening phrases for constitutions I would only say that I would oppose the Treaty of Rome being treated as a constitution at all.
ReplyDelete