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Today is the date that could change the look of the United Kingdom one more time. The Scots will vote for/against independence from England. As of today, the polls are pretty much split, so it will be interesting to see how it goes.
Looks like Scottish independence is not to be. The "no" votes, even in the preliminary counts, are at least 10% ahead of the "yes". There was an 88% voter turnout on the mainland and in the outer islands. It appears that PM David Cameron will keep his job for now. A vote for independence would have ousted him pretty rapidly. Even though they will not be independent, they will remain, "Scotland, the Brave"!!!
I think one Scotsman said that this is a wake up call for England.
I think there is a bill in the British Parliament that is going to address some changes that need to be made regarding the status of Scotland and its Parliament. England needs to pay attention to this call for independence and do some modifications in the next two years.
The Duchess of Devonshire passed away last week. She (Deborah) was the youngest of the famous and infamous Mitford sisters and one of the "bright young things" of British society in the 1930/40s. An era passes with her death.
The story of the infamous child serial killers, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley......their crimes, called the Moors Murders, shook England to the core in the 1970s.Brady and Hindley: Genesis of the Moors Murders
by Fred Harrison (no photo)Synopsis:
The Moors murders were carried out by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley between July 1963 and October 1965, in and around what is now Greater Manchester, England. The victims were five children aged between 10 and 17—Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans—at least four of whom were sexually assaulted. The murders are so named because two of the victims were discovered in graves dug on Saddleworth Moor, with a third grave also being discovered there in 1987, over 20 years after Brady and Hindley's trial in 1966. The body of a fourth victim, Keith Bennett, is also suspected to be buried there, but despite repeated searches it remains undiscovered.
The police were initially aware of only three killings, those of Edward Evans, Lesley Ann Downey and John Kilbride. The investigation was reopened in 1985, after Brady was reported in the press as having confessed to the murders of Pauline Reade and Keith Bennett. Brady and Hindley were taken separately to Saddleworth Moor to assist the police in their search for the graves, both by then having confessed to the additional murders.
Remember when Britain led the fashion world centered on Carnaby Street in London? Remember Twiggy? Read about the life of the man who started it all.The King of Carnaby Street: A Life of John Stephen
by Jeremy Reed (no photo)Synopsis:
In 1956 John Stephen took a lease on the newly available 5 Carnaby Street—he was to remark later, "If I hadn't had a very understanding landlord, that would have been the end of me. But he led me around the corner to Carnaby Street, showed me a shop and suggested I got to work right away." Before long John Stephen had three shops on Carnaby Street and was starting to be a cult name. In the process he revolutionised the design of men's shops and, much like Mary Quant at Bazaar, he established the prototypical boutique aesthetic that was to be copied by an entire generation of fashion retailers. Stephen's fame was assured when he attracted high-profile customers, the pop stars Billy Fury, Cliff Richard, Barry Gibb and Dusty Springfield's brother Tom, who searched the racks for gloves and hipsters and the latest colours in giraffe-necked tab-collar shirts. John Stephen set up in clothes at the right time in the right place, for a generation waiting for his liberally colourful designs.
If you can afford one of these beauties, you don't ever ask about how many miles it gets to the gallon!The Rolls-Royce Story
by Reg Abbiss (no photo)Synopsis:
The story behind the most iconic of cars, and the rich, powerful, and eccentric people who own them For generations, people the world over have been intrigued by the magic of the hand-built motor cars created by the world's most skilled craftsmen and women. Their workmanship and world-class engineering made Rolls-Royce the benchmark for quality and excellence, such that the supreme accolade for other products was to be described as "the Rolls-Royce of." Ironically, the company that became the symbol of privilege and luxury was founded by a self-taught engineer, Frederick Henry Royce, son of a Lincolnshire farmer, who started working at age 10 to help his widowed mother make ends meet. Obsessed with perfection in every task, he proclaimed that "nothing is ever right or good enough," yet he produced the finest motor cars the world had ever seen. Owners range from royalty and billionaires to Hollywood stars and the just plain rich. They share one aim—to own the very best.
Did you ever wonder how the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall fill their time? They are busier than one would think. Visit the Prince's website below to see all that is going on in their lives.http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/
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Progress is changing the wonderful Isle of Dogs down in Docklands in London. Better get there while you have a chance before all the great old buildings disappear.The (Old) Isle of Dogs
by Mick Lemmerman (no photo)Synopsis
The Isle of Dogs in London has changed almost beyond recognition in the last 20 years. This book is an A to Z of many of the disappeared and disappearing Island buildings, roads, firms, schools, churches and more....with all entries accompanied by concise descriptions, and the book as a whole complemented by a collection of historic photographs. A record of the Isle of Dogs before the arrival of the shiny new financial centre around Canary Wharf. And for Islanders, a walk down memory lane (and probably even some surprises).
The author, Mick Lemmerman, was raised on the Isle of Dogs. In recent years, he and fellow amateur historians have been working to capture and save Island images and memories, before they are lost.
What could be more English than the ubiquitous fish and chips.Fish and Chips: A History
by Panikos Panayi(no photo)Synopsis
Double-decker buses, bowler hats, and cricket may be synonymous with British culture, but when it comes to their cuisine, nothing comes to mind faster than fish and chips. Sprinkled with salt and vinegar and often accompanied by mushy peas, fish and chips were the original British fast food. In this innovative book, Panikos Panayi unwraps the history of Britain’s most popular takeout, relating a story that brings up complicated issues of class, identity, and development.
Investigating the origins of eating fish and potatoes in Britain, Panayi describes the birth of the meal itself, telling how fried fish was first introduced and sold by immigrant Jews before it spread to the British working classes in the early nineteenth century. He then moves on to the technological and economic advances that led to its mass consumption and explores the height of fish and chips’ popularity in the first half of the twentieth century and how it has remained a favorite today, despite the arrival of new contenders for the title of Britain’s national dish. Revealing its wider ethnic affiliations within the country, he examines how migrant communities such as Italians came to dominate the fish and chip trade in the twentieth century.
Brimming with facts, anecdotes, and images of historical and modern examples of this batter-dipped meal, Fish and Chips will appeal to all foodies who love this quintessentially British dish.
_____________________________________________________
The traditional food is served wrapped in white paper and newspaper at the local chippie.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall have recently celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. The article cited below gives us a look at how her image has changed positively in the hearts of the British.http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/5...
(Source: Daily Express, UK)
Remember these guys???? They put Britain on the map in the world of music.The Beatles: The Biography
by
Bob SpitzSynopsis:
Even before the Beatles hit the big time, a myth was created. This version of the Beatles legend smoothed the rough edges and filled in the fault lines, and for more than forty years this manicured version of the Beatles story has sustained as truth - until now.
The product of almost a decade of research, hundreds of unprecedented interviews, and the discovery of scores of never-before-revealed documents, Bob Spitz's The Beatles is the biography fans have been waiting for -- a vast, complete account as brilliant and joyous and revelatory as a Beatles record itself. Spitz begins in Liverpool, a hard city knocked on its heels. In the housing projects and school playgrounds, four boys would discover themselves -- and via late-night radio broadcasts, a new form of music called rock 'n roll.
Never before has a biography of musicians been so immersive and textured. Spitz takes us down Penny Lane and to Strawberry Field (John later added the s), to Hamburg, Germany, where -- amid the squalor and the violence and the pep pills -- the Beatles truly became the Beatles. We are there in the McCartney living room when Paul and John learn to write songs together; in the heat of Liverpool's Cavern Club, where jazz has been the norm before the Beatles show up; backstage the night Ringo takes over on drums; in seedy German strip clubs where George lies about his age so the band can perform; on the lonely tours through frigid Scottish towns before the breakthrough; at Abbey Road Studios, where a young producer named George Martin takes them under his wing; at the Ed Sullivan Show as America discovers the joy and the madness; and onward and upward: up the charts, from Shea to San Francisco, through the London night, on to India, through marmalade skies, across the universe...all the way to a rooftop concert and one last moment of laughter and music.
It is all here, raw and right: the highs and the lows, the love and the rivalry, the awe and the jealousy, the drugs, the tears, the thrill, the magic never again to be repeated. Open this book and begin to read -- Bob Spitz's masterpiece is, at long last, the biography the Beatles deserve.
Just a note to let you know that there is another celebrity death hoax on social media. This time it is reporting the death of the beloved British actor/comedian, Rowan Atkinson. He is known to American audiences as Mr. Bean and Blackadder. It appears that Mr. Atkinson is alive and well and rather surprised that he is deceased!
(Source: Wikipedia)
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The changing face of London politics.Candidate for Lord Mayor of London Comes From Behind to be 2016 Representative of Labour Party
Sadiq Khan has come from behind to beat former front runner Dame Tessa Jowell to become Labour's Mayor of London hopeful in 2016. The former shadow minister for London won in the fifth round of voting on 58.9% over Jowell's 41.1% share.
The married father of two has been an MP for Tooting since 2005 and is a supporter of Labour leadership favourite Jeremy Corbyn – an early indication that the left-winger is set to be announced as Ed Miliband's successor on 12 September.
"I am deeply humbled to have received the support of tens of thousands of Londoners.I am determined to repay that trust by winning the Mayoral election next May, and making a real difference to Londoners lives," Khan said.
"London gave me and my family huge opportunities. A council house so we could save for a deposit to buy our own home. A secure job for my dad as a bus driver. A great education for me and my siblings, affordable university places and good quality apprenticeships.
"My priorities for Londoners are clear. An affordable and secure home to rent or buy. More jobs with higher wages for the lowest paid. Making it easier to set up and run a successful business. Reducing the cost of commuting and making London's environment safer, healthier and less polluted."
(Source: London Times)
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The Prince of Wales attends the Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary Service: 20th September 2015The Prince of Wales attended a service at Westminster Abbey today to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
The annual service was the culmination of a week of commemorations remembering the victory and loss of life of the 1940 Second World War battle of the skies.
A full congregation of 2,200 people ended the service by standing to applaud the seven pilots and air crew, now in their 90s, as they left Westminster Abbey together.
The remaining Few, as they were honourably named by Churchill, earlier escorted to the altar the Battle of Britain Roll of Honour containing the names of those who took part in the critical battle.
The Prince of Wales began the service by laying a wreath on the memorial stone of Winston Churchill, handed to him by the war prime minister's grandson Sir Nicholas Soames.
A flypast of four Spitfire and two Hurricanes later marked the occasion during a reception for the veterans and their families at Church House, where the Queen's Colour Squadron formed the number 75 during a procession with the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment.
The Battle of Britain, fought entirely in the skies over southern England against German aircraft between July and October 1940, lifted the threat of invasion from Hitler and is often described as the most important event in RAF history.
Wing Commander Paul Farnes, 95, from Hampshire, who flew a Hurricane during the battle, said: "It was very emotional today because when we walked out of the Abbey the audience applauded and it's never happened before at the annual service and I was very moved by it.
"It is amazing that the Battle of Britain has caught on with the public and I am very proud to have been a part of it.
"I didn't at the time, but latterly and gradually I came to realise the importance of the Battle of Britain."
Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum, 94, from Cornwall, who flew a Spitfire, added: "You can't at 19 years-old fly a Spitfire and expect to forget about it. It stays with you in detail for the rest of your life.
"To me these annual services are always special, whether it's 75 or 74 we remember those who paid the extreme sacrifice so we could all be here.
"For me the best bit is when the Roll of Honour is carried along the aisle to the music in the background and everybody is so respectful, it's rather special."
(Source: Princeofwales.gov.uk)
Interesting article. I visited the Battle of Britain Museum several years ago, and just recently read a book about Battle of Britain Day, September 15, 1940.
Soon, all the Few will be gone and the world will have lost its heroes of the Battle of Britain.
That is so true, just as it was for the voices of WWI. Perhaps the best way to honor these heroes is to insure that there is no need for such sacrifice in the future.
The UK Terror Threat LevelThe UK's official terror threat level will come under scrutiny in the wake of the Paris attacks. The assessment is made by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) and has been made public since 2006.
It has mainly stood at either of the top two levels – critical or severe - since it was first published. It is currently 'severe'
Here are the different categories:
:: Critical
This is the most severe level and indicates that an attack is expected "imminently". It has been put in place on two occasions since the information was first published, in August 2006 and June 2007. On both occasions the level was lowered after a few days.
:: Severe
This means security services see an attack as "highly likely" and is the category currently in place. The threat has been assessed as severe since it was raised in August last year following the rise of Islamic State.
:: Substantial
This indicates that an attack is judged to be a "strong possibility". The level has been at substantial in July 2009 and then between July 2011 and August 2014.
:: Moderate
This means an attack is "possible, but not likely". The level has not been at moderate since it was first published.
:: Low
This means an attack is "unlikely". The threat assessment has not been at this level since it was first published.
(Source: Western Daily Press)
One of the great counter culture youth groups in England in the 50s and 60s, along with the Mods and Rockers.Teddy Boys: A Concise History
by Ray Ferris (no photo)Synopsis:
No youth cult has been so enduring, yet so misunderstood, as the Teddy Boys. From the moment they appeared in the early 1950s, inspired by the flamboyance of Edwardian clothing and the hot sounds of dance bands to seek escape from the austerity of the era, the Teds were maligned by a starchy British Establishment that had no idea what they were really about. As the movement swept the country, that scorn turned to fear, sparking moral outrage that lasted for a decade.
Teddy Boys traces the roots of the Teds among the post-War spivs, the music of jive and boogie artists, and dances like ‘the creep’. The new fashion and its link with violence began to attract media attention after a fatal gang fight in south London, and soon Teddy Boy clothes, haircuts and dance styles were banned from concert halls around the country, to no avail. The arrival of rock ‘n’ roll and the hit movie Rock Around the Clock saw the craze reach its frenetic peak.
This lively history tells how the Teds fell into decline after the Notting Hill Riots of 1958, but how their spirit was preserved by the leather-clad Rockers who fought with Mods in the 1960s. A landmark concert at Wembley in 1972, with artists like Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry, revived the fashion, and the rising popularity of rockabilly expanded interest across Europe and beyond. The scene is now thriving again, with numerous reunions, gigs and events worldwide. Teddy Boys is the first ever account of an enduring popular phenomenon.
PM Cameron and the government are currently in negotiations with the EU on the "migrant questions"; in other words, how the UK will treat EU migrants as it applies to work permits. The US isn't the only country that is trying to deal with this issue. See link below for more detail. (I am cross posting this to other British topics)http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-e...
(Source: BBC)
If you have eaten in one of the food halls at the elegant Harrod's Department Store in London, you know that this isn't your usual restaurant. This book will make you drool.Harrod's Cookery Book
by Marilyn Aslani (no photo)Synopsis
The first cookbook created and endorsed by the famous and elegant London department store, the Harrods Cookery Book reflects the store's unwavering and world-renowned commitment to quality. Illustrated with over 100 color and sepia photographs, the Harrods Cookery Book contains more than 300 innovative and appetizing recipes reflecting the range and diversity of the Harrods kitchens and food halls.
Just walking into the Harrods food halls is an experience, and well-worth the calories.
The question of staying or leaving the European Union (EU) will be put to a vote in England by referendum on June 23, 2106. Visit the link below to get a look at exactly what is going on and what the ramifications will be if England indeed withdraws.http://www.theweek.co.uk/eu-referendum
(Source: Thisweek.co.uk)
Now that Brexit is over a month old and there is a new PM in England, what will she do, as she was a "remainer" in the beginning. See the article below from the Guardian to see what she means by "Brexit means Brexit".https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...
(Source: Theguardian.com/uk-news)
It changed the music scene in America in one fell swoop.Mods, Rockers, and the Music of the British Invasion
by James E. Perone (no photo)Synopsis:
Musical floodgates were opened after the Beatles' first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on February 9, 1964. Suddenly, the U.S. record charts, radio, and television were overrun with British rock and pop musicians. Although this British Invasion was the first exposure many Americans had to popular music from the United Kingdom, British pop -- and more specifically British rock and roll -- had been developing since the middle of the 1950s. Author James Perone here chronicles the development of British rock, from the 1950s imitators of Elvis Presley and other American rockabilly artists, to the new blends of rockabilly, R&B, Motown, and electric blues that defined the British Invasion as we recognize it today. Die-hard fans of the Beatles, the Who, and the Kinks will all want a copy, as will anyone interested in the 1960s more generally.
May 1964 saw major gang-style battles break out in British resort communities between the Mods and the Rockers. The tensions between the two groups had been developing for several years, with each group claiming their own sense of culture and style. The Mods wore designer clothing, rode Vespa motor scooters, and shared an affinity for black American soul music, while the Rockers favored powerful motorcycles, greased-back hair, and 1950s American rock and roll. It was within this context that the sounds of the British Invasion developed.
"Mods, Rockers, and the Music of the British Invasion" chronicles the development of British rock through the iconic artists who inspired the movement, as well as through the bands who later found incredible success overseas. In addition to analyzing the music in the context of the British youth culture of the early 1960s, Perone analyzes the reasons that the British bands came to so thoroughly dominate the record charts and airwaves in the United States.
The contributions of Cliff Richard, Billy Fury, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, Tommy Steele, the Tornados, Tony Sheridan, Blues Incorporated, and others to the development of British rock and roll are examined, as are the contributions and commercial and artistic impact of major British Invasion artists such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Dave Clark Five, the Yardbirds, Manfred Mann, the Who, the Kinks, and others. After investigating these groups and their influences upon one another, Perone concludes by examining the commercial and stylistic impact British rock musicians had on the American music of the time.
PM Theresa May Will Begin Exit Process from EU in 2017The timing on triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty means the UK looks set to leave the EU by summer 2019.
Mrs May told the Tory Party conference - her first as prime minister - the government would strike a deal with the EU as an "independent, sovereign" UK.
Voters had given their verdict "with emphatic clarity", she said, and ministers had to "get on with the job".
In a speech on the first day of the conference in Birmingham, she attacked those who "have still not accepted the result of the referendum".
She said: "It is up to the government not to question, quibble or backslide on what we have been instructed to do, but to get on with the job."
She told delegates: "We are going to be a fully independent, sovereign country - a country that is no longer part of a political union with supranational institutions that can override national parliaments and courts.
"And that means we are going, once more, to have the freedom to make our own decisions on a whole host of different matters, from how we label our food to the way in which we choose to control immigration."
She said a "truly global Britain is possible, and it is in sight", adding: "We don't need - as I sometimes hear people say - to 'punch above our weight' because our weight is substantial enough already."
Mrs May, who had previously only said she would not trigger Article 50 this year, ended speculation about the government's timetable on BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show earlier,
She said it would be done by "the first quarter of 2017", marking the start of a two-year exit process.
(Source: BBC)
This is one of the beautiful Red Arrows of the RAF which just celebrated the 100th birthday of the squadron. There has been talk in the UK of disbanding them but the government is denying that rumor. The squadron is currently on a world wide tour of aerobatic flying.
Mod
by Sayeeda Warsi (no photo)Synopsis:
The Conservative peer and former co‑chair of the party assesses the place of Muslims in modern Britain, and wonders whether her grandchildren will still find a home in a society that is becoming increasingly intolerant.
Inglorious Empire: what the British did to India 
by
Shashi TharoorSynopsis:
In the eighteenth century, India's share of the world economy was as large as Europe's. By 1947, it had decreased six-fold. In Inglorious Empire, Shashi Tharoor tells the real story of the British in India, from the arrival of the East India Company in 1757 to the end of the Raj, and reveals how Britain's rise was built upon its depredations in India. India was Britain's biggest cash cow, and Indians literally paid for their own oppression. Britain's Industrial Revolution was founded on India's deindustrialisation, and the destruction of its textile industry. Under the British, millions died from starvation--including 4 million in 1943 alone, after national hero Churchill diverted Bengal's food stocks to the war effort. Beyond conquest and deception, the Empire blew rebels from cannons, massacred unarmed protesters and entrenched institutionalised racism. British imperialism justified itself as enlightened despotism for the benefit of the governed. Tharoor takes on and demolishes the arguments for the Empire, demonstrating how every supposed imperial 'gift', from the railways to the rule of law, was designed in Britain's interests alone. This incisive reassessment of colonialism exposes to devastating effect the inglorious reality of Britain's stained Indian legacy.
Mod
Shashi Tharoor is a member of the Indian Parliament from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala. He previously served as the United Nations Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information and as the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs.
He is also a prolific author, columnist, journalist and a human rights advocate.
He has served on the Board of Overseers of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is also an adviser to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva and a Fellow of the New York Institute of the Humanities at New York University. He has also served as a trustee of the Aspen Institute, and the Advisory of the Indo-American Arts Council, the American India Foundation, the World Policy Journal, the Virtue Foundation and the human rights organization Breakthrough He is also a Patron of the Dubai Modern High School and the managing trustee of the Chandran Tharoor Foundation which he founded with his family and friends in the name of his late father, Chandran Tharoor.
Tharoor has written numerous books in English. Most of his literary creations are centred on Indian themes and they are markedly “Indo-nostalgic.” Perhaps his most famous work is The Great Indian Novel, published in 1989, in which he uses the narrative and theme of the famous Indian epic Mahabharata to weave a satirical story of Indian life in a non-linear mode with the characters drawn from the Indian Independence Movement. His novel Show Business (1992) was made into the film 'Bollywood'(1994). The late Ismail Merchant had announced his wish to make a film of Tharoor’s novel Riot shortly before Merchant’s death in 2005.
Tharoor has been a highly-regarded columnist in each of India's three best-known English-language newspapers, most recently for The Hindu newspaper (2001–2008) and in a weekly column, “Shashi on Sunday,” in the Times of India (January 2007 – December 2008). Following his resignation as Minister of State for External Affairs, he began a fortnightly column on foreign policy issues in the "Deccan Chronicle". Previously he was a columnist for the Gentleman magazine and the Indian Express newspaper, as well as a frequent contributor to Newsweek International and the International Herald Tribune. His Op-Eds and book reviews have appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, amongst other papers.
Tharoor began writing at the age of 6 and his first published story appeared in the “Bharat Jyoti”, the Sunday edition of the "Free press Journal", in Mumbai at age 10. His World War II adventure novel Operation Bellows, inspired by the Biggles books, was serialized in the Junior Statesman starting a week before his 11th birthday. Each of his books has been a best-seller in India. The Great Indian Novel is currently in its 28th edition in India and his newest volume. The Elephant, the Tiger and the Cellphone has undergone seven hardback re-printings there.
Tharoor has lectured widely on India, and is often quoted for his observations, including, "India is not, as people keep calling it, an underdeveloped country, but rather, in the context of its history and cultural heritage, a highly developed one in an advanced state of decay.". He has also coined a memorable comparison of India's "thali" to the American "melting pot": "If America is a melting pot, then to me India is a thali--a selection of sumptuous dishes in different bowls. Each tastes different, and does not necessarily mix with the next, but they belong together on the same plate, and they complement each other in making the meal a satisfying repast."
Mod
The professor indicated that he had not been invited on some of the English networks it appeared in your clip but it looks like they have responded and seem to be even handed about this in the publications.
Here is the Independent:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...
This is not terribly complementary to Churchill either and actually this was posted back in 2010 in The Telegraph:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...
This is what the Churchill Project had to say about it - the opposing view and the other side of the story - it appears that Churchill did try to ameliorate the situation but obviously if these people died - then more should have been done by all of the allies.
https://winstonchurchill.hillsdale.ed...
The Guardian interviewed the professor - here is the link:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia...
And the Guardian's opposing view:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...
Tharoor on a Ted Talk - good talk - a populist figure
https://www.ted.com/talks/shashi_thar...
Seeing this is in balance - the professor does make some strident comments on other subjects (not in the Ted Talk) which leads me to believe that this awful situation is being used to bash Churchill although there is great fault all over the place. And I do try to see both sides. The Indian side that I see is that those poor people should have been fed by the allies. But in balance - Tharoor is extremely well spoken but comes off as having an ax to grind. Rohit, this happens so often that a real event that should have been handled better by many people was handled in a way that hurt somebody else during a war. This starvation was inexcusable and more should have been done. The margin notation that Tharoor stated Churchill made during this crisis - I fear was made so that Churchill would be made to appear as being purposely and personally callous - Churchill had great flaws for sure. But I do not know what would have happened to England without him. I think that Tharoor's views which I do not totally agree with can incite people which may be his purpose but it does not change what happened and what happened was a travesty and there is a lot of blame to go around. I feel awful for the poor people of Bengal.
"But I do not know what would have happened to England without him."Exactly, but do you know an average Indian does not care what would have happened to England? An average Indian just looks at this photo and thinks "why doesn't the world care more about this famine? Why is this photo less important than the concentration camp photos?"
And Bentley I agree it was handled poorly by the British, but do you know why? Because according to Churchill the food was not important for underfed brown Indians, it was more important for white Europeans. This is totally selfish, insensitive and racist thinking. This was what the whole British empire was about. Do you know when you say "Churchill had great flaws for sure but..." this is the same thing which most Hitler fans and admirers here in India say. They say "Yes he was cruel but....." ..... Obviously, someone like me who has seen films like Schindler's list, the pianist and read anne frank do not agree with them.
This is an example of Bengal Famine. Just image 4.3 million people like this starving and dying literally on the streets. I am sure the scene would be no less than Auschwitz
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The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India (other topics)The Enemy Within: A Tale of Muslim Britain (other topics)
Mods, Rockers, and the Music of the British Invasion (other topics)
Harrods Cookery Book (other topics)
Teddy Boys: A Concise History (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Shashi Tharoor (other topics)Sayeeda Warsi (other topics)
James E. Perone (other topics)
Marilyn Aslani (other topics)
Ray Ferris (other topics)
More...
Can We Trust the BBC?
Synopsis:
This book asks a big question: can we trust the BBC? As the most famous media brand in the world, the BBC is growing bigger and
more powerful every year. Its reputation depends on honest and accurate
journalism. But this book argues that the Corporation`s own pervasive
left wing political culture imperils its impartiality. It demonstrates
how some groups and viewpoints get favourable treatment while others
are left out in the cold.
The book examines the concept of `public sector broadcasting` and
asks if that has come to mean simply radio and television free of
commercial bias. It argues that there are other `hidden persuaders`
that we the audience should be alert to. Drawing on the author`s
twenty-five years as a BBC reporter and executive, the books blends
analysis
and sharp polemic to paint a vivid picture of life inside the news
machine from a uniquely privileged point of view. It also tells the
story of how the BBC responded to a dissident in its own ranks.
With the future of the BBC the subject of a government White
Paper, Robin Aitken responds to the criticism of the book by many
ex-BBC employees through the media spectrum on its initial publication,
and details his correspondence with current employees over his decision
to publish. This book is a timely contribution to the ongoing debate
about public broadcasting.