Tony Benn dead

[getreal]

Latest post of the previous page:

He was that very rare thing: an honest politician.

I had the privilege of hearing him speak at paisley university a few years ago with my father. He was quite frail and was helped to the stage, but he spoke for over an hour with no notes whatsoever. He then spent 30 mins answering questions from the audience.


A sad day indeed.

[Alan H]

The cartoon from the Independent:

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[Tetenterre]

I met him once in the '70s - an acquaintance was working for him. At the time, I was about to go up to the Torness anti-nuclear demos and challenged him on his pro-nuclear stance (IIRC, he was Energy Secretary at the time). To my surprise, he listened to what I had to say, then proceeded, respectfully, to explain why he thought I was wrong. He came across as a thoroughly decent human being. I did not then and do not now agree with most of his politics, but I respect him as a man of integrity who stood by what he thought was right.

[Alan H]

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[stevenw888]

Interesting. I’ve just read through this thread and noted the differing comments. I personally could not abide the political stance of Tony Benn, but I always admired him as a person, probably because he had the conviction of his convictions.

However Matthew Paris raised a very interesting point in the Times last Saturday. He contrasted the news of Tony Benn’s death with the news of Margaret Thatcher’s death, announced last August.

His points are valid and worth repeating here. When Thatcher died last August, people from the left were (generally) all happy to say “Oh I’m glad she’s dead. She was horrible. We hated her, and we hated her political convictions. How pleased we are that the Witch is dead.”

Contrast this with comments after the death of Tony Benn. From the BBC webpage:-

“Prime Minister David Cameron has led tributes to Labour veteran Tony Benn, who has died aged 88.
He said on Twitter: "Tony Benn was a magnificent writer, speaker and campaigner. There was never a dull moment listening to him, even if you disagreed with him."”

Boris Johnson made similar comments. I read no nasty statements either in the press or online following Benn’s death.

So what are we to make of this? There are various conclusions we could draw. People to the Right in politics are more polite than people to the Left of politics. People to the Right of politics are more respectful of other people’s opinions than people to the Left of politics. Or maybe – People on the left of politics think it’s ok to hate and detest people on the right because of their convictions, but people on the right feel differently.
From where I stand there is little to choose between Thatcher and Benn. Both placed their political convictions higher than their loyalty to the party. Both held deeply held views and were reluctant to change, even in the face of opposing evidence. Why then do their deaths provoke such differing reactions?

[Alan H]

From where I stand there is little to choose between Thatcher and Benn. Both placed their political convictions higher than their loyalty to the party. Both held deeply held views and were reluctant to change, even in the face of opposing evidence. Why then do their deaths provoke such differing reactions?

One was Prime Minister and had the power to impose her odious beliefs on us; the other didn't.

[Altfish]

From where I stand there is little to choose between Thatcher and Benn. Both placed their political convictions higher than their loyalty to the party. Both held deeply held views and were reluctant to change, even in the face of opposing evidence. Why then do their deaths provoke such differing reactions?

One was Prime Minister and had the power to impose her odious beliefs on us; the other didn't.

Spot on

[stevenw888]

I would rather manage with the legacy of the odious beliefs of Thatcher than I would of Benn. I can't begin to imagine what kind of trouble we'd be in now if we'd followed the odious beliefs of Benn.

[Dave B]

Well, when you are in it shit is shit - whatever the colour.

[Nick]

Well, when you are in it shit is shit - whatever the colour.

....usually brown.....

[Tetenterre]

Well, when you are in it shit is shit - whatever the colour.

....usually brown.....

ITYM ...usually Brown and Balls.....

[stevenw888]

http://forum.thinkhumanism.com/posting. ... =15&t=6519#

this is supposed to be a face pointing upwards and laughing

[Nick]

ITYM ...usually Brown and Balls.....

If you discover Balls, it's probably worse than just a loose bowel movement.....

[stevenw888]

This is what I shall remember the great Tony Benn for..

From an internet article on the subject of Radio Caroline, which started broadcasting 50 years ago today...

"Over the past 50 years much has changed. Caroline has come and gone in various guises (yes, it still exists today online and on satellite). Other “pirate” stations followed and were closed down by legislation pushed through by the late Tony Benn as “Postmaster General” (how antiquated does that title sound!). "

Thanks Tony for closing down a radical new idea that threatened the BBC and the establishment!