Its a historic week when the first African American, Barak Obama won the USA presidential race for the first time. And Lewis Hamilton became the first black person to win Formula 1. Interesting that the USA coverage refers to him as an African American, the rest of the world says black. It wont be so easy for that phrase to travel, I recall a few years ago Nelson Mandela visited the USA and was called an Afican American! While Formula 1 is one of the least green activities, it has some interesting by-products, such as improved brakes and aerodynamics. If only the rules were changed to make it a race to build the most efficient car not just the fastest, but thats for the future.
Labours Trevor Philips said “If Barack Obama had lived here I would be very surprised if even somebody as brilliant as him would have been able to break through the institutional stranglehold that there is on power within the Labour Party.” I think we can include the LD and Tories also, along with UKIP and the BNP. The Green Party has no institutional stranglehold, we are for instance one of the only parties with a female leader.
Gordon Brown gets a nomination for the order of the brown nose for his comments on Obamas victory. Feeling that perhaps the term historic was not enough for the occasion, after all he says it after every Labour win, he said "This is a moment that will live in history as long as history books are written." The clip made the Jon Stewart's daily show.
The grey parties had a sort of contest to see which is closer to Obama, but none of them were convincing. Cameron talked about Browns saying 'no time for a novice', that will haunt him. Its just spin and bandwagon jumping though.
I wonder if they will end up like the person in this clip? Yes they can.
1 year ago
3 comments:
First sentence: too many firsts, and it's Barack with a c. Third sentence, not sure which "him" you refer to, as I have heard Radio 4 journalists refer to Obama as African American since at least 5 November; I didn't notice before then.
I have never heard a reliable cite for the Nelson Mandela story though the version I hear most often is that a journalist asked "What is it like to be an African-American in South Africa?"
It is possible that the Green Party has no stranglehold on power because it has very limited power. And Margaret Thatcher was, after all, female. Presumably still is. And really, let's not include the BNP and UKIP with anyone.
It might interest you to know that the chap who invented the Segway is working on an electric car.
I'd love to know what the Green Party attitude to the dairy industry, the baby-feeding industry, and breastfeeding are. The BfN AGM was in Reading town hall yesterday.
Your quite correct Ailbhe, one too many firsts. Mr Obama is usually called black on UK TV, but African American on USA TV. I saw a bit of both on election night. I heard Nelson Mandela called an African American on a visit to the USA but it was some years ago.
Mrs T is as female as Mrs Palin, both were selected in unusual circumstances. Tories and Republicans have a big majority of white middle aged males. See http://greenreading.blogspot.com/2008/02/review-of-women-at-westminster-for.html
The parties you mention are legally parties, much as we may dislike them. The stranglehold Trevor Philips referred to was within his party.
I don't think we have a policy yet on the dairy industry, but we are against the promotion of formula milk; particularly in developing countries by the likes of Nestle. But everywhere breast is best.
Personally I can't digest milk so don't often think of it. Tea/coffee is better without it. Have you seen www.milksucks.com ?
I don't generally see TV news, so go by text and audio, which seems to accept America's labelling of its own people.
It's much easier to break the glass ceiling when it's fairly low down, though.
Whatever one thinks about breast is best for people, it's surely relevant that dairy and its accessories are bad for the planet? I thought there'd be some sort of info on that around the Green Party's blogs/site, but nothing I've found.
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