Richard Nixon's Comical Badness
Occasionally, I point out what a complex and driven man Richard Nixon was, just for the sake of it. There were times, however, when he could be almost comically bad. If you thought George Bush could be rude and aggressive when questioned, just have a look at this--and listen for the gasp from the assembled press at the end. It made me chuckle anyway, though I shouldn't since the man was clearly very troubled; as, no doubt, were the legions of people he killed.
Occasionally, I point out what a complex and driven man Richard Nixon was, just for the sake of it. There were times, however, when he could be almost comically bad. If you thought George Bush could be rude and aggressive when questioned, just have a look at this--and listen for the gasp from the assembled press at the end. It made me chuckle anyway, though I shouldn't since the man was clearly very troubled; as, no doubt, were the legions of people he killed.
Comments
To pick up on an earlier post, I have some sympathy with Michael O'Leary. He was probably responding to some inane question about the decline of the airline industry when he responded without thinking (I do that all the time).
I'm pretty sure that I caught flu in 1968 and survived it, as did almost everybody else in the developed world. I don't even know for sure because although I know
I had flu I cannot remember the details. As I told my concerned daughter last night..if you get it, which is unlikely, I'll nurse you better. Let's all be a bit stoical. It probably ain't going to happen
Love Mary
I think that O'Leary has form on saying the most offensive things that come into his head. He attracts a great deal of publicity and the sort of huffy-puffy pompous comment that always undermines itself by doing so. The problem, though, is that I think he misfired badly in this case.
There is a wider point that I missed in my earlier paragraphs, I suppose, because I was focussed on what O'Leary said. It's this; that little boy that I identified has been proferred by the Mexican authorities and put forward by the media as the face of the Mexican crisis. I was genuinely concerned about his story, and millions of others would have been too, so that's presumably why they did it. But people aren't focussing on the food production methods, the contempt for farmers, the way that there are too many people to be fed meat like this, nor are they looking at the ongoing collapse of Mexico in the wider sense. Where's the virtual civil war in the north we were all being told about, or the oil crisis, or the southern revolt? Where does this flu come from?
I'm sure all these questions will be answered. You certainly made me think with your comment, and thanks for that. Best of British luck to your family, by the way, and glad to hear from you
Martin
I'm glad you replied because I worried that I had upset you (this would not normally happen but you make a rod for your own back with your prompt and lengthy responses) When they are not forthcoming I assume the worst.
The thing with Michael O'Leary is that he's one of those people who is intensely disliked by the conservative press.I don't think he can say anything without the folk at the 'daily mail' quoting him and making him look bad.I reckon he is the most nameable boss of any airline, bar Stelios,of course. I also believe, maybe naively, that he was a champion of cheap,accessible travel. My son has travelled all over Europe for pennies courtesy of Ryanair. He could not care less if they lose his socks, and on a flight back from Hamburg he was with a load of homeless Germans coming to London for a daytrip.It was a cheery flight,especially as these guys had not flown before and shrieked upon take-off and landing. He tells me they all had a huge laugh and nobody minded.
I don't think we want to go back to the days when only the rich could afford to fly. Anyone who has a problem with Ryanair can travel BA for twice the price.The last time I flew BA they lost my daughter's suitcase. (It did arrive on the doorstep a couple of days later) but we were standing around for hours in the airport sorting everything out.
Mary
Have you an email address?
I hope that 'the worst' is not a phrase that you associate with me--I don't think that I could get offended by any comment from a person of such obvious goodwill.
Many of my students say the same thing as you do about Ryanair. To be honest, I just don't like them, and I am a bit annoyed by the lack of courtesy, the waste of oil, and the cattle-class conditions they put people in. It may well be, though, that I am a little bit awkward and a good bit snobby about them, and those would be failings on my part. Your son sounds better adjusted, frankly.
I like Stelios. His easijet bus picks up from Fulham Broadway, and I've seen him get on and off from time to time. A colleague who is Greek also found herself chatting away with him amiably one day too; there seems no edge or badness to the man. O'Leary is either a deliberate boor or a real one, and there is too much of that around. I'm not keen on his anti-union stuff either, but I'm not so sure my mum or my sister would be in agreement with me on that.
It takes all sorts. For the record, I can't stand BA because it seems the mirror-image--pretentious and incompetent--of Ryanair. Somewhere, there must be a black hole they can both fall down. I do like Virgin, American Air Lines and Aer Lingus, of the carriers I've used recently....