Comments on: Malapropism

By: Jack Diederich

Jack Diederich — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 10:14:35 +0000

I thought there was only a first world and third world. And that the distance was invented as a rhetorical point that there was a giant gap between the two. God forbid I disagree with Wikipedia, however (or maybe I wrote that article and am trying to increase visits – you can’t know!).

By: Paul Marks

Paul Marks — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:32:42 +0000

RAB

I am told that Boris Johnson had a look at the oil deal and discovered (no surprise) that it was not as good as had been presented – so it was pointless trying to continue with it.

Although there was also the question of what London would provide in return.

Cuba really does cheap (or free) oil from Chevez – but the Castro brothers provided doctors and other such in return.

These doctors are not allowed to leave the country and must do as Chevez and his thugs order them to do.

In short they are slaves – and I am not sure that selling slaves for oil would go down well in London.

By: guy herbert

guy herbert — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:55:26 +0000

~Yes, yes….

But no-one has explained what Chavez gets (or thinks he gets) out of this deal. When Ken was mayor, then there was international prestige and recognition of a sort in links with London – and the Mayor of London‘s 70 press officers at the disposal of the régime. But how does he benefit from having a freelance restaurant critic on the payroll?

By: Mr Eugenides

Mr Eugenides — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:10:28 +0000

It’s a sinecure. Ken gets paid for doing nothing.

Welcome to socialism.

By: countingcats

countingcats — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:50:31 +0000

I suspect that it is just a matter of Keen needs a job, one that pays moolah, and ‘ugo has helped him out. Just another case of Chavez using the poor bloody taxpayer as his piggy bank.

By: watcher in the dark

watcher in the dark — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:06:07 +0000

What Ken and Hugo both get is the warm fuzzy feeling of being that teeny little bit more important.

By: nick g.

nick g. — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:23:53 +0000

Chavez does good by showing us what not to do. We need continual reminders of how bad things can get. The Chinese have North Korea to show them how bad things were in Maoland China, the Europeans and Africans have Zimbabwe, and the Americas have Cuba and Venezuela. It would be possible to idealise that past if they weren’t there, after all. Better a small economy like Venezuela tries socialism and communism than a large one!

By: Stan Wolarz

Stan Wolarz — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:35:37 +0000

I always understood that the number of “worlds” in the world came with the discovery of the Americas (the New World) by Europeans (from the western edge of the Old World) Use of the 3rd came about more recently,as a term to denote all the others – the also-rans of the world,now generally used to denote the poorer parts of old & new.The 4th World “with the kerosene record player” was evoked by Frank Zappa in his 1978 (I think) album “Joe’s Garage” part 3,final track,”Little Green Rosetta”

By: Conrad

Conrad — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:25:28 +0000

“When the blind lead the blind, both fall into the pit”

By: Laird

Laird — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:10:20 +0000

Well, according to Wikipedia (the source of all knowledge, right?) “the term ‘Second World’ is a phrase that was used to describe the Communist states within the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence.” “First World” refers to the US and its allies, with the term “Third World” having now been supplanted by the phrase “developing nations”. So perhaps Red Ken means that in 20 years Venezuela will be a full-fledged ally of the West. Or perhaps (Humpty Dumpty-like) he simply uses his own definition of the term.

By: David Gillies

David Gillies — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:12:14 +0000

I always thought ‘Third World’ was in contrast to ‘Old World’ (i.e. Europe) and ‘New World’ (i.e. the Americas).

Whatever the derivation, the likelihood that 20 more years of Chavismo will convert Caracas into anything other than an even more pestilential hell-hole than now is risible.

By: occasionalblogger

occasionalblogger — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:47:07 +0000

It wouldn’t surprise me if Livingstone hadn’t told Chavez that he is no longer Mayor of London. However, just think of the benefits – the money derived from shipping all those bendy buses to Venezuela will come in handy; All those TfL and camera partnership toadies now rapidly learning Spanish to follow their leader; the income increase for taxi drivers if Livingstone follows his old methods of him and his staff spending millions of pounds in taxi fares while taxing ordinary motorists off the road so that the taxis can have a clear run; the list goes on. The greatest benefit, however, is that LIVINGSTONE IS NOT HERE!