I’m A Tory
OK, well, not quite. Firstly, because I am a foreign national in the UK and can’t vote. Secondly, because I’m a Democrat (American, like), I still equate ‘rightwing’ with ‘neocon’ and it makes me fume and get all angry and want to argue with Bush-loving Fundamentalist Christian Military Housewives.
Saying that…
Brian and I just had an excellent day with Ed Vaizey, MP for Wantage and Didcot. Conservative. Brian met him during the course of this whole STFC funding crisis thing (Newsnight piece here) and really liked him a lot. Ed came out to CERN to visit ATLAS and CMS, have a look at the tunnel, meet some of the VIPs as well as loads of the British scientists working at CERN. He asked tons of questions and was really into it all. In fact, by the time I got him, he’d already blogged about it! Yes, he has a blog.
He was such a nice, funny and NORMAL guy that I thought, ‘I’d vote for him.’ Now, I’ve not had a look at his voting record and I’d expect there are TONS of things we’d probably disagree on, so before anyone jumps on me saying, ‘But he voted for this/He didn’t vote for that’, I’m talking about him as a person rather than as a politician. He’s an interesting, down-to-earth, *intelligent* person who was just, well, normal. I genuinely liked him. I’d much rather have someone I can relate to, someone who I can imagine in my group of friends, in government than people who I don’t understand at all. I mean, I genuinely can’t imagine sitting down for lunch or dinner with Gordon Brown and actually being able to have a normal conversation about anything.
As for disagreeing with his politics, well, I think the only politician I seem to mainly agree with is Obama anyway- I tend to agree with the Democrats most often (I can’t think of when I’ve really disagreed with them), I agree with the Republicans almost never, I agree with Labour about half the time, Conservatives half the time, Lib Dems… I think the last I heard from them I thought, ‘WTF?!’ I don’t even agree with Brian on politics 100% of the time. So, I will reiterate, I’ve not looked at Ed Vaizey’s voting record, so there may certainly be things we disagree with… Though I expect if there was anything I particularly disagreed with (I’m socially very liberal, so, on the whole, meddling in people’s personal lives is something I disagree with, for example), then I expect I could spend an hour with him, arguing, and he’d have the proper understanding of the issue. ;)
Maybe it’s best that I can’t vote in the UK.
I was particularly keen on the fact that Ed is the Shadow Minister For Culture. I’m hoping that he starts to think like Brian and I and understand that Science should be an integral part of popular culture. Maybe then we’ll stop seeing people on tv joyously BRAGGING that they are clueless about science. Can you imagine a BBC Breakfast presenter being *proud* of the fact that they have never seen a Shakespeare play or ‘don’t get’ Beethoven or that Francis Bacon’s paintings are ‘way over their heads’? Of course not. Amongst the ‘educated classes’ being knowledgeable about the arts is a given. Being seen to scorn, dislike or, most worrryingly, be seen to be too stupid to understand science is almost a point of pride.
What the hell is that all about?!
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16 Comments, Comment or Ping
R J Adams
I’m somewhat out of touch with the rank and file of British politics. I note Vaizey was a member of the “Notting Hill Set”, along with Michael Howard, whom I abhor. I guess they’re all human underneath - if you dig deep enough.
Apr 12th, 2008
giagia
But then I can’t imagine having a ‘normal’ conversation with Michael Howard either. I think because Ed is my age and has the same cultural references as I do (we talked about comedians and music…)and he didn’t say anything that made me bristle, I felt like he was ‘normal’. I want ‘normal’ people in politics.
I’ve still not read his voting record yet though.
Apr 13th, 2008
James
My advice is always meet/see a politician at least twice before making any decisions. I’ve never met a politician (or wannabe politician in my case, I suppose) who hasn’t practicsed how to ‘give out’ a good first impression. Usually involves seeming really interested in what you have to say or just somehow managing to generally reflect your own opinion back at you so you think, ‘this guy really gets me’. Can’t blame them I suppose, like all sales people they have to make a good first impression or you’re never going to listen to what they have to say later on.
The point about science and high culture is quite common problem I find. I think that BBC Breakfast presenters, theatre critics et al. are just generally quite clueless FULLSTOP. But art, quite conveniently, is in the eye of the beholder so they can hide their ignorance by splurting out some opinion or other. Of course there is genuine joy that can be gained from art, but I mean think about it, where is the difficulty in simply sitting through a 3 hour play? Pretentious types will hack it, even if they find it mind numbingly boring, simply for the boost to their image. Dedicating say 2-3 years of your life so that you can (begin to) appreciate quantum physics on the other hand isn’t worth the effort when a simple Shakespeare play will do; can simply shake their heads and laugh when something as difficult as a quadratic equation (no!!!!) comes up in a conversation. In fact, thinking back, didn’t they show the Breakfast presenters a quadratic equation recently and even the economics correspondant didn’t recognise it?
Not that scientists aren’t guilty here. They love the flip side of the coin and the ‘other worlds’ aura that get’s attached to them by lowly arts people. Plus, it means they get away with not making ANY attempt to dress well (Prof Cox excluded of course) when trying to, er, mate-to give it the scientific term.
But, argh, thinking about it, isn’t there the new scientific breed of pretentious type becoming popular? People who search Google scientific ‘facts’ and then recite them (badly)? And how many people bought a ‘Brief History of Time’ because it looked good on their coffee table? Oh and let’s not forget the flipping Richard Dawkings following; the ’scientific’ athiest types who hate anyone holding anything pertaining to a belief. ‘I’m so smart coz I ain’t deluded (jeesh!!) and believe in God. I’m a scientist me.’
Is the solution simply that 99% of those who aim to be cultured/educated/well read (i.e. ‘middle class’, back when the phrase was still used) are just actually pretentious? Science and art included? I think it’s somehow weaved itself into what it mean to be British.
PS-Gia, you smelly immigrant. Go back to Checkeggstanni/Africa. Whatever. Don’t you know the country is bursting at the seams?
Apr 13th, 2008
giagia
Immigrant?! I’ve been here longer than I lived in the US! 21 years! I’m only still ‘an immigrant’ because I can’t get it together to become a citizen. The fucking tests and all that BS… Bah!
Saying that, I’ve got 2 years before my US passport runs out. I definitely want to have my UK passport by then cos I’m refusing to pay for a ‘Leave to Remain’ stamp in my US passport that I’ve been getting for free until now (bastards). I don’t understand why it now costs £250 for someone to literally just stamp my passport when I could get one at the airport in a minute…
Apr 13th, 2008
James
Hmmmm, so that makes you 41 or younger a? Or did you live abroad for elsewhere for a while?
£250? Probably for the same reason that a letting agent charge £70 to photocopy a reference; thieving gits. But I was under the impression that marrying a British citizen was enough, surely? As long as you can convince them isn’t a sham or something. Hmmm, no chance you have a grandparent who was Irish by any chance do you? That would pretty much get you an Irish passport straightaway, and so free leave to live in the UK.
But until then, you remain a filfthy immigrant. Then when you become British, you will become the worst kind of immigrant, an ex-pat; someone who swears no aligence to any flag *spits*. (Only kidding of course, I’m quite happy to let you join MY country :P)
Apr 14th, 2008
James
Grr, thought you might like to know that your website has annoying habit of causing my internet to ’stop working…restarting internet explorer’ whenever I leave a reply. I should really stick to Firefox (or even Linux if I could be bothered), but you know, I can’t be the only one.
Apr 14th, 2008
giagia
James, I’m setting aside time this week to update my blogs. It’s probably just the AJAX comments…
I’m under 41 years old. Moved here when I was still ‘a minor’. :)
I’m absolutely legally entitled to British citizenship and have been for many, many years now. It’s just that I’ve got to take this British citizenship test AND get every single detail of my life and income and my husband’s life and income certified by lawyers etc and sent off… It’s really difficult for someone who has NO TIME to do… It’s much easier to become a citizen when you DON’T have a busy career/life…*ahem*
Apr 14th, 2008
Christian Burnham
Politics aside,
I watched the TV clip of Professor Cox on the morning show.
I’ve been thinking about that clip for a couple of days. I still don’t know what conclusions can be drawn from it. Maybe we shouldn’t think too deeply about what happens on the interface between particle physics and breakfast television.
It’s also worth mentioning that last time I looked, at least the UK has some science programs on network television. There’s not a single science program (for adults) on any of the US network stations. Well, we’ve got PBS, but who watches that?
I sympathize with people who find modern day science a little over their heads. You have to admit that particle physics is a little different from Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote plays for the mass public, whereas particle-physics papers are written for an ‘elite’ of people who have spent their careers thinking about the subject. (I’m not a particle physicist, and I’d probably understand 5% of any PP paper.)
Having said that, I strongly believe that science can be (and should be) appreciated by the ‘general public’ as part of our cultural heritage and as an artistic creative endeavor. It’s important that the public be knowledgeable about scientific issues, but we also need to convey the beauty of science and the creativity and craftsmanship of scientists.
I do science not just because it’s useful, but because it’s also intrinsically beautiful and I think most physicists feel the same way.
Apr 14th, 2008
Christian Burnham
OK, politics!
When I left Britain 10 years ago, it was practically impossible for a thinking person to allow themselves to vote conservative. The Tories were the party of anti-intellectual bigots. (Remind you of any US party?)
Is this changing? I read an essay by Boris Johnson in the Guardian last year in which he sang the praises of science education. I couldn’t believe it, but I agreed with every word.
Is it just because we’ve watched with horror as Tony Blair and his cronies supported Bush’s imperialist warmongering?
I could never bring myself to actually support the Tories. (I’m Irish- too much bad blood.) But, has the climate shifted in Britain to the extent that intellectuals are now finding their home in the Conservative party? Is Labour now the party of unthinking reactionary politics? Do tell. Also, is Countdown the same without Richard Whitely?
Apr 14th, 2008
Canon Alberic
Gia - do enjoy the blog which has given me the opportunity to make my sophisticated friends feel like cavemen (the cavepersons tend to do better) on the wonder that is Implicit.
I should be very careful with the politicians, especially when in opposition. They always let you down, and are very skilful at gaining support by a compromising cocktail of flattery and promises.
You might be amused to see how the story of Ed Vaizey’s trip played on the political blogs (memorably: “Ed Vaisey goes to Switzerland to visit his money”) and for balance Guido Fawkes is running an amusing series of threads on the quantum nature of decaying nulab political discourse.
For gods sake become an adminisphere Brit; all my friends in similar positions who’ve thought 2 years is long enough have suddenly found themeselves one citizenship (actually we’re all subjects of QE2, so much for Lexington!) short of a visa…
Finally, the prejudice against the visual arts (apart from Theatre) and science implicit in, to take a major institution, the BBC news agenda, reflects the very “literary” bias in Brit culture : only writing (and its derivatives theatre, film and music) are proper “culture”; all art is a pretensious waste of money; and all science is incomprehensible and dangerous. Only Melvyn Bragg treats science with both intelligence and accesibility, the rest of the BBC’s output is boring, eccentric, worthy broadcast at times that suggest that only those concerned in the first place are going to be paying attention - or David Attenborough. Its long past-time some modern media savvy people put together some new ideas for Aunty. I mean James Burke was the last time they had a serious pop at science that wasnt either reportage or pictures!
Apr 14th, 2008
giagia
You probably wouldn’t be surprised when I say, “It’s very difficult to get science on tv these days.” That’s why we were so happy with Brian’s Horizon. That didn’t happen without lots and lots of arguing - I think Brian argued for about 5 months straight… But at least now, after it was successful, ‘the BBC’ are much more confident. AND they don’t think audiences are quite as stupid as they’ve thought.
Still… that’s only one department at the Beeb which is filled with people who actually love science.
I won’t even go into Channels 4 or 5. Jesus. Christ.
Once my life calms down a bit I will start the citizenship process…
As for politicians and not trusting them… I don’t trust *anyone*. I mean, I’ve been working for Hollywood for almost 3 years now!!!
Apr 14th, 2008
Jon
If you vote for a politician rather than policies his party will make law you are going to be taken advantage of.
Apr 15th, 2008
giagia
Good thing I can’t vote in the UK then, eh? Still, if I was someone who had voted for Labour last time, I’d be feeling like I’d been taken advantage of, too… so the lesson we can learn from that is…? ‘British political parties are too extreme’? ‘Old socialists are idiots’? ‘How crap must it be to be Gordon Brown and have waited all his life to get this job and then so royally fucked it up’?…
Apr 15th, 2008
James
So, you’ve put off becoming British because of the administration involved? You do know we’re a nation of queue lovers don’t you?!? You came to Britain as a minor, that still could make you 38? Well that gives me an age range of 21-38 so far, I will find out your age damn you! I may as well say I would have been amazed to find you were over 40 going off your photos.
It is disappointing that more science isn’t on TV, but I guess it depends on your definition really. For example, do Adam Hart-Davis’ history of science programmes count? What about the all OU related programmes that go out? Can we even stretch the definition to include nature programs and the sky/cable channels? Even with all this though, I still think there could be a multiple of the output shown, especially when it comes to maths (hehe). I can see why tv execs are reluctant to commission yet another theoretical physics programme, especially when the subject evolves so slowly, but they could very easily expand their horizons. For me, I’m just glad Doctor Who is back on the telly.
On British politics, the solution is quite easy for me. I support the Green party for the simple reason that they are the only party which includes animal welfare as part of their manifesto. On top of that, environmentalism is perhaps the only real moral approach to macroeconomics that exists besides Marxism, but don’t get me wrong, I stand very much outside of the global warming camp.
Apr 15th, 2008
giagia
I’m almost 39. Great skin, eh? ;)
Apr 15th, 2008
Jonathan
Gia, please please please do the whole UK citizenship thing. I can’t begin to say how much I want to see your live video blog of the citizenship ceremony bollocks.
Apr 16th, 2008
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