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‘The people… the bastards’

11 comments on ‘The people… the bastards’

‘The people… the bastards’
: The BBC and an MP ask The People what they think… and then hate what they hear.

Clay Shirky found this gem in The Independent:

It was trailed as a “unique chance to rewrite the law of the land”. Listeners to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme were asked to suggest a piece of legislation to improve life in Britain, with the promise that an MP would then attempt to get it onto the statute books.

But yesterday, 26,000 votes later, the winning proposal was denounced as a “ludicrous, brutal, unworkable blood-stained piece of legislation” – by Stephen Pound, the very MP whose job it is to try to push it through Parliament.

Mr Pound’s reaction was provoked by the news that the winner of Today’s “Listeners’ Law” poll was a plan to allow homeowners “to use any means to defend their home from intruders” – a prospect that could see householders free to kill burglars, without question.

“The people have spoken,” the Labour MP replied to the programme, “… the bastards.”

Clay responds:

Once a media outlet accustomed to broadcasting creates an obviously phony plea for

11 responses to “‘The people… the bastards’”

  1. Mikhel Avatar
    Mikhel

    I think it’s more interesting to note the possible reasons behind such a vote. Most prominently, that it would appear a good number of Britons have reason to (or think they have reason to) fear from intruders, and don’t trust the police (read: government) to protect them. It would also appear that an MP — who probably lives a different lifestyle than many Brits — would find the idea of needing to protect oneself as disgraceful, inhuman and barbaric.
    If only we all were similarly blessed.

  2. hugh macleod Avatar
    hugh macleod

    Interactivity is the ultimate free content. Getting your readers to write for you (as opposed to doing it yourself or paying somebody else to do it) is a wonderful idea.

  3. KMK Avatar
    KMK

    Six months ago I was walking on Hicks Street in Brooklyn someone shouted “stop him he’s stolen my purse” and three very large men chased the guy down and held him there till the police came. Three months ago I was in Britain and watched a scuffle in the street between a man and a women. I went to run over and my friends held me back saying “don’t get involved.” Insane. The poll is no surprise to me neither is the MP’s reaction. I’d be interested in Jackie D weighing in on this.

  4. Andrea Harris Avatar
    Andrea Harris

    How funny. I remember when “don’t get involved” was the American mantra, and we were roundly condemned for it by, among others, the civic-minded Britons. How times have changed.

  5. Jay Gilbert Avatar
    Jay Gilbert

    Has this story produced a Dowd-worthy truncated quote by the Independent?
    According to the Independent, MP Stephen Pound’s reaction to the BBC’s poll was, “The people have spoken – the bastards’.”
    But according to the Guardian, Pound’s complete quote was, “I can’t remember who it was who said ‘The people have spoken – the bastards’.”

  6. button Avatar
    button

    Must say I am intrigued by the two anecdotes alluded to: Hank and Kemal Attaturk.
    Hank, I believe, was an ensemble character in the Howard Stern stable, but otherwise, I am not familiar with him.
    And why Attaturk?
    Ah, these are the real thumb-suckers.

  7. Seth Finkelstein Avatar
    Seth Finkelstein

    It’s a political saying:
    http://www.attwoodbc.co.uk/quotes.htm
    “The people have spoken, the bastards” – Dick Tuck, after losing the 1966 California State Senate race (also attributed to
    Morris Udall in 1976 after failing to achieve the Democratic presidential nomination)
    Looks like it’s being taken out of context to make Pound look bad.
    Anyway, on the topic, I call this
    NEWS FLASH: “PEOPLE LIKE ICE CREAM OVER BROCCOLI!” stories
    I mean, if you ask people “What would you like to eat?”, many don’t reply “Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat and whole-wheat”. They often say “Chocolate and ice cream, rich and tasty.”
    Then, if one is of a mind to do so, one can slam the the elitists who doubt The Wisdom Of The People, or the out-of-touch who thought you’d get anything different, and on and on.

  8. PJF Avatar
    PJF

    I think you’ll find the reason for the Today poll result is quite prosaic, but nonetheless still delightfully ironic.
    The “people” were given five options, selected by the producers of “Today”. Three were nanny-state-leftist, one was silly, and one was individual-empowerment-rightist. A majority 59% of those taking part voted for the three nanny-state-leftist proposals, against a minority 37% for the single individual-empowerment-rightist proposal.
    By offering such a slanted choice, the producers almost guaranteed a result opposite to one they were expecting.

  9. Amelia Hunt Avatar
    Amelia Hunt

    For the full picture see the Today programme’s page on this. It includes audio of Stephen Pound’s comments here, which allows proper assesment of his tone, and, I believe, evidence that Vincent Graff of The Independent has curtailed his quote for sensationalistic effect.

  10. Amelia Hunt Avatar
    Amelia Hunt

    Apologies…of course the above should be spelt “sensationalist” (it’s 3.18am in the UK). A comment editing facility would enable me to fix this – any thoughts on enabling editing of comments, Mr Jarvis? Or is that impossible, given the necessity to limit editing ability to the original author of a comment? (I know..the preview facility should suffice, with due care. But you still get the odd eejit like me.)
    …[ Fixed. I’ll be your volunteer editor. -jeff ]…

  11. Amelia Hunt Avatar
    Amelia Hunt

    LOL! Perfect. Thanks Jeff.