George gets his claws out...

[faceless]

Miaow! George's claws come out

FIERY MP George Galloway proved he was no pussycat during a confrontational visit to Bishop's Stortford College. The Respect member for Bethnal Green and Bow proved his reputation as a charismatic public speaker was well deserved during a fluent, thought-provoking and compelling lecture at the Maze Green Road school's Ferguson Building on Wednesday last week.

In an attempt to explain "the swamp of hatred" which had been created in the world, Mr Galloway mounted a three-pronged attack. He described the Government's decision to wage war in Iraq "as the most grotesquely damaging" in more than 100 years. He compared George Bush to Alexander the Great and argued the conflict was born of a desire to protect America's "empire". Quoting George Orwell, he said: "'Imperialism is about going to other people's countries and stealing their things'. That's what it was for Alexander and that's what it is for George Bush."

He expressed his outrage at the plight of the Palestinian people, who have "no nation, no state, no rights, are hounded from pillar to post and live in their hundreds and thousands in rancid, rat-infested refugee camps". But worst of all, he said, "the victims are called the terrorists".

He railed against the "hypocrisy" of the UK and US governments, which, he said, claimed to oppose dictatorships, but in fact only took stands against "those who don't follow orders". Saudi Arabia, he said, was a country with no freedom and no liberty. "Are our leaders threatening the leaders in Saudi Arabia? They are on their knees in front of the dictatorship for fear of losing lucrative contracts."

After his speech, Mr Galloway took questions from the packed audience and pulled no punches with his answers. He told one man who suggested he had supported Saddam Hussein that the comments were "libellous". A schoolboy who asked if Mr Galloway regretted leaving Labour was told in no uncertain terms that he did not know what he was talking about. "I didn't leave Labour, they expelled me," he replied, before adding that while he spoke to packed audiences everywhere he went, a Labour politician would struggle to fill a telephone box.

But his most brutal response was reserved for a schoolgirl who dared question his bad language during a visit to the Oxford Union. Mr Galloway called her "pompous". One subject that remained strangely untouched as Mr Galloway swept from the room was his notorious stint on Celebrity Big Brother 2006, which included some leotard-clad robotic dancing and the legendary cat role-play with actress Rula Lenska. It would be interesting to know how many people spent his hour-long visit itching to ask him if he would like to be the cat.

allansont@hertsessexnews.co.uk

from HERE


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[Mandy]

I like it !!


Thanks faceless.

[nekokate]

I love how these half-brained journos can never write an article on George without the token "remember when he and Rula Lenska..."

[major.tom]

I'm not pre-judging, but it sounds like he might've gotten his blood up. I'd like to hear a recording of the entire exchange.

This article makes it sound like he was venting at children.

[harry perkins]

I think he talked about it on his show, that one "boy" (thing is, they're all young adults by this stage and a lot are obnoxious) said in an upper class accent "I don't believe class exists in Britain". The idea that he's savaging innocent childeren is absurd, but its definatly the impression the article wants to give. And by doing it after accuratly describing his views, it attempts to bring his views into disrepute as well, possibly as the product of class bigotry, feeding into an unstated undercurrent of so much culture that the nice thing to do is ignore class and not challenge the privileged.

[Sheffman]