and about his modesty they say nothing

I've remarked before that the defining characteristic of right-wing British rhetoric is the sneer. But it takes a certain something to stick to that throughout an entire interview.

Comments

[NomadUK]

It's a shame, really; he lays into the utterly imbecilic tabloid press, moronic 'reality' TV shows, and general prurience, but with that incessant right-wing undercurrent that just makes me want to kick the shit out of him.

[BenSix]

Here’s another reason America is better: they have, he says “proper stars”. He continues: “Like Brad and Angelina.

I suppose it's to his credit that he doesn't watch Jersey Shore, the Kardashians et cetera but he could learn SOMETHING before he spouts off. If I can't trust him on something as obvious as "Americans have an unhealthy interest in minor celebrities" - as evident as, say, "the sky is blue" - what CAN I trust him on?

[CMcM]

I hear faint echoes of Stalin's attitude to his native Georgia in Ferguson's contempt for the country of his birth.(Consider this, for example). No Great Power chauvinist like a one with an adopted chauvinism, after all.

[ajay]

The more Ferguson distances himself from Scotland, the happier I will be.

[ajay]

But I do wonder if a lot of the sneer is a Scot being rude about England, and an English journalist naturally assuming that every time he says "England" he means "Britain".

[CMcM]

Hmm. I wouldn't go assuming he's any kinder about his real home turf ajay. Well, not unless you think being called the 'Belarus of the West' a complement.

[ejh]

There's more than a few successful Scots with that attitude, generally giving the impression they only wish they'd been born English.

[Charlie W]

I've noticed that Ferguson is court jester / hagiographer for, among other people, Nat Rothschild.

[Left Outside]

I actually attending his (unaccessed) Masters level lecture series at LSE while he taught here for a year.

Never saw him round campus and he gave us a slightly spruced up preview of his TV show about the 5 or 6 killer apps of Western Civilisation.

Value added, close to nil. Price about £1m.

Not a fan of him either. Very combative in post-lecture Q&As especially when I pointed out he was talking crap on demographics vis a vis China and India he totally fobbed me off.

[Left Outside]

unaccessed is wrong, I mean unassessed, there was no exam or coursework, just an excuse for him to pontificate. For a million pounds I would expect him to mark a sodding exam.

[Phil]

If it wasn't assessed presumably there weren't any credits - but in that case, in what sense was it "Masters level"?

[ajay]

CMcM: Hmm, yes, I didn't know he'd said that. What a charmer he is.

[nick s]

Value added, close to nil. Price about £1m.

Fergie likes having lots of money and lots of sycophants. In the US, he gets both in abundance; Britain's too small for his ego, and he's pissed off too many people. Chapeau to the Telegraph commenter who said 'if the US goes into terminal decline he will probably end up in China singing its praises.'

[Left Outside]

Masters in that only Masters students were deemed worthy of getting a three week early preview of his TV show.