Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The Ego Has Landed

At the Total Politics office we get loads of books sent to us. Publishers obviously hope we will review them. I love reading political autobiographies.

Even the most obscure political figures have an interesting tale to tell, and yes, some of them can be a tad egotistical. I can't remember who it was who said that a political autobiography is a work of fiction about oneself, but they sure had a point.

Today I got a book by Lord Thomas of Macclesfield called AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY WITH INTEGRITY. Snappy, eh? But it was the cover, which intrigued me. Can there have ever been a more egotistical cover than this - portraying the author as Moses, bringing down his tablets of wisdom for us all to enjoy?! Love it!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a wind-up, right ??

Or blasphemous self-deprecation ??

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately all too typical of the ego and self-righteousness of Labour.

Thank God they'll soon be out and we'l have David Cameron in charge.

Anonymous said...

Terry Thomas eh? Was not his catch phrase "What an absolute shower"?

Anonymous said...

Lord Thomas of Macclesfield was formerly Terry Thomas, Chief Executive of the Co Operative Bank with its HQ in Manchester. Terry Thomas was a leading light in the North West Business Leadership Team and first Chairman of the North West Development Agency from which he retired in 2000 due to ill health.

All round good egg - even if he is a friend of Tony Blair.

So leave him alone.

Roger Thornhill said...

At least the person is being honest about their self-regard.

Insert any face from cabinet and it would not be misrepresenting the contents of their egotistical minds.

Ralph Hancock said...

Closer inspection shows that the whole picture has been flipped right to left, including the genuine text of the Ten Commandments written in old Canaanite letters.

On the right-hand tablet, lines 3, 4 and 5 are the three short verses of Exodus 20.13-15, each beginning with the same two letters, lamed alef, lo, 'not'.

I would not wish to obey such reversed commandments.

Anonymous said...

And to think that people say that no-one studies foreign languages any more.

Anonymous said...

Surely it is the case that that Moses guy used to go round masquerading as Lord Thomas?!

Anonymous said...

Iain;
when I read your stuff the words pot, kettle & black come to mind.

Anonymous said...

What a raging big head!

Ralph Hancock said...

It was the Daily Mail wot done it, I think. Here are the Ten Commandments in Hebrew written in ancient Canaanite letters the right way round.

And here is the picture from the paper, showing the film poster the wrong way round.

Anonymous said...

It looks like William Hague on the cover

Anonymous said...

Iain, you really should allow profanity and gutter language on this blog.

It's the only language that allows one to express oneself adequately.

Polite language currently fails me.

Anonymous said...

Thought it looked more like John McCain myself! Whats better than President but not as egotistical as God? Yea....Moses.

Scary Biscuits said...

That's not egotistical; it's mental illness. Portraying yourself as having a direct line to God is a sure sign of madness.

Even the bible distances itself from the more outlandish claims of the early writers. At the beginning of the Old Testament, God is a scary being living atop a mountain throwing down lightening bolts and brimstone. By the end of it the understanding of Him has evolved such that, in Jonah for example, he is "the still small voice of calm" who is always with you and requires no specially privileged intermediaries or remote locations for His love and help.

Scary Biscuits said...

Anonymous 5.36, I've just read your astroturf. Perhaps you could provide some evidence of some good he's done rather than just listing his party positions. Sure for other party members, membership is a good in its own right, just as it was in the Soviet Union. For the rest of us, not living off the backs of the poor in true Animal Farm style, we'd like to see a real contribution.