Thursday, December 04, 2008

Me, Jacqui and the Stasi

A correspondent emails to ask if we can get a clue as to Jacqui Smith's approach to civil liberties by the fact that she studied the politics and history of East Germany at Oxford in the mid 1980s.

I think not. If only because I also studied the politics and history of East Germany in the mid 1980s as part of my degree. Albeit at the University of Easy Access East Anglia. Never did me any harm.

Now, where's my Stasi rulebook...

6 comments:

Anoneumouse said...

You missed the opportunity to use that adapted Home office logo.

(Check your mail)

Old Holborn said...

Lieber Iain,

Wir finden das gemein. Wir haben seemlich viel investiert in Ihren "DDR Lehrgang" und so werden Wir gelohnt? Bei Jacqui war das anderes.

Also...unverschaemlich.

Translation

Iain, you bastard! We spent loads converting you to Stalinism and this is how you reward us? It was so much easier with Jacqui....

Shameful..

Shaun said...

The nightmare option for us is that yes, she views the Stasi as bad but is simplistic enough to consider anything short of that as 'good'. So while we'll never actually have political dissidents interred and tortured, we may have an awful lot of semi-legitimate harassment of political opponents disguised in a cloud of national security shenanigans. Oh wait, that's happening. And I can't wake up!

DespairingLiberal said...

I shall report you for this slur against the reputation of the Party, comrade.

DespairingLiberal said...

The serious point here is that she did not appear to grasp her studies properly. She is very clearly muddled about the concept of Stalinism. Stalinism was direct control of all organs of the state and individuals via a secret police and labour camp system, effectively accountable only to the Supreme Leader whilst propagandising the masses that all is marvellous. Er. Oh. Hmmm. Er.

Oh dear. We are in more trouble than I thought.

Paul Burgin said...

Am just amused at the far fetched image of you as a former Stasi agent. So thats why you joined the Conservatives. The perfect cover! ;)