Thursday 15 January 2009

Merkin Has Old Timer's Disease?

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Conor Foley said something yesterday to Fiorili in response to one of my comments on CiF :

'Fio: you can call me Conor - all my friends do - and don't worry about not understanding everything that Merk says, the rest of us often have the same problem as well.'

Well, Conor may not understand my point of view.

Lots of others do as can be seen from the following :

'merkinonparis's comment 24 Dec 08, 12:34am

'In the end, it was a lone Spanish magistrate, not a Chilean court, who ensured the arrest of Augusto Pinochet.'

In the end?

In the end it was a British Cabinet Minister who made sure he didn't receive the justice that his murders deserved.

A Cabinet Minister who is still with us.'


Recommended (203) from 695 comments


merkinonparis's comment 29 Dec 08, 4:03pm

'The only people who are really calling this government to account are those who post on the net.
Of course the government wants to control them.'


Recommended (101) from 218 comments

Update 31st jan 09 :

merkinonparis's comment 27 Jan 09, 12:36am

'"Passports are not issued to us on condition we do exactly what we are told by the state ... If such arbitrary powers are used against absentee fathers, how long before they are used against other people who have annoyed the authorities in some way?"

Correct.'

Recommended (220) from 928 comments


This one is especially interesting.

The quotation had been used by Toynbee but was taken by her from the Daily Heil.

That whirring sound you hear is Arnold spinning in his grave, drilling his way to revenge in Tuscany, no doubt.

No matter.



Anyway, when Conor says :

'don't worry about not understanding everything that Merk says, the rest of us often have the same problem as well.'

you know he is talking a lot of pish.



Moral of the story?

Conor, do your research.


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16 comments:

zola a social thing said...

Merkin is just a soul
His intentions are good
Oh Gawd
Please
do not let him be mis-underestimated

PS : Everytime I understand the Merk I seem to get into trouble.

Phil said...

Understand Merkin - well, except when I don't, I mean. He can be pretty obtuse and sometimes in his rush to answer he doesn't read carefully what was written by another and he does tend to over-do the consipiracy thing - but IN THE END he is often right and usually understandable. Keep up the good commenting Merk!

Merkin said...

Zola, misunderstood is my middle name - just like Mr Bush.

FioRili, kind thoughts.
Conor and I have had many interesting disagreements - on one occasion he called me a 'prick'.

That is just the nature of blogging.
Georgina was told, in advance, that CiF would be a 'bear pit' - and it is.

Phil said...

Merk, Zola wrote "mis-underestimated" not "misunderstood."

We know you're often misunderstood; you're possibly underestimated; but how can you be "mis-underestimated"? Surely that double negative says that you really aught to be estimated as worthless?? Methinks this makes Zola a floccinaucinihilipilificater.

Merkin said...

Nice to see you Fiu.

Methinks this makes Zola a floccinaucinihilipilificater.

I have no doubt Zola is one of those as well but, in this case, I think he was just translating from the Finnish!!

Anonymous said...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/series/misunderestimated

It wasn't Finnish, it was Guardian speak.

anticant said...

What Zola was doing was quoting George W Bush at his farewell press conference. Surely you didn't miss that?

As for underestimating Merkin, you do so at your peril. And as I know from experience, if you are long in his company ownership of a large single malt distillery is advisable.

Merkin said...

Well Anti, I am playing at a Burns Night this evening and I hope the sponsors have read your posting!!

zola a social thing said...

LOng live 250 years of terrible spelling.

Merkin said...

What force or guile could not subdue,
Thro' many warlike ages,
Is wrought now by a coward few,
For hireling traitor's wages.
The English stell we could disdain,
Secure in valour's station;
But English gold has been our bane-
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!


His words about the sale of our freedom to Big Biz are new as ever.

Edward said...

Merkin - seen your name on CiF before but didn't realise you were THAT Merkin. Keep up the good work.

Merkin said...

Edward, I am, indeed, THAT Merkin (for my sins).

Thanks for the kind words and good to see you back at RotWatch.


Zola, your spelling is 250 years better because of Burns.
Even in Finnish, I am sure.

A teacher is a teacher for a' that.


As my friend Ian Davison wrote :

'I'm a teacher born and a teacher bred for the rising generation.
I teach for the love and for the money.
And the long vacations'

(Apologies to Ian for the imperfect rendition.)

Anonymous said...

I often find the contrarian view is not very welcome on CiF. In fact there seems to be a very nasty fascistic undercurrent developing at The Guardian. Its apparent aim lies in promoting politically correct thinking as the only acceptable p.o.v. to hold.

The fuss over the adverts for Atheism on London Buses was an example. Though not religious in any way I was dubbed a "creationist" for suggesting the whole notion was ridiculous.

Merkin said...

Well said, IanR, and nice to see you here.

Disparate views are de rigeur amongst this bunch - many of whom were members of MPB's Awkward Squad and most of them were refugees from the moderation policy at CiF.

Edward said...

Come on, Merkin, time for another blog. The people demand it.

Merkin said...

Great minds think alike, Mr. Rot.

Things have been quiet here - though I did get a couple of comments from Fiu on this earlier post.

http://bloggersontherun.blogspot.com/2007/08/blogrolls-and-bumfucks.html