Monday, December 03, 2007

Why I am not a Leftist

From the "Letters Page" of the Guardian:

It's right that we reflect on the appalling human-rights record of Sudan. But is not the bear which was to go home with the children not also an opportunity to see ourselves as others do? Our encouragement to our children to anthropomorphise wild animals is a baffling feature of our culture. The children's sections of bookshops offer little more than a choice between stories of white children or talking animals. Where does it all lead? Urban pets, Animal Liberation and more spending on pet food than the world's poor have to feed themselves. Many Muslims find our relationships with dogs particularly distasteful, not least in loving them for their companionship. I suppose we must have been doing it since we started breeding them in our post-glacial caves. No wonder we are muddled enough to think calling a stuffed bear Muhammad is OK on the grounds that so many Muslims name their sons after him.
Tom Snow
London
I hope this is a parody. I fear it is not.

2 comments:

pj said...

I don't think it is possible to even tell if Tom there is a leftist through all that muddled thinking.

Political Scientist said...

I think the Letters editor must be on his last week, or having a midlife crisis, or something. It's the only explanation.

The best bit is easily "No wonder we are muddled enough..." ; I think Mr. Snow should speak for himself.