Shocking words from Martin Amis

By Ronan Bennet writing in the Guardian

What do you make of the following statement: "Asians are gaining on us demographically at a huge rate. A quarter of humanity now and by 2025 they'll be a third. Italy's down to 1.1 child per woman. We're just going to be outnumbered." While we're at it, what do you think of this, incidentally from the same speaker: "The Black community will have to suffer until it gets its house in order." Or this, the same speaker again: "I just don't hear from moderate Judaism, do you?" And (yes, same speaker): "Strip-searching Irish people. Discriminatory stuff, until it hurts the whole Irish community and they start getting tough with their children."

The speaker was Martin Amis and, yes, the quotations have been modified, with Asians, Blacks and Irish here substituted for Muslims, and Judaism for Islam - though, it should be stressed, these are the only amendments. Terry Eagleton, professor of English literature at Manchester University, where Amis has also started to teach, recently quoted the remarks in a new edition of his book Ideology: An Introduction. Amis, Eagleton claimed, was advocating nothing less than the "hounding and humiliation" of Muslims so "they would return home and teach their children to be obedient to the White Man's law".

Continued on the Guardian website...

New beginnings

OK, New Year, new beginnings. Yet another attempt to add some continuity to this effort.

Thought the blending of tones and contrast worked so well in this.

a reprise

After three years I've thought it worthy to restart what began in fits and starts in the first place! This time I'm hoping for a little more consistency in my posting frequency.

Many significant events have happened since my last visit - most importantly the birth of baby Hannah, my first child! Shais and I find her adorable and much of this new blogging enthusiasm is perhaps a wish to document her development on line.

hmm, looks like that age old problem of novelty wearing off quicker than expected proved true again.... I haven't managed to update this blog in eons, oh well.