Tony Benn RIP

[BadFish]

RIP. An outstanding man. The world would be a much better place if there were more like him.

If only we could find them and vote for them.

 

[BadFish]

I can't help but wonder how the world iis such a neo liberal induced shit fight when so many appear to share the views offered by Benn and every other is so respectful of him. Compare this thread to the Thatcher ones last year and you must ask the question Why did and do we embrace her political view of the world while a man who commands so much affection and respect was still fighting for 'little victories' well into his 80's.

IMHO We have some thinking to do before the next election and beyond.

 

[clapham_gull]

Spot on. He was extraordinarily open and transparent about his life, his thoughts and actions, including points where he changed direction or changed his mind. One effect of this, unlike most politicians, is that it made it very difficult for any journalists to do a hatchet job on him by digging up hidden aspects of his life, because most of the things they could come up with were things that he'd already made public himself.

Remarkable bloke, and it's great to see such admiration and affection for him on here, with remarkably (for NSC) few bitter or denigrating comments. Says something about the man.

Quite.

I didn't agree with much he said, but at least I was able to perform an opinion because I knew exactly what he stood before.

Those who attacked him the press about his past thoughts or decisions were only able to do so since he felt the need as an elected politician to document and publish it.

It's really clutching at straws to criticise him for sending his kids to private school, when he actually changed his mind and took them out.

What exactly is he being criticised for ? Sending them in the first place, changing his mind or ignoring his background for doing so.

Make your mind up lads.

Struggle with Benn's politics ? Of course. Struggle with his honesty ?.. Ha ha,

 

[1066familyman]

RIP Tony Benn.

Along with Dennis Skinner and Dave Nellist one of so few MPs that I've felt really represented my own views.

 

[Big G]

A great politician and a lovely man. I've never known an MP talk so much sense.

Great Politician - Yes, have to agree there.
Lovely Man - Didn't know him, maybe he was.
Talk So Much Sense - Are you on crack, the bloke was full of shit!

 

[pork pie]

Happy days!!!!!

Goodbye Anthony Wedgwood Ben.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Happy days!!!!!

Goodbye Anthony Wedgwood Ben.

You really are a bit of a cock, aren't you?

 

[JCL666]

"The flame of anger against injustice and the flame of hope for a better world"

An inspirational man, who believed in people. I will miss him.

 

[BadFish]

Happy days!!!!!

Goodbye Anthony Wedgwood Ben.

You are about 50 years late with that one.

 

[BadFish]

I can't help but wonder how the world iis such a neo liberal induced shit fight when so many appear to share the views offered by Benn and every other is so respectful of him. Compare this thread to the Thatcher ones last year and you must ask the question Why did and do we embrace her political view of the world while a man who commands so much affection and respect was still fighting for 'little victories' well into his 80's.

IMHO We have some thinking to do before the next election and beyond.

Actually I suppose with Brighton holding a Greens candidate it is not so much us that have the thinking to do.

 

[Jimmy Come Lately]

I can't help but wonder how the world iis such a neo liberal induced shit fight when so many appear to share the views offered by Benn and every other is so respectful of him. Compare this thread to the Thatcher ones last year and you must ask the question Why did and do we embrace her political view of the world while a man who commands so much affection and respect was still fighting for 'little victories' well into his 80's.

I'm not sure there's a contradiction here. It must be easier for those who disagree with his politics (both those on the right who think he was deluded and those on the left who fear that his sort of talk could make them unelectable) to speak generously of Tony Benn the man when his views are so far from the presumed consensus that they seem irrelevant, almost to the point of being quaint. When for all his courage and oratory he could only hope for "little victories". Harder to be gracious about the conviction of Thatcher, which both sides would agree shaped the country we live in today, if you despair of the place that it led us to.

For what it's worth, I think you're right that there's a sizeable constituency that's broadly sympathetic to Benn's views who are not well served by the three major UK parties chasing the same floating voters in the same key marginals. But I don't think that you can make any judgements about the size of that group from the reactions to Benn's (or Thatcher's) death.

 

[dougdeep]

Are you on crack, the bloke was full of shit!

Aren't we all?

 

[kevo]

His great speech against the war in Iraq put to music:

 

[downham seagull]

Knew what he stood for, even if you disagree. Not like the plastic politicians of today that just tow the party line. R I P