This morning, I read a Daily Telegraph report about the Oxford University Press's new edition of its Childrens' Dictionary. The new edition is distinguished in particular, by the many words removed, words such as "empire", bishop", "marzipan", "sycamore", "fern", "raven", "chestnut","sin", "oyster." New entries include "celebrity", "MP3 player" "bungee jumping", "voicemail", "vandalism."
As might well be imagined, the comments after the article display extreme rage and anger (to borrow a line from Private Eye, this is after all Sir Herbert Gussett's territory). I am in total agreement: as far as I am concerned, the Philistines are not at the gate, they are well-established inside. Fortunately I am not inside with them.
One who commented, in a way that suggested that his anger had rather run away with him pointed out that the UK Libertarian party had recently sent a copy of George Orwell's 1984 to each of the 659 Westminster MPs with the notation that the book was meant to be a "warning not a blueprint." I like this kind of humour.
Reminds me of the car sticker that read "Come back Guy Fawkes, your country needs you."
The manifesto of the UK Libertarian Party, makes for interesting reading. After a quick read, it seems to me that the party's principal objective is less government, an objective with which I wholeheartedly agree.
Until the next time.
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