Too much information
Blood and Guts (BBC4)
One of my ambitions this summer is to try not to see even the tiniest glimpse of Olympics coverage on TV. This isn’t mainly a protest about how boring athletics are generally; or about China’s human rights record. It’s more that my hatred of the modern world has risen to such a pitch that I’m now trying to dissociate myself from anything that smacks too scarily of the future.
China is definitely one of those things. Call me reactionary, call me racist, but I just can’t bear the idea that, after centuries of Anglo–European, Judaeo–Christian global hegemony, we’re soon going to have to cede economic and cultural place to these people who don’t think like us, share none of our values and for whom pretty much everything we’ve achieved from Aristotle onwards is a total irrelevance. I feel rather as the citizens of Rome must have done in 410 as they watched Alaric’s Visigoths gathering at the gates: ‘Why our generation? Why couldn’t it have lasted a few more centuries so some other poor saps as yet unborn could take the rap instead?’
Some people — my father, for example, who lives, breathes, eats China; speaks halting Mandarin; thinks Tibetans are bastards who have it coming to them; and has been on about two dozen trips to China in the past month — have responded by becoming more Chinese than the Chinese. Others, like my friend Jamie, are trying to get in on the act by buying up all the old Chinese porcelain in Britain while they still can and flogging it on at a profit in the auctions of Hong Kong. My response, though, has been to bury my head in the sand and pretend it’s not happening.
More articles from: James Delingpole | this section
Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
Advertisement
Crumblies’ gig
Marcus BerkmannIt all started earlier this year, when my friend Chris managed to get four tickets for the first Leonard Cohen concerts at the O2.
A rich legacy
Tiffany JenkinsThe Philippe de Montebello Years: Curators Celebrate Three Decades of Acquisitions
Metropolitan Museum, until 1 February 2009
Treasure trove
Mark GlazebrookQatar’s Museum of Islamic Art
Luminous landscapes
Angela SummerfieldOleg Vassiliev: Recent Works
Faggionato Fine Arts, 49 Albemarle Street, London W1, until 23 January 2009
Poles apart
Andrew LambirthSaul Steinberg: Illuminations
Dulwich Picture Gallery, until 15 February 2009
Cartoons & Coronets: The Genius of Osbert Lancaster
The Wallace Collection, until 11 January 2009
Incompetence is fine: but being offensive is sure to get you sacked
Rod LiddleRod Liddle says that something has gone wrong when 15 South Lanarkshire social workers are sacked over a dodgy Gary Glitter joke while none of their counterparts in Haringey has even been reprimanded over the ‘Baby P’ case
The great Tory tax and spend battle: seconds out...
Fraser Nelson and Daniel FinkelsteinIn the wake of Cameron’s decision to drop his pledge to match Labour spending, Fraser Nelson and Daniel Fin kelstein of the Times trade rhetorical blows over the issue that is gripping and troubling the Conservative party as it adjusts to the transformed economic context
Escapist froth
James DelingpoleLost in Austen (ITV1)
Imagine the terror of the Chinese officials
David TangDavid Tang reflects on his visits to Beijing in the run-up to the Games, where Western expertise has been harnessed to the ruthless efficiency of China’s government machine
Critical condition
Lloyd EvansLloyd Evans on the perils of being both playwright and critic
Latest blog posts
sponsored links
Free Sky Digital Offer - Order Now
Subscribe to Sky from £16 a month. Get free equipment and free broadband - Join Now. Sky HD - be amongst the first to have it - order now.
Free Sky Digital Offer - Order Now
Subscribe to Sky from £16 a month. Get free equipment and free broadband - Join Now. Sky HD - be...
ROME CENTRE
PORTA METRONIA, ROME Standing high on the top of one of the seven hills of Rome- the Coelian- this unique
City Breaks. ROME and PARIS
ROME and PARIS: over 350 holiday rentals apartments listed: visit www.romanreference.com and www.parisreference.com or call +39 0648 903612.
Jewellery. RUFFS (Estd. 1904).
Goldsmiths by Design Welcome to Ruffs! You have found a company of Goldsmiths that specialises in the manufacture, amongst other
Spectator Business | Apollo Magazine
Corporate | Advertising | Privacy | Terms
Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9HP
All Articles and Content Copyright ©2008 by The Spectator | All Rights Reserved
ian skidmore
August 21st, 2008 6:50pmlisten to your dad. China ws cicilised before there ws a Rome or even an Ancient Greece
Anon
August 22nd, 2008 1:05amDon't feel so downhearted, dear one: remember you have legions of adoring fans and its only a matter of time before these numbers increase ten-fold.