Spectator readers respond to recent articles
David Lydamore
Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Unfair dismissal
Sir: I was surprised by P.J. Kavanagh’s review of my Isaac Rosenberg: the Making of a Great War Poet (Books, 3 May). Having happily followed my interpretation of his life, he rather suddenly dismisses Rosenberg as a poet, citing Geoffrey Grigson as his authority. Personally I should hesitate to disagree with two such eminent poets, but T.S. Eliot, arguably the 20th century’s greatest poet as well as a perceptive critic, thought Rosenberg the ‘most remarkable’ of the war poets. Another highly respected critic, F.R. Leavis, went even further, finding Rosenberg ‘as remarkable as Wilfred Owen but even more interesting technically’. Leavis identified ‘genius’ in Rosenberg, as did Siegfried Sassoon.
Jean Moorcroft Wilson
London NW1
More articles from: | this section
Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
Advertisement
The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Pre-Budget Report (PBR) was one of the most arresting political events of modern times.
Social networking: surely that has to be a tautology?
Tamzin Lightwater's unique take on the week
In his speech announcing his Pre-Budget Report, Alistair Darling said that he was going to put up the top rate of income tax to 45 per cent from 2011, because he wanted the burden to be borne by ‘those who have done best out of the growth of the past decade’.
‘What?’ said my husband, coherently, thrashing with his stick at a blackboard on the pavement. It said: ‘Quarter chicken with two regular sides, £5.90.’ This was no geometrical chicken.
‘A money-financed tax cut is essentially equivalent to Milton Friedman’s famous “helicopter drop” of money.’ So said Ben Bernanke, now the chairman of the Fed, in a speech about how to ward off the ‘extremely small’ chance of deflation, which he delivered in 2002.
Spectator readers respond to recent articles
Charles Moore's reflections on the week
Spectator readers respond to recent articles
Charles Moore's reflections on the week
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.
Subscribe to Sky from £16 a month. Get free equipment and free broadband - Join Now. Sky HD - be...
PORTA METRONIA, ROME Standing high on the top of one of the seven hills of Rome- the Coelian- this unique
ROME and PARIS: over 350 holiday rentals apartments listed: visit www.romanreference.com and www.parisreference.com or call +39 0648 903612.
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
Paul
May 8th, 2008 4:22pmChris Doyle ends his letter with a paragraph beginning "If Israel is around in 60 years’ time...". Is there any other country for which such speculation would be par for the course?
Simon Icke
May 11th, 2008 5:54pmNEW Labour is paying the price for completely neglecting the working classes, who are struggling to make ends meet with high taxes, both direct and indirect. It will pay the price at the next General Election.
New Labour have sucked up to the Islington trendy liberal academics' who wouldn't know a working class person if they fell over them. (If they did meet one they would probably feel superior and smug like so many New Labour middle class trendies). They certainly wouldn't know the reality of the struggle these poor families now have to endure. Who now, cannot even afford to fill their car with petrol not to mention pay their gas and electric bill! Meanwhile New Labour cronies continue to feed their fat stomachs in the trough of self-indulgence and arrogance. And continue to listen to the academic liberal rich middle class guardianist writers who have contributed to New Labour's demise.
The bottom line is New Labour has lost touch with its roots and continues to live in its trendy London gold fish bowl' like it has done so for the last 11 years.
So it gets what it deserves
Drummond Gaskarth
May 14th, 2008 1:42pmre Roger Alton on Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Where might Marco Fu be today emulating O'Sullivan's press conference technique? Certainly not waiting on our Snooker Authorities' hand-wringing.
Simon Icke
July 9th, 2008 2:37pmParliamentary Debate
Dear Sir,
May I be allowed the following observations on two recent matters before Parliament? Firstly, on human/animal hybrid experimentation, there is not a shred of evidence that such experiments will help one single person suffering from a degenerative disease. It seems the end by which they justify the means rests on a massive ' if ' !
Surely this is a false, emotive reason to experiment with nature and justify playing God. It is rather arrogant that so many naive politicians cry ' just think of the millions it might help' when, in truth, it is likely to help no one. But the truth doesn't sound so good or win popularity.
Secondly, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill is a measure of how far our nation has fallen-- the sanctity of human life no longer has much value with many ' trendy liberal minded MPs'. Listening to some of them speak in the House of Commons at the second reading of the Abortion debate was truly sickening.
As a nation we are only as civilised as our treatment of the most vulnerable amongst us. No one is more vulnerable and less valued in our society than the unborn human child. Have we become so selfish, so callous that we just don't care anymore? Over 97% of the 200,000 plus abortions carried out every year in the UK is for social reasons only. How very sad.
It's about time the public were made aware of the reality of what happens in our abortion clinics every day, rather than continuing the to believe the myths and misinformation fed to them by pro-abortion lobbyists.
They often have a vested interest in the continuing success of this vile industry, which spends hundreds of thousands of pounds lobbying MPs to protect its interests------all under the guise of women's rights, which it seems no MP dares to question (Well it's not PC is it?).
Next time you meet a child from a poor neighbourhood, a physically or mentally disabled person, someone who has had corrective surgery for a cleft palate or club foot, or even a woman from an ethnic minority where males are more valued than females ---- ask them a simple question. Are you glad to be alive or do you wish your mother had exercised her right to choose to abort you?
Simon Icke, Political Writer & Poet.