Liberal Burblings

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There is a certain daily publication which refers to itself as a “newspaper” and has a two-word title. That title starts with the letter “D” and ends with the letter “L”.

As of today, 31st December 2009, this blog, Liberal Burblings, will never again refer to this atrocious, steaming pile of horse manure by its name and will certainly never provide any links to it. The so-called “newspaper” in question will be referred to only as “The Usual Suspect”.

I used to regularly read said “newspaper” for many years. It can be, insidiously, a carefree read over a coffee, with celebrity news, quick crosswords and a cartoon about an amiable dog. Indeed, it was our family “newspaper” for many years when I grew up, and my grandfather read it everyday from the 1920s. I stopped actually purchasing the said “newspaper” many years ago. Indeed, I wrote to the proprietor at the time, the previous Lord Harmsworth, telling him I would never again purchase his “newspaper” because it was too right wing. He replied saying that the “newspaper” had always been “patriotic” and used to have the motto “For King and Country” below its masthead. I replied back, saying that His Lordship was making the elementary, nay simple, mistake of confusing patriotism with political outlook, mentioning en passant that one of the largest (if not the largest) rumps of people who have fought and died for our country actually came or come from Glasgow, which is not a vicinity noted for its right wing leanings.

And, of course, over the years there have been countless non-sensical and alarmist articles in said “newspaper”. I could tolerate that.

However, in the last two months there have been two bigoted, disgusting, sickening articles in “The Usual Suspect” which have been the two straws which have broken the camel’s back. I have had enough. I am never again even going to go to The Usual Suspect’s website. I am never again going to pick up a free copy of the “newspaper” in question. And I will never mention the “newspaper” on this blog except by the code “The Usual Suspect” (if I must) and I will certainly never link to it. I will even (and this is a great sacrifice) refrain those mischievous and hilarious “tweet the vote” campaigns on their websites’ ”daily poll”.

R.I.P Stephen Gately 1976-2009

R.I.P Akmal Shaikh 1956-2009