Why flags scare me

By Parson Thru

Sat, 07 Oct 2017
  • 4074 reads
18 comments
 
It can be fun, I’ll grant you
Waving your flag at Olympic medallists
Bursting your lungs at The Proms
 
But once folks with flags get angry
It’s a whole different game
 
Angry folks waving flags
Is an ugly scene
 
People on platforms
Enamel pins in lapels
Spit ugliness into the mic
 
Playing the crowd
Flying the flag
Fanning the flames
 
I don’t see a whole lot of peace and love
Only tears to come
Certificate U
Poem
Parson Thruses Dairy
Travel

Comments

Submitted by Ewan on

"The last refuge of a scoundrel" Samuel Johnson.
And what scoundrels they have been over the years. Farage, Johnson, Mosley, every faux-Little Englander with a public school background and money in the bank... Patriotism is a polite word for Nationalism, and look at the wonders that achieved in the Balkans post-Tito. Gah!

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Submitted by Parson Thru on

I feel it.

I took refuge in a John le Carre novel, "A Perfect Spy". He actually hits a few nails on the head in terms of the interface of individual and loyalties.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Ewan on

 in that genre. The equal of Conrad's Secret Agent every time.

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Submitted by Parson Thru on

Yes.

Haven't read that. Thanks for the pointer.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Just seen something that I think is brilliant. Le Carre uses a text in the story: Grimmelhousen's "Simplicissimus".

In the literary crit of Simplicissimus, it's stated that the book was long thought to be an autobiographical account of the Thirty Year's War, but the author couldn’t have been involved as he was too young.

In "A Perfect Spy", the protagonist gives an account in post-war Bern of his involvement in WW2. His nemesis / true love presents him with a copy of Grimmelhousen at Christmas, which he uses for the whole of the British secret service career on which he is yet to embark to decode personal signals from the Czech secret service.

I love the integration of literary knowledge into the mess of human relations and loyalties. I underestimated le Carre in favour of writers such as Kerouac, Joyce and Beckett. I humbly apologise.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Ewan on

 will be ranked with Greene when he's gone.

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Submitted by Parson Thru on

How's Greene these days?

Parson Thru

Submitted by Ewan on

as anyone can be expected to be since he's been six feet under since 1991.
He wrote many more interesting things than Brighton Rock.

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Submitted by Parson Thru on

Ja ja ja ja!

I was enquiring after his reputation.

Who knows, we might be blessed with one of those ourselves one day.

:))))

Parson Thru

Submitted by Ed Crane on

 

 

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Perhaps he sleeps with one eye open, and many watching over him...

Parson Thru

Submitted by Ed Crane on

 

 

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Agreed. Oh, complexity!!!!

Parson Thru

Submitted by Ewan on

I beg your pardon, I misunderstood.
I don't think Greene has been particularly maligned by the gang who decides Orwell good, Kipling bad etc. I think it's more having been forgotten, which I suppose, for some, might be worse. One of my favourite 20th Century writers. One day people will look back on the 20th as a golden era for British writing. Waugh, Greene, LeCarré, Powell, Burgess, Conrad is a 20th century writer too (just) and that's just the men. Ruth Rendell (or Barbara Vine), A.S.Byatt, Margaret Drabble. I wonder how many of these could get a first novel published now?  

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Submitted by airyfairy on

My mission at the moment (one of them) is to read more Le Carre.  My dad was a huge fan, which was a great compliment to Le Carre as my dad didn't read fiction on principle, but the only one I've actually read is The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.  Seen the TV adaptations and films but I have no doubt the books are better.  I may do them in chronological order, it's always good to see a writer developing.    

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Hi airyfairy. I used to read a lot of his book, sometimes over and over as I'm doing with this one now. Then I probably told myself he wasn't literature or something. I downloaded this after banging my head on Joyce and Beckett - both of whom I intend to read. I don't know whether it was the book or me, but whilst reading the early part I kept thinking the writing was a bit Tesco pulp fiction. That might actually have been the editing rather than the writing. It was a bit like finding the answers written on the question paper. Something changed, though, and every page absorbed me, to the detriment of my sleep pattern. The BBC adaptations of his "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and "Smiley's People" are wonderful. Chronological order is probably as good a choice as any. He certainly knows how to weave complex threads into a plot. And his characters are great.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Ewan on

after all these years, I have a special affection for The Looking Glass War. It's probably only because I used to be a linguist as the real life looking glass war drew to a close.
 

Fools, most linguists. Damn all to say in one language, so they learn another
and say damn all in that.
- John le Carre

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Submitted by Parson Thru on

Priceless! It's the quality of his characters that makes such opinions of fiction stay with us. I reckon he collected many of them from the corridors of Whitehall and its satellites.

Parson Thru