There are few tribes more loathsome than the American Right, and their vicious use of the shortcomings in the NHS to attack Barack Obama's attempts at health reform are a useful reminder. Simon Hoggart More Quotes by Simon Hoggart More Quotes From Simon Hoggart Fish have water, the bushmen of the Kalahari have sand, and Houstonians have interior décor. Simon Hoggart sand texas water Reagan was a flesh and blood version of any other mute national emblem, say the Statue of Liberty. Everyone knows what she represents, but no one would dream of asking her opinion. Simon Hoggart liberty dream blood Disney World has acquired by now something of the air of a national shrine. American parents who don't take their children there sense obscurely that they have failed in some fundamental way, like Muslims who never made it to Mecca. Simon Hoggart parent air children Life was so much simpler in pre-video days when everyone refused invitations because the 'Forsyte Saga' was on. Now we all just have a long list of unwatched shows, all of which, it seems, our friends are raving about. I feel as outdated as if I wore a Fair Isle sweater, ate Pot Noodle and had a two-bar electric fire in the sitting room. Simon Hoggart sweaters fire two Some government expenditure actually makes a profit. Our theatre leads the world. Loads of tourists must be attracted by the fact that you could spend a week in London doing nothing but visit superb museums and galleries, free. Simon Hoggart theatre government museums Canada is not so much a country as a clothesline nearly 4,000 miles long. St John's in Newfoundland is closer to Milan, Italy than to Vancouver. Simon Hoggart vancouver long country I've been intrigued by 'Le Monde' ever since work took me to Paris once, and I noted that on a day when there was some huge worldwide story, the paper led its front page on some cabinet changes in Turkey. It implied a magnificent disdain for the quotidian folderol of mere news. Simon Hoggart turkeys paris news The Chinese do make vast quantities of wine for home consumption, but you wouldn't want to drink it yourself. Simon Hoggart chinese wine home Even I would find a book about my life pretty dull. Simon Hoggart book dull The nanny seemed to be extinct until 1975, when, like the coelacanth, she suddenly and unexpectedly reappeared in the shape of Margaret Thatcher. Simon Hoggart nannies shapes Curiously, it is hard not to be a little optimistic about the future for Zimbabwe (as nobody at all calls it yet, except in political speeches). The fear is not that there will be mass slaughter of the whites, followed by their flight to South Africa and the collapse of the economy, but that the need to retain white confidence may mean that the blacks are badly disappointed. Simon Hoggart optimistic white mean Reagan is the only man to take the presidency as a part-time job, a means of filling up the otherwise empty hours of retirement. Simon Hoggart retirement jobs mean I think the great thing about grandparents is seeing another home, realising that people you love can have different priorities, different diversions, different opinions and lead quite different lives from the ones you see every day, and that is immensely valuable. Simon Hoggart home people thinking If you read the 'Daily Mail,' you would imagine that the British middle classes lead lives of unremitting misery. Simon Hoggart daily-mail misery class When you visit a foreign city you are in it, but not of it, separated by a glass wall. Once, while a student, I was getting dressed in my ground-floor room when a family of Italians crossed the grass to watch, as if I were laid on for their amusement and instruction. Simon Hoggart wall glasses cities I'm often amazed at the way politicians, who spend hours poring over opinion poll results in a desperate attempt to discover what the public thinks, are certain they know precisely what God's views are on everything. Simon Hoggart views way thinking They're called Virgin Trains because they don't go all the way. Simon Hoggart america way world Americans are fascinated by their own love of shopping. This does not make them unique. It's just that they have more to buy than most other people on the planet. And it's also an affirmation of faith in their country. Simon Hoggart shopping unique country Why should we subsidize intellectual curiosity? Simon Hoggart curiosity intellectual funny In Washington, the first thing people tell you is what their job is. In Los Angeles you learn their star sign. In Houston you're told how rich they are. And in New York they tell you what their rent is. Simon Hoggart stars new-york jobs
