Tuesday 3 October 2017

Johnson should go!

"Gaffe" is usually defined as "an unintentional act or remark", and is the most popular method of describing the numerous incidents when our country`s foreign secretary manages to insult the people, customs or leaders of other countries (The ambassador, Kipling - and Johnson, 30/09/17). Johnson may occasionally blurt out, like most of us, silly, inappropriate observations, but most of his insults simply are not "unintentional" at all. A recital of Kipling`s "Road to Mandalay" in "the most sacred Buddhist site" in the capital of of Myanmar is not something uttered inadvertedly. Johnson knew full well the impact his quoting of the poem would have, but still continued until the British ambassador`s intervention. Similarly, his writing of "a crude limerick about the Turkish president" was done to ridicule purposely, whilst his insulting comments about Hillary Clinton and Francoise Hollande have to be deliberate.
 Clearly, Johnson`s sense of humour is puerile in the extreme, but when it is allied with public school arrogance, and an education which taught a totally biased and inaccurate version of imperial history, the result is a foreign secretary who brings embarrassment and shame to us all.  MPs on all sides should be demanding his resignation. 

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