Monday, May 30, 2011

Cameron’s Lot, or Camelot, and Other Statesmen’s Lots

Ever since I have been able to receive some British TV via my satellite dish, I have been taking a mild interest in British current affairs. I think I can safely say that I have never taken an interest in British current affairs, not even when I lived in Britain and studied politics at university there. Hell, I don’t even take much of an interest in German current affairs and I have been living in Germany for longer than I can even remember. But, now that I can watch current affairs in English, I am taking more of an interest in world politics too – so I am also watching CNN and… no, I’m still not watching the German news, but I am at least reading it.




Call me thick (and yes, I can hear you!) but so it was that I only recently realized that the UK (I believe that’s the PC term) is being run by two chaps who are even younger than this Cupcake! I mean, I knew it was being run by the one chap, but I was not aware that the other chap was kind of running it with him.

Do I even know the meaning of the term coalition government? Clearly, not so much.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg, or Camelegg, a Libra and a Capricorn respectively and both 44 years old, thus possibly both born in the same Chinese year, sport photos on their Wikipedia pages that make this Cupcake at least wonder if their mothers can tell them apart. By this I mean to imply that, apart from my eyesight not being what it used to be, they do look a little similar, in that 44-year old nice chap, short hair suit and tie way.

Mr. Clegg was born in the charming-sounding village of Chalfont St. Giles, which might or might not be the place Ms. Marple worked out of, and Mr. Cameron grew up in Berkshire, which again, is one of those charming Home Counties counties. But do not be fooled. These chaps and their ancestors have been all over the place! Mr. Clegg in particular speaks 5 languages fluently.  It’s a wonder he didn’t try his hand at translation! (lol at in-joke with self). And apparently he used to write for the Guardian, a national English newspaper. According to Wikipedia, he once criticized Britain for having “a tenacious obsession with the last war”.

A very observant young chap! Right on the nail – he has my vote!

While I am getting to the age where it is kind of hard for me sometimes to accept that I am older than some statesmen (and I include you in that, Mr. Obama!), I am happy to see that the young chaps seem to be making a good job of it. When I was younger (two-and-a-half years ago), all the countries that I felt were more important to me (Germany, the USA and Britain) were being run by people older than me. That’s no longer the case. But at least I’m not worried that they’re too young for the job.

And I am happy that my satellite dish has brought me closer to “what the kids are saying”.

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