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"Appointing Blair would be a hostile act" - Hague | 60 comments (60 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Re: Appointing Blair would be a hostile act (none / 0)
Conversely, however, they can now hardly complain too much if some other European they dislike gets the job.  An own goal?

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 at 09:19:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Appointing Blair would be a hostile act (4.00 / 3)
Not really, but they don't really care either way. Blair suits them, but they simply aren't invested enough in europe to worry as they can make up something awful about anybody if they want. Being foreign is pretty damnable here nowadays.

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 at 09:23:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Appointing Blair would be a hostile act (none / 0)
Would Mary count as foreign given she has lectured at oxbridge on occasion and dined with the Queen?

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 at 09:33:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Appointing Blair would be a hostile act (none / 0)
Is Mary Robinson the only Irish politician you consistently refer to by first name? I don't remember you talking about "Brian" or "Bertie".

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 at 09:38:04 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Appointing Blair would be a hostile act (none / 0)
Irish politics/society is extremely informal and it is not uncommon to refer to senior personages by their first names without being in the least impolite.  For a foreign audience I generally use both simply because they might not know who I'm talking about but in this case the context was pretty clear.  Use of a first name only does not imply affection/familiarity, although of course it can!

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 at 09:43:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Appointing Blair would be a hostile act (none / 1)
It's not about being impolite but about referring to men by their last name and women by their first name...

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 at 09:59:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Appointing Blair would be a hostile act (none / 1)
Ahern is commonly referred to a as Bertie in Ireland though sometimes in a deprecatory way by snobs to reference his North side anorak wearing image.  Generally  I don't think its a male/female thing and used more where the context is clear.  You would rarely use Brian for Cowen as there is lots of scope for confusion with Lehihan given that they seem to be joined at the hip these days.

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 at 10:10:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Appointing Blair would be a hostile act (4.00 / 4)
I don't think Ahern was referred to here on ET as Bertie in other than a deprecatory manner, though not for the reason you state.

I'm curious because I have observed this phenomenon about male/female first/last names in many contexts for a long time in various countries...

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 at 10:16:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Appointing Blair would be a hostile act (none / 1)
  No: he also consistently refers to Mary Magdalene (Dublin Central) as "Mary".

"In such an environment it is not surprising that the ills of technology should seem curable only through the application of more technology..." John W Aldridge
by proximity1 on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 at 10:27:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Appointing Blair would be a hostile act (none / 0)
You mean Mary Lou?

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 at 11:00:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Appointing Blair would be a hostile act (none / 1)
Probably not, she speaks english as a first language, which means she's civilised. However, I interpret her recent statement as saying that she feels she has better, more important, things to do than this so I'm in the Finnish chap's camp at the moment (not that I get to choose).

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 at 09:53:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Appointing Blair would be a hostile act (4.00 / 4)

 ... " she speaks English as a first language, which means she's civilised"...

   Do be more careful, please.  One day, George W. Bush might learn English and claim it as his first language---though we know that lying is his first language--and then where would your syllogism leave us?

"In such an environment it is not surprising that the ills of technology should seem curable only through the application of more technology..." John W Aldridge

by proximity1 on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 at 10:22:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Appointing Blair would be a hostile act (4.00 / 3)
That quip was regarding conservative attitudes towards her due to her being Irish and, therefore, not overtly foreign.

Not my attitude, theirs.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 at 11:08:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]

"Appointing Blair would be a hostile act" - Hague | 60 comments (60 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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