Unleashed

But no doubt he will have the last laugh, coining in the royalties.

I don't think that the book has sold as well as anticipated. But he's fine. He got a massive advance from the publishers. Let's hope they've learned their lesson...

Bromley

I was appalled that anyone could vote for a liar and a cheat.
He told huge lies before and during his time. An embarrassment to the country.

Perhaps somebody would like to counter this with some positives?

BevSec

MaizieD

I sometimes wonder if the accusations of 'leftie envy' are an attempt to justify privilege, mixed with a smattering of guilt at having had so much when others have so little.

Not that I think Johnson has ever been acquainted with the feel of guilt..

Why does anyone need to justify privilege?

Why?

Because privilege means having more of the available resources than most other people along with an expectation of it enabling you to be a position of influence and power just because you have a greater share of the resources.

It's not 'envy' at all that is felt by those who feel that there should be a more equable distribution of power and resources. It's a sense of justice and a belief that all men and women are entitled to a decent life. And that power should be exercised for the good of all, not a privileged few.

I can't critique the book as I haven't read it (nor ever will). But I loathe the author and all he stands for. I would regard him as more unhinged than unleashed, and he could give Pinochio a good run for his money. But no doubt he will have the last laugh, coining in the royalties.

I was appalled that anyone could vote for a liar and a cheat.
He told huge lies before and during his time. An embarrassment to the country.

Just a few points.

Though you need intelligence to acquire a degree, you also need the ability to study constructively and the motivation to achieve.. So you cannot measure intelligence just by the degree result.

And regarding privilege; my father was an engine driver and we lived in a rented house. We accepted what we had without envy and both my brother and I went too university, got degrees and had successful working lives. It can be done without privilege, you see. I feel no ill will to or envy of, those who had a rather more comfortable start.

Jeanathome

I saw it in a bargain basket in Tesco's today.

Along with " Spare"

Another book I didn't waste time reading..

I saw it in a bargain basket in Tesco's today.

Along with " Spare"

yellowfox

He didn't succeed with Brexit because the Remainers could not accept the fact that they had lost the vote and were out to sabotage and get rid of Boris. Which they did.
He is a highly intelligent man and a very good author.
All politicians lie at times. Look at Starmer!

👏👏👏

grandtanteJE65

Why should it be a wind-up? There have been posts on Gransnet rejoicing in Trump winning the American presidential election, and plenty others deploring the present British government, and yet others commending Boris Johnsen as the best Prime Minister since Benjamin Disraeli.

So in this case the OP may mean precisely what she says, even although neither you nor I can find it in us to agree with her.

Its what makes the discussions so interesting, I genuinely like to hear different points of view.

Why should it be a wind-up? There have been posts on Gransnet rejoicing in Trump winning the American presidential election, and plenty others deploring the present British government, and yet others commending Boris Johnsen as the best Prime Minister since Benjamin Disraeli.

So in this case the OP may mean precisely what she says, even although neither you nor I can find it in us to agree with her.

(That was to Bev.)

Yes.

He didn't succeed with Brexit because the Remainers could not accept the fact that they had lost the vote and were out to sabotage and get rid of Boris. Which they did.
He is a highly intelligent man and a very good author.
All politicians lie at times. Look at Starmer!

Wyllow3

The problem is the paucity of reviews that are actually accessible BevSec unless you subscribe.

But I do read/have read news/reviews coming from the right,

how else to get an overall view from which too offer an opinion?

Yes you are right, its good to get other points of view, even if we dont agree with them.

The problem is the paucity of reviews that are actually accessible BevSec unless you subscribe.

But I do read/have read news/reviews coming from the right,

how else to get an overall view from which too offer an opinion?

MaizieD

I sometimes wonder if the accusations of 'leftie envy' are an attempt to justify privilege, mixed with a smattering of guilt at having had so much when others have so little.

Not that I think Johnson has ever been acquainted with the feel of guilt..

Why does anyone need to justify privilege?

DillytheGardener

“ She certainly looks hatchet faced”. You sound charming!

I certainly am 🤣

Wyllow3

If you are interested there's a shortish critique of the book in the Guardian from a month ago

www.theguardian.com/books/2024/oct/06/unleashed-by-boris-johnson-review-regrets-not-even-a-few

"Billed as offering the unfiltered truth about Brexit, Covid, partygate and more, the former prime minister’s brazen memoir is in fact little more than the latest chapter in his bid to present himself as a Churchillian hero"

Article offers some interesting fact checks on claims.

I have not and do not read the Guardian but they are hardly likely to support Boris or have a good word to say about him.

“ She certainly looks hatchet faced”. You sound charming!

The "politics of envy" is a meme now used as a matter of course by many on the right
Any attempt to "level up" is described as an act of envy, or attempting to "level down".

Its been around a fair bit of time.

This short article describes it well, in the context of events in 2012

www.theguardian.com/politics/shortcuts/2012/aug/29/nick-clegg-politics-of-envy

"Nowadays the charge, revived by an American called Doug Bandow in the 90s, is levelled against the left and invariably deployed by the right. It's not hard to see why. For every bloodthirsty Robespierre there must be a million gentle citizens who regard tax-evading millionaires as ripe for the politics of fairness over those of greed.

So when George Osborne cuts the 50p tax rate to 45p (only the poor need cuts to incentivise them) and faces "millionaire's budget" jibes, he accuses his critics of TPOE.

When Barack Obama denounces unfunded Republican tax cuts for the rich (a hard charge to deny), he and his "socialist cronies" are tarred with TPOE."

I sometimes wonder if the accusations of 'leftie envy' are an attempt to justify privilege, mixed with a smattering of guilt at having had so much when others have so little.

Not that I think Johnson has ever been acquainted with the feel of guilt..

I do rather believe BJ has "Delusions of Grandeur" to some extent.

As on the now well known school report:

"Boris really has adopted a disgracefully cavalier attitude to his classical studies. [He] sometimes seems affronted when criticised for what amounts to a gross failure of responsibility (and surprised at the same time that he was not appointed Captain of the school for the next half).

"I think he honestly believes that it is churlish of us not to regard him as an exception, one who should be free of the network of obligation that binds everyone else."

I don't think everything he did was "bad" by any means, but rather that aspects of his character in the end were his undoing: I don't think he was "knifed in the back", rather that fellow MP's realised the consequences of his character would pull the party down, and in a way, they did.

Wyllow3

If you are interested there's a shortish critique of the book in the Guardian from a month ago

www.theguardian.com/books/2024/oct/06/unleashed-by-boris-johnson-review-regrets-not-even-a-few

"Billed as offering the unfiltered truth about Brexit, Covid, partygate and more, the former prime minister’s brazen memoir is in fact little more than the latest chapter in his bid to present himself as a Churchillian hero"

Article offers some interesting fact checks on claims.

A red flag on every sentence!!!!

If there are going to be comparisons; KS has a 1st class degree, BJ an upper 2nd.