Robert Fisk in the Helix

[Angus]

Anybody out there attend this last night ?

Before I go off on one, just want to check if anybody else was there ?

[jebus]

Anybody out there attend this last night ?

Before I go off on one, just want to check if anybody else was there ?

Count backwards from 5 and refreash the screen, if no-ones posted by then go off on one! :)

[Angus]

Basically this was "chaired" by Vincent Browne.

He gave no formal introduction and went straight to the audience for questions. Cue all of the single issue types moaning.

Bizarrely, Browne announces that he has to go at 9, half way through the seminar. He then gets a clealry surprised Brian Keenan to chair the last 40 minutes.

During Brownes chairing of the event, he seemed distant, managed the whole thing through audience questions, the vast majority of which were actually speeches.

Fisk is a very engaging and enoyable guy to listen to and it is an achievement to screw it up - the news is that Vinnie just about managed it.

[jebus]

Reminds me of a 'debate' chaired by the UCC debating society between George Galloway and some ex-IRA, ex-Communist Party member (really), the topic being 'Has American Foreign Policy been the worst atrocity since World War 2'. Gorgeous George opened proceedings with the motion that it has been, and spoke well on the subject and used his alloted 15 minutes to good affect. Red Ra member took to the podium next and proceed to criticise Galloway and his meeting with Saddam a few years back, also curiously calling him a communist at one stage (it was at this point when Galloway made reference to the IRA member's past that we found out about his dealings with the Ra and the communist party).

Anyway the ex-Ra member spoke for about 25 minutes about how George Galloway is a hypocrite, depite repeated calls from the audience and Galloway himself that the chair bring the speaker under control. When they didn't/couldn't Galloway walked out followed by half the audience (myself included). Probably shouldn't have expected anything more from a bunch of children chairing what should have been an interesting debate but it was fairly annoying.

[thischarmingman]

Anybody out there attend this last night ?

Before I go off on one, just want to check if anybody else was there ?

I had no idea this was on! I just handed in my dissertation this day last week and found one of his books really useful in it. Would have loved to have heard him speak.

[anto1208]

Reminds me of a 'debate' chaired by the UCC debating society between George Galloway and some ex-IRA, ex-Communist Party member (really), the topic being 'Has American Foreign Policy been the worst atrocity since World War 2'. Gorgeous George opened proceedings with the motion that it has been, and spoke well on the subject and used his alloted 15 minutes to good affect. Red Ra member took to the podium next and proceed to criticise Galloway and his meeting with Saddam a few years back, also curiously calling him a communist at one stage (it was at this point when Galloway made reference to the IRA member's past that we found out about his dealings with the Ra and the communist party).

Anyway the ex-Ra member spoke for about 25 minutes about how George Galloway is a hypocrite, depite repeated calls from the audience and Galloway himself that the chair bring the speaker under control. When they didn't/couldn't Galloway walked out followed by half the audience (myself included). Probably shouldn't have expected anything more from a bunch of children chairing what should have been an interesting debate but it was fairly annoying.

I like listening to Galloway speak all right, full of crap and a sneaky little so and so but still a good public speaker. a Bit like micheal more ill watch his movies but you cant believe a word either says.

[ruben_sosa]

a Bit like micheal more ill watch his movies but you cant believe a word either says.

such as ?

[anto1208]

such as ?

Like the Charlton Hesten thing in bowling for columbine when he said he turned up a few days after some kid was shot and made a speach "from my cold dead hands" then it turns out that line was cleverly cut from a speech months before from a different city !!

But what really put me off him was when he was asked on the last word on today fm and he said he would only go on if he could pre-pick the questions ! this is a guy that made his name for doorstepping people.

[jebus]

Like the Charlton Hesten thing in bowling for columbine when he said he turned up a few days after some kid was shot and made a speach "from my cold dead hands" then it turns out that line was cleverly cut from a speech months before from a different city !!

That part was ridiculous to be honest, "Look at the child Charlton, look at the child", what a tosspot. Anyway I walk straight away from a discussion if someone starts spouting Michael Moore facts :rolleyes:

[ruben_sosa]

Like the Charlton Hesten thing in bowling for columbine when he said he turned up a few days after some kid was shot and made a speach "from my cold dead hands" then it turns out that line was cleverly cut from a speech months before from a different city !!


he never said Heston turned up after Columbine and made the 'cold dead hands' speech, that's just how you interpreted it. Poor Charlton Heston...totally misrepresented. All he did was chair a NRA rally in Colorado a week after a gun massacre and after he was asked not to go ahead by the Mayor out of respect for the victims. Well they can take that gun from his cold dead hands now :D

[Billsthoughts]

anyone read his book on middle east? could have bennefitted from a little less of some of his more trivial personal experiences imo.