Witty bits from what I learned in the UK (14) [Vorbe de duh din ce am învăţat în UK]

For anyone who may (still) have doubts about the truth (or ‘truthiness’ : -) of the little quotes which I am using in this series, I feel I should confirm one more time that nothing is made up.

I simply reproduce here a few interesting words, precisely as I heard them. But it’s not polite to disclose who exactly said what, where and when.

Therefore, I am holding on to the Chatham House Rule, which allows the liberty of ‘wity bits’ to circulate, without embarassing anyone. It states that:

“When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the spearkers(s) nor that of any participant, may be revealed”.

This rule and the extent to which participants consider it morally binding makes discussion really free, and really worth taking part in; you may often catch some wity bits that would otherwise remain ‘forbidden’ in a more formal situation.

According to the famous think-tank’s website, the Rule “allows people to speak as individuals, and to express views that may not be those of their organizations, and therefore it encourages free discussion.”

“People usually feel more relaxed if they don't have to worry about their reputation or the implications if they are publicly quoted.”

Such a rule, and the way people uphold it is one of the things I liked best about the UK. Few societies in the world are as open as the British one is, and the fact that for the past 200-300 years almost the entire country was a Speaker’s Corner is undeniable.

Too bad that there are signs showing that the openness of Britain is gradually but irreversibly hijacked by Big Brother’s political correctness (PC), which is ultimately nothing but a perfidious totalitarian tool.

The Perfidious Albion is at war with its own citizens, and some are striking back –see here, here, here, here, here, here or here!

Every now and then, British newspapers (see here, here, here, here, here, here or here!) reveal the risks to free speech and other liberties of this ‘PC madness’, but I’m afraid Big Brother’s brain-washed activists are stronger and stronger.

That’s why I could stick just to counting this Chatham House Rule as another good example from the UK, without ignoring that what it stands for is being seriously threatened these days; and that’s an obvious sad truth about the UK.

[For all the episodes of this series, and all the posts on this blog go to/Pentru toate episoadele din această serie şi toate postările de pe acest blog mergi la: Contents/Cuprins]