Tuesday 11 November 2008

Nazi of the week ...

... is Tory Councillor Michael Stark, of Redbridge Council, who proposed a ban on smokers becoming foster parents.

"Mr Gaunt [the radio interviewer], who was in care as a child, tried to tone down his remarks by saying Mr Stark was a 'health Nazi' and arguing the policy could deprive children of a foster home."

Fair enough, you might think. But no ...

At the end of the show, he was forced to apologise on air and was suspended pending an investigation.

In the light of this, I think "Nazi" without qualifications was in fact a fair insult.

9 comments:

Guthrum said...

justified

Anonymous said...

which is better for a child's health? Being in a smoking foster home or in care?

Mark Wadsworth said...

TA, if the latter were better, it would be an argument for forcibly taking the natural children of smokers into care.

Anonymous said...

Mark,

Don't give them any ideas...

Bill Quango MP said...

Never use the word Nazi.Nazi's always object when its applied to them.

Anonymous said...

Wrong phrase to use - Use Neo-Com instead and make this part of our lexicon

Anonymous said...

I've been pretty insulted because of my opinions but I wouldn't want anyone to lose their job or get reprimanded for insulting me. I'd just like the opportunity to insult them back. Might make for interesting radio.

May I suggest the phrase "fitness fascist" as an alternative?

Anonymous said...

Perhaps from time to time you might define what you personally mean by 'Nazi'. Us oldies who lived through WW2 seemed to regard it as something different.
Though then it wad often used as word you used when you really meant German.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Anon, somebody like Cllr M Stark counts as one, putting the historic context to one side for now.